France agrees 30 million euros of aid for ferry companies

PARIS (Reuters) - The French government will reimburse 30 million euros (£27 million) in payroll costs to French ferry companies hit by the coronavirus crisis and Brexit, Prime Minister Jean Castex told parliament.

Shipping firms have suffered from lower traffic to and from Britain due to quarantine measures and uncertainty around Britain's exit from the European union.

"We have decided to reimburse all of Brittany Ferries' payroll costs for the 2021 financial year. This represents a commitment of around 15 million euros," Castex said, adding that an equivalent amount would be offered to other ferry companies.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau and Maya Nikolaeva; editing by David Evans)