30/05/2008 (Agence Europe) -The European Commissioner for Competition, Neelie Kroes, as spoken in defence of the competitive advantages that "green" behaviour may have for businesses. "Climate change has become a catalyst for quite fundamentally changing the way we do business", she told a round table on the environment and competitiveness, held in Brussels on 27 May. The Commissioner pointed out that in many cases, the changes in practice required by climate change are financially worthwhile without any state intervention. However, the Commission is prepared to authorise necessary and proportionate State aid, in line with new guidelines designed to provide a framework for State aid granted with the objective of environmental protection (EUROPE 9586). (C.D.)