The relevant Romanian authorities are in advanced negotiations with a potential investor to lease the workforce and facilities at the Damen Shipyards Mangalia (DSMa) shipyard, which will operate there and, automatically, maintain economic activity to pay employees’ salaries, the minister of economy, digitalization, entrepreneurship and tourism, Bogdan Ivan, said during the „Question Time” debate in the Senate.

„Since the first week of my term, I have been involved in this issue, which is an extremely complicated one, and at the moment I can tell you the conclusions of the discussions that I have had almost, I exaggerate, but almost daily with potential investors, with employee representatives, with representatives of the judicial administrator. At the moment, we are in advanced negotiations with a potential investor who will come to rent everything that means the workforce plus the facilities there, which will operate and, automatically, will maintain economic activity in order to pay salaries to people.

Regarding Damen Holding’s exit from the Mangalia shipyard’s shareholder base, Ivan specified that a direct negotiation was agreed with the potential investor for the takeover of assets and debts.

„From the point of view of Damen’s exit, we agreed together with those two shareholders, because the state is an indirect shareholder, through the 2 Mai Naval Shipyard, at the Mangalia shipyard, we agreed on their exit, on a direct negotiation with the potential investor for the takeover of the assets, but also of the debts from Damen Holding [minority shareholder at DSMa – editor’s note],” added the head of the Economy.

Over 200 employees of the insolvent Damen Mangalia Shipyard were laid off starting February 28, and for almost all the other employees of the company, over a thousand, technical unemployment was extended until May 31, Laurentiu Gobeaja, leader of the Navalistul Union, stated on February 26.

According to him, the unionists have made repeated requests to the central authorities to find solutions for the shipyard to resume activity and exit insolvency, but „it seems that the existing blockage continues, a situation that has dragged on for a year and a half, without evolving in any direction.”

At the Mangalia shipyard, the Romanian state is the majority shareholder with 51%, and the Dutch company Damen has 49% of the shares..

Regarding the over a thousand employees on technical unemployment, the shipyard administrator announced that the respective period will be extended until May 31, Gobeaja specified.

In 2023, the Damen group announced that it had issued a notice of termination of the association agreement concluded in 2018 between Damen Holding BV and the Romanian state, because „by adopting Law no. 187/2023, the legal framework on the basis of which the association between the Romanian state and Damen operated with regard to the Mangalia Shipyard was annulled.” Subsequently, Damen Holding requested the insolvency of Damen Shipyards Mangalia, with the Constanta Court opening the respective procedure on June 19, 2024.

In 2018, Damen invested in the Mangalia Shipyard, acquiring the majority stake from the Korean company Daewoo, then agreeing to transfer 2% of the shares to the Romanian state to become the majority shareholder, with 51%, on the condition that the Dutch partner has operational and managerial control of the shipyard.

AGERPRES