Language of document :

Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Italy) lodged on 16 July 2021 – Liberty Lines SpA v Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti

(Case C-437/21)

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Consiglio di Stato

Parties to the main proceedings

Appellant: Liberty Lines SpA

Respondent: Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti

Questions referred

Does [European Union] law, and in particular the principles of free movement of services and of opening up to competition as far as possible in the field of public service contracts, preclude a legal provision such as Article 47(11-bis) of decreto legge n. 50 del 24 aprile 2017 (Decree-Law No 50 of 24 April 2017), converted into legge 21 giugno 2017, n. 96 (Law No 96 of 21 June 2017), which:

treats high-speed maritime passenger transport between the ports of Messina and Reggio Calabria as equivalent to rail transport by sea between the Italian mainland and Sicily, as provided for in Article 2(e) of decreto del Ministero dei trasporti e della navigazione n. 138 T del 31 ottobre 2000 (Decree No 138 T of the Italian Ministry of Transport and Navigation of 31 October 2000), or at least allows them to be treated as equivalent by law;

reserves or appears capable of reserving for Rete ferroviaria italiana SpA the rail connection service by sea between Sicily and the Italian mainland, even where this involves the use of high-speed vessels?

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