The Competition and Market Authority has started an investigation into SAS – Shipping Agencies Services SARL, a company of the Msc group, Moby SpA and Grandi Navi Veloci SpA (GNV) to verify the existence of possible restrictions on competition as a result of the acquisition of 49% of the share capital of Moby SpA by SAS and the subsequent large loan granted by the latter to Moby.
The extremely concentrated markets involved are those of maritime transport of goods and passengers on some routes between the continent and the major islands where only Moby and GNV or at most a third operator are present. Furthermore, these are markets characterized by significant barriers to entry. Last November 13, the Authority, with the help of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, carried out inspections at the offices of Moby SpA and Grandi Navi Veloci SpA, Onorato Armatori srl and Marinvest srl