The EU Commission’s decision: aid for Nürburgring were inadmissible – Tagesspiegel

The EU Commission's decision: aid for Nürburgring were inadmissible – Tagesspiegel

13:22 clock By Marion Trimborn, Jens Alpes

Brussels classifies State subsidies for the Nürburgring and the Zweibrücken Airport as unjustified one. For the sale of the bankrupt racetrack, the EU Commission is but the green light – as well as the aid to the Airport Hahn.

The Nürburgring has received State aid by almost half a billion euros wrongly. The EU Commission said the grants in Brussels on Wednesday to be incompatible with EU rules and demanded repayment. The top competition watchdog had taken aid totaling 456 million euros, as well as other measures to avoid bankruptcy under the microscope. The sale of the bankrupt race track in the Eifel to the auto supplier Capricorn endorsed Brussels, however.

According to the EU Commission, the public support measures for the race track, amusement park and the hotels at the Nürburgring were inadmissible because they then the owners or operators procured an unfair competitive advantage

The circuit is now insolvent

EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said.. “In the case of the Nürburgring support measures violated clearly against the state aid rules,” The money came mainly from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The race track and all beneficiary companies are now insolvent. The Commission complained that the German authorities had submitted a restructuring plan for the Nürburgring companies in Brussels.
At the same time Brussels found that the track in the spring 2014 “in an open and transparent bidding process to its market value” Düsseldorf suppliers had gone. The purchase price amounted to 77 million euros. “Thus, the purchaser shall not be liable for the repayment of incompatible aid,” the report said.

“aid may not be a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

investment and operating aid for the insolvent Palatinate Zweibrücken Airport in the amount of 47 million euros were unlawful – if only because of its proximity to the airport Saarbrücken 40 kilometers away. Agreed, the EU competition watchdog, however, are with the government cash injections for the equally deficient Hunsrück-Hahn Airport

Almunia stressed. “Aid may no waste of taxpayers’ money be.” However, the Nürburgring and the Zweibrücken Airport can because of their insolvency afford repayments. Ultimately applies tax money in the hundreds of millions lost.

The decisions were thus as expected. For the red-green state government under Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) they are a huge damper – even if especially the former SPD party government under former Prime Minister Kurt Beck (SPD) is in Brussels focus. The social democrat who had promoted the development of a much too large amusement parks at the Nürburgring, wanted to take no position on request. dpa