European Commission bars Poland from granting €26 million to MAN Trucks — European Commission Press
The European Commission has found incompatible with EU state aid rules the support that Poland planned to provide for expanding the capacity of the MAN Trucks Sp. z o. o. truck manufacturer’s plant in Niepołomice, in the Małopolska region. Poland will not be able to pay the company approximately €26 million, or PLN 116 million. As reported by European Commission Press, the funds were intended for an investment project to increase the plant’s capacity.
Investigation launched in 2025
In July 2025, the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation to verify whether the aid complied with EU rules. During its preliminary assessment, the Commission noted that the investment project contributes to economic development and employment in a less developed region of the European Union.
At the same time, the Commission had doubts about whether the support complied with the EU Guidelines on regional State aid. These rules set out the conditions under which member states may support companies’ investments in less developed regions.
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Poland did not demonstrate the incentive effect of the aid
Following the investigation, the European Commission concluded that Poland had not demonstrated the decisive importance of the aid for MAN Trucks’ choice of investment location. The evidence provided did not confirm that, without state support, the company would have implemented the project at another location.
The Commission also found that the Polish side had not shown that the proposed amount was the minimum necessary to attract the investment. Due to the absence of a genuine incentive effect and the disproportionate amount of support, the Commission found the aid incompatible with EU rules.
Under these rules, state aid must encourage an investor to choose a specific region, must not exceed the limit set for that region, and must be limited to the minimum necessary amount. A non-confidential version of the decision is planned to be published in the European Commission’s State Aid Register under case number SA.114436 after confidentiality issues are resolved.
