Brussels to act today over Olympic subsidies
BRUSSELS (AFP) – The European Commission is to take Greece to the EU’s highest court over state funding to ailing flag carrier Olympic Airways, an informed source said yesterday. The EU executive will announce today its intention to file a case against Olympic before the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice, said the source. The Commission says it has received «no information» from Athens about demands that it take back about 194 million euros in aid to Olympic, which Brussels says were illegally disbursed. The Commission initially asked Athens to secure the reimbursement of the aid last December, saying Olympic had had an undue advantage over its competitors. But the Greek government, which currently holds the EU presidency, immediately refused. In April Brussels said it would take Athens to court «within weeks.»