EU opens in-depth probe into aid for Belgian post

BRUSSELS, July 14 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it had opened an in-depth investigation into whether annual payments by Belgium to national postal operator La Poste were in line with EU rules on state aid.

The EU executive found in 2003 that Belgium had not overpaid La Poste for discharging its public service obligations, but the Court of First Instance overturned that initial approval in February this year.

Ruling on appeals brought by La Poste competitors Deutsche Post (DPWGn.DE) and its unit DHL International, the court had said a formal investigation was required in order to give competitors the possibility of submitting their views.

"The Commission's investigation aims to establish in a comprehensive way whether the totality of the measures in favour of La Poste since its incorporation can be considered compatible with the single market," the Commission said in a statement.

"This has the advantage of providing legal certainty to all actors involved, including La Poste," it continued.

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