In accordance with the European State Aid rules and the Guidelines on State aid for railway undertakings, on 21 March 2022 the Commission approved the €120 million supplied by the Spanish government to promote rail as a more environmentally friendly mean of transportation as well as to contribute to the greening of rail transport, thereby achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal and of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.

Funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and running until 30 June 2026 in the form of direct grants, the scheme aims at compensating freight companies for the cost difference between road and rail transport, and is open to all those established in the European Union and possessing all the necessary licences. Furthermore, in order to incentivise freight companies to shift to rail the concrete aid amounts per beneficiary will depend on the rail traffic increase during the previous year.

According to the Commission, the scheme will benefit both the environment and mobility, supporting rail transport and decreasing road congestion. Furthermore, being necessary to achieve the pursued objectives and proportionate, the aids will not have undue negative effects on competition and trade in the Union.

Marco Stillo