Commission Decision (EU) 2015/667 of 4 February 2015 on State aid SA.14551 (2013/C) implemented by France resulting from the change to the conditions for aid granted to time charterers under the tonnage tax scheme (notified under document number C(2015) 434) (Text with EEA relevance)

The amendment to the tonnage tax scheme implemented unlawfully by France in 2005, in breach of Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, is incompatible with the internal market in relation to the rules applicable to time-chartered vessels.

France shall amend the legislation applicable to the tonnage tax scheme with effect from the 2015 tax year in accordance with the commitment that it has given, under which the beneficiaries of the tonnage tax scheme, on entering the scheme, must have at least 25 % of their fleet under the flag of a Member State of the Union or of a State party to the EEA Agreement, and subsequently maintain or increase this proportion.

France shall inform the Commission of the adoption of the legislative amendments referred to in Article 2.

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.