CNMC requires DFDS to make way for third operator on Algeciras–Ceuta route

FerrySpain’s competition authority, the CNMC, has made DFDS’s acquisition of certain Armas-Trasmediterránea assets conditional on the transfer of the assets needed to maintain Armas’s operation on the Algeciras-Ceuta route to a third operator.

The CNMC approved the acquisition in July following an in-depth investigation but announced the condition on 25 September. It concluded that Armas’s departure as an independent operator would reduce competitive pressure on the Ceuta route and could increase the risk of reduced competition between DFDS and Baleària in the Strait of Gibraltar.

DFDS had proposed commitments covering price monitoring, service quality and the retention of Armas’s frequencies during periods of high demand, alongside investment and vessel improvements. The CNMC judged these measures insufficient to address its concerns on Algeciras-Ceuta.

The authority said in a press release it had identified at least one potential party interested in taking over Armas’s operation on the route. The assets covered by DFDS’s proposed acquisition also include operations on Algeciras-Tanger Med, but the condition announced by the CNMC concerns Algeciras-Ceuta.

sep 29 2026