Brittany Ferries launched legal action against Danish shipping company DFDS this week. The Portsmouth-based operator says grants DFDS receives to run the loss-making Dieppe – Newhaven ferry route has cost its business £125m since 2013. In an action lodged with the Brest Commercial Court, it is seeking to recover significant losses that come from this unfair competition.

“Subsidies granted by the Syndicat mixte transmanche (SMPAT) in Normandie allow DFDS to levy artificially low fares that are out of touch with economic reality,” said company president to Jean-Marc Roué“ in an interview with French newspaper Le Marin. “This draws a significant proportion of freight and passenger traffic to the Newhaven-Dieppe route, to the detriment of Brittany Ferries.”

Roué slammed overcompensation operating costs for DFDS, calling it a “waste of public money”, and pointed out that the Normandy Regional Audit Office itself has criticised the system on two occasions, without any change in SMPAT’s policy.

The next hearing has been set for 6 June in Brest. In addition to civil action, Brittany Ferries has lodged a complaint at European leave with the EU Directorate-General for Competition.