Commission announces new state aid guidelines

The European Commission yesterday (19 July) published guidelines on state aid aimed at supporting access to risk capital for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Under the guidelines, investments worth more than 1.5 million euro over a one-year period would be subject to a "detailed assessment".

But investments below the threshold would still be subject to some scrutiny.

Gerhard Huemer, director of UEAPME, the small businesses lobby, expressed dismay that there was no block exemption for investments below the threshold.

He also lamented the absence of rules on providing state aid for direct loans and guarantees.

Last month's proposal to exclude credit guarantee schemes from the de minimis regulation, which sets a limit below which assistance is free from state aid rules, was unpopular with SMEs.

The European Commission yesterday (19 July) published guidelines on state aid aimed at supporting access to risk capital for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).