Press Release: State Aid: Commission orders Germany to recover incompatible aid for disposal of animal carcasses and slaughterhouse waste in Rhineland-Palatinate

The European Commission found that public support in favour of "Zweckverband Tierkörperbeseitigung in Rhineland-Palatinate" (ZT) - a local provider of services for the disposal of dead animal carcasses and slaughterhouse waste - was incompatible with EU state aid rules and has ordered Germany to recover incompatible aid of approximately €30 million from the beneficiary.

The Commission's investigation found, in particular, that ZT had no extra costs for discharging a public service, because it had sufficient spare capacity besides its normal operations to master an epidemic outbreak, and was therefore not entitled to receive public compensation.