BRUSSELS: EU regulators are taking a closer look at an investment deal between Britain and Japanese auto maker Nissan that keeps production of two key models in the UK despite Brexit.
“We have seen press reports regarding this issue. As a result, the Commission at services level is in contact with the UK authorities,” an EU spokesman told AFP on Monday.
“Such exchanges of information are common,” the spokesman said, adding that the EU had “not taken any formal views on the matter.”
Nissan announced in October it will build its new Qashqai sport utility vehicle and its next four-wheel drive X-Trail model at its plant in Sunderland, northeast England, which eased concerns about Brexit’s impact on the country’s industry.
But British Business Minister Greg Clark caused a media firestorm after confirming that the government made several assurances to Nissan before the announcement. He has refused to reveal the letter detailing the assurances.
Under EU law, which Britain is still subject to despite the June 23 Brexit vote, subsidies or assurances to favoured companies can amount to illegal state aid.
