28 July 2025 – Brussels – The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into Poland’s plan to grant approximately €26 million in public support to MAN Trucks for a major expansion of its truck manufacturing facility in Niepołomice, amid concerns the aid may breach EU State aid rules.
The aid package, which includes a €2.4 million direct grant and €23.7 million in tax exemptions, was intended to support an expansion expected to create around 1,400 jobs in the Malopolskie region—an area eligible for regional aid under EU rules. However, the Commission has raised doubts over whether the aid is proportionate and whether it genuinely influenced the company’s investment decision.
“While the investment supports economic development in a less advantaged EU region, we must ensure public funding does not distort competition or simply reward decisions that would have happened anyway,” the Commission said in a statement.
The core concerns prompting the probe are:
- Whether the aid was necessary to attract the investment to the region, or if MAN Trucks would have proceeded without it.
- Whether the aid has an actual “incentive effect” and meets the conditions of the EU’s Regional State Aid Guidelines (RAG).
MAN Trucks is part of the MAN Group and Volkswagen Group. The aid, though already decided by Polish authorities, has been suspended pending EU approval.
The Commission emphasized that the investigation does not prejudge the outcome. Poland, MAN Trucks, and other interested parties will now have the opportunity to submit comments before a final decision is made.
This case will be published under case number SA.114436 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once confidentiality issues are resolved.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1886
