The general objective of the project is to ensure the availability and safety of sailing on the White Gate – Midia Canal, Năvodari through the Năvodari lock, providing a sustainable alternative to road transport along an important national and international transport route. The general objective of the project contributes to achieving the objective of OS 1.3. i.e. improving the navigation conditions on the Danube and the Danube waterways. The objective of the project is in line with the objectives of Priority Axis 1 – Improving mobility through the development of the TEN-T network and metro transport. By achieving the investment objective “Retrofitting Ecluza Năvodari in order to increase the safety of navigation” is aimed to have a positive impact from an economic, social and environmental point of view by: increasing the safety of navigation, taking over the projected increase in shipping freight traffic, attracting new flows of goods to be transported by water, reducing the negative impact on the environment and on communities bordering waterways. The project “Feasibility study for the objective/investment project Retrofitting Ecluza Năvodari in order to increase the safety of navigation” is on the List of eligible projects LIOP 2014-2020 (Annex 8) and will be financed by the Cohesion Fund, within the LIOP 2014-2020 Priority Axis 1-Improving mobility through the development of the TEN-T network and metro transport, Specific Objective 1.3 – Increase the use of waterways and ports located on the TEN-T core network. The project does not fall under State aid for the following reasons: • The Applicant’s Guide defines the situations in which the investment activities proposed for financing are subject to State aid. Thus, section 1.9 State aid states that ‘In accordance with the provisions of the Commission Communication on the notion of State aid as referred to in Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – paragraph 215, investments in infrastructure necessary for activities falling within the responsibility of the State in the exercise of its public authority powers shall not be subject to State aid’. Taking into account the fact that the CN Administration of Navigable Canals SA is the port and waterway authority, according to the statute and legislation in force, the activities carried out by the company (such as ensuring minimum navigation depths, carrying out construction and repair works on hydrotechnical constructions to ensure navigation conditions, ensuring coastal and floating signaling, etc.) are considered not to have an economic character, constituting obligations of the company in exercising its prerogatives. In this respect, the retrofitting works of the Năvodari Lock to ensure safe navigation conditions