Spain: CNMC questions public contract for maritime service in Ceuta

Spain’s National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) has advised the Ministry of Development to “rethink” the need for a public service contract tender for maritime transport on the route between the cities of Ceuta and Algeciras, since “there is no accreditation” of whether the compensation received by its current contractor, Baleària, “is adjusted to cover its costs and a reasonable profit” and could even violate EU State Aid regulations.

The CNMC has warned that “at present, the offer of services by the operators far exceeds those required in the obligations of public service and casts some doubts on the need for the contract, which should lead to a reevaluation of regulatory measures.”

“The proposal by the Autonomous City should part from a deeper analysis of its expected impact on the different types of passengers that would be affected and on the companies that operate the route, and a better diagnosis of the current situation, as well as foreseeing that the intervention can have undesired effects “, concludes the CNMC in its opinion, adding that there are serious doubts about the very design of the tender, since 2011 the sole bidder has been the Baleària company.

Full Content: La Vanguardia

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