The Gourock-Dunoon question, EU Article 82 and its implications for Scottish ferry services

Kay, Neil (2017) The Gourock-Dunoon question, EU Article 82 and its implications for Scottish ferry services. Fraser of Allander Economic Commentary, 41 (1). pp. 59-70. ISSN 2046-5378

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Abstract

The Gourock-Dunoon question can be summarised as; how can fair competition and the public interest be pursued and preserved on ferry services between Gourock and Dunoon? It is a simple question but complicated by the existence of two operators on the route, one private and the other publicly owned. The paper draws on this example to argue that the Scottish government policy of self-funding Scottish port authorities runs the danger of possible breaches of EU Article 82 and that this could impact adversely on other ferry services in Scotland. The paper proposes solutions that could help alleviate these dangers.

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