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EU Rules Spain’s AP-9 and AP-66 Toll Extensions Illegal

The EU executive has given Spain until mid-September to undo two decades-old motorway concessions or face referral to the Court of Justice.

Vista de la AP-9, a su paso por Rande.
Vehículos por la AP-9
Cabinas de peaje en la autopista AP-9.
Vista general de cabinas de peaje en la Autopista del Atlántico (AP-9) en una imagen de archivo

Overview

  • The European Commission’s motivated opinion declares the 2000 extensions of Spain’s AP-9 and AP-66 concessions illegal under EU procurement law and sets a two-month deadline for corrective measures.
  • This decision culminates infringement proceedings opened in September 2021 and April 2024 following a 2019 complaint by consumer group En Colectivo over the AP-9 prorogation.
  • EU rules mandate competitive tenders for substantial contract modifications, but Spain extended and later sold the toll concessions without public bidding to boost their sale value.
  • Concessionaire Audasa and its successors have collected hundreds of millions in toll revenues since the extensions, intensifying calls from regional parties and activists for public takeover and toll removal.
  • The Spanish Ministry of Transport says it will analyze the ruling in detail and pursue all available legal remedies, including appeals against the Commission’s opinion.