13/12/2023 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission announced, on Tuesday 12 December, that it had found that a UK State aid scheme worth €23 million (or £20 million), designed to support certain businesses in Northern Ireland, complied with the European State aid rules made applicable by the ‘Windsor Framework’ (see EUROPE 13190/39). The measure, notified under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (see EUROPE 13138/1), will be open to companies operating in Northern Ireland in energy- and trade-intensive sectors affected by the recent rise in energy costs. The aid will reach eligible companies in the form of direct grants. (EV)