11/07/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 11 July, the European Commission approved an Austrian scheme aimed at stimulating equity investments in innovative small companies. The measure, with a budget of €45 million over three years (January 2017 to December 2019), takes the form of 20% aid granted to people investing up to €2,500 in such eligible companies. Considering that the effects on competition and trade would be very limited, the Commission considered that the scheme was compatible with EU state aid rules and, more especially, with the 2014 guidelines on state aid to promote risk finance investments. The Commission had already given its go-ahead to a similar, German scheme, in December 2016 (see EUROPE 11687). (LT)