Press Release: State aid: Commission closes investigation into financing of Flemish public service broadcaster VRT

The European Commission closed its investigation under EC Treaty state aid rules into the financing regime for VRT, the public service broadcaster in the Flemish community of Belgium in light of formal commitments by the Belgian authorities to amend the current regime. The modifications will clarify inter alia the definition and entrustment of the public service remit and introduce mechanisms to ensure the proportionality of the public funding. The Commission has concluded that these commitments would be suitable to ensure compliance with EU state aid rules. Belgium now has twelve months to implement the commitments.