IP/09/670

Brussels, 29 April 2009

Commission authorises Czech financing of infrastructure to develop clean public transport in Severovýchod

The European Commission has decided today not to raise any objections to a Czech State aid scheme that aims at promoting green transport in the region of Severovýchod. The supported projects will consist of constructing and upgrading refuelling stations for public transport operators.

The aid scheme, amounting to 75 million CZ Koruna between 2009 and 2014 will support the provision of alternative refuelling stations^[1] in order to improve the ecological public transport infrastructure in terms of accessibility and efficiency and thereby facilitate the use of public transport instead of individual transport in the Severovýchod region.

The Commission stressed in its 2007 Green Paper on urban mobility^[2] that public authorities should support an efficient public transport infrastructure and, more specifically, new infrastructure for the distribution of alternative fuels, as a way to promote the operation of clean energy efficient vehicles.

The Commission concluded that the aid scheme to be put in place by the Czech authorities is necessary to pursue a Community objective. Furthermore, the advantage conferred by the aid is not disproportionate insofar as to have an impact on competition and on Community trade.

^[1] These stations provide alternative fuels for cleaner vehicles. Current alternative fuels range from biodiesels and natural gas to electricity and hydrogen.
^[2] Green paper "Towards a new culture for urban mobility", COM (2007) 551 final of 25 September 2007.