Press Release: State aid: the Commission closes its investigation into an arrangement between the Belgian tax authorities and the Belgian company, UMICORE SA

Following an in-depth investigation, which was interrupted for several years owing to a parallel investigation by the Belgian judicial authorities, the European Commission on 26 May 2010 concluded that the arrangement agreed on between the Belgian tax authorities and UMICORE in December 2000 does not constitute state aid. The Commission has therefore closed the formal investigation procedure, which it initiated in December 2003.