Brussels, 19/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission approved aid from the French authorities to the Imprimerie Nationale group. The decline in activity in the printing sector since 2001 and the loss of the contract to produce the France Télécom directory proved disastrous for the company's cash flow. The State aid was granted in the form of a shareholder's advance repayable as a loan, for the sum of 65 million EUR. The loan will carry an annual interest rate of 4.43%. It will be paid back no later than twelve months after the last instalment. The aid will be paid over a maximum period of six months. In this time, a restructuring plan will be submitted to the Commission, which considers that the rescue aid to Imprimerie Nationale fulfils the criteria of the Community guidelines for State rescue aid and restructuring aid to companies in difficulty, as long as the sum of the loan is limited to what is strictly necessary to keep the company in business, and appears justified for serious social reasons.