Press Release: Commission authorises aid to favour the access to risk capital of Italian SME operating in agriculture in Veneto

The European Commission authorised on 20 October 2004 a state aid to promote risk capital funds for SME operating exclusively in the agricultural sector (processing and marketing). Veneto was authorised to provide an indicative amount of € 4.5 million until 2009 for setting up a risk capital Fund to promote investments in agricultural SME and cooperatives in their start-up or early stage phases. The Fund would take minority shareholdings or acquire participations in cooperatives as subsidizing member, under the condition that private investors participate as well. The measure should thus facilitate the access of agricultural SME to risk capital funds.