MEP Brando Benifei (S&D) has asked the European Commission to assess whether the proposed reform of Italy's port system, which would centralise revenue collection under a new entity called Porti d'Italia S.p.A., could violate EU state aid rules. The parliamentary question, submitted on 15 July 2026, targets the planned transfer of a fixed share of revenues from port system authorities—including anchorage dues, taxes on goods, and concession fees—to the new centralised body. Benifei is concerned that this mechanism may involve state resources and confer selective economic advantages on port sector actors, potentially breaching Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
whether the revenue transfer constitutes state resources under EU law; what criteria the Commission would use to determine if subsequent financing of port infrastructure provides a selective advantage; and what safeguards member states should implement when setting up centralised entities for port revenue collection and redistribution, drawing on Commission Decision SA.38399 and the Commission Notice on the notion of state aid. The question reflects Benifei's push to ensure that the reform does not distort competition in the internal market, particularly affecting port operators, shipping companies, and regional port authorities that could face unequal treatment under the new system.
As a parliamentary question, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal the Commission's stance on the compatibility of Italy's proposed centralised revenue model with EU state aid rules, potentially influencing the reform's final design. Benifei's intervention highlights ongoing tensions between national efforts to streamline port governance and EU requirements to prevent state aid that could harm competition among ports and related businesses.