05/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 4 June, the European Commission decided not to authorise regional investment aid in the form of tax exemptions that could amount to around €2.9 million in favour of Alas Slovakia s.r.o. The Commission's in-depth investigation, launched in December 2007, concluded that the proposed aid would not sufficiently contribute to regional development as to justify the distortions of competition that the granting of a selective advantage to a large company would have brought about. Neither the Slovak authorities nor any other interested party responded to the doubts expressed by the Commission during its investigation. A negative decision was therefore inevitable. As the aid has not yet been granted, it is not necessary to order the recovery of the aid, Jonathan Todd, spokesman for the Competition Commissioner, told press. (C.D.)