Brussels, 29/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 25 January, the European Commission opened an investigation into a planned Danish scheme to facilitate the access of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to risk capital. The planned aid is to be granted to certain investors who purchase shares traded on alternative markets. The Commission believes that the measure might give rise to disproportionate distortions of trade and competition within the EU's single market and doubts whether the scheme addresses a true market failure. The measure could also potentially crowd out other investors and might therefore not be the most appropriate and proportionate instrument to reach the planned objective. “The proposed scheme's objectives are valid, but we need to make sure that, on balance, the positive effects of the measure outweigh the negative ones”, said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. The opening of formal review procedure gives the parties interested the possibility of presenting their observations on the measures envisaged, but does not prejudge the outcome. (cd).