Freight News, Sea


Brittany Ferries sues DFDS over Newhaven/Dieppe subsidies

[ May 23, 2025   //   ]

Brittany Ferries launched legal action against DFDS on 19 March over grants the Danish shipping company receives to run the loss-making Newhaven/Dieppe ferry route, which it says has cost its business £125m since 2013. In an action lodged with the Brest Commercial Court, it is seeking to recover losses from alleged unfair competition.

Brittany Ferries president Jean-Marc Roué “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. This draws a significant proportion of freight and passenger traffic to the Newhaven-Dieppe route, to the detriment of Brittany Ferries.”

He described the “overcompensation” for DFDS as a “waste of public money” said that the Normandy Regional Audit Office  has criticised the system on two occasions, without any change in SMPAT’s policy.

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

Roué added that, during the last call for tenders to run the route, won by DFDS in 2022, “Brittany Ferries proposed an operation with a subsidy that was 50% lower than that requested by DFDS, but our bid was not accepted.”

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