Brussels, 07/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 July 2008, the Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes presented the new regulation facilitating the granting of legal State aid. As of 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal, the regulation will allow the national authorities to support certain categories of business without having to obtain the prior authorisation of the Commission. The objective is to facilitate funding in line with European rules, and to reduce the burden on Community resources. The Commissioner explained that "up to 50% of notifications could be avoided" if the Member States make maximum use of the exemptions provided for by the new regulation. The regulation in question will allow aid under 26 different categories to be granted without notification. These include aid: to SMEs, research, innovation, regional development, training, employment and capital investment. It also authorises aid for environmental protection, measures in favour of entrepreneurship and measures responding to problems encountered by female business owners, such as difficulty in accessing funding. This new regulation consolidates into one single text and harmonises the pre-existing provisions of five different regulations, whilst extending the categories of State aid covered by the exemption. UEAPME (the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) has welcomed the Commission's initiative, particularly as regards aid to SMEs, because it "paves the way for State aid in the form of guarantees, one of the most efficient and least market distortive aid instruments", according to a press release issued by UEAPME. The association joins Commissioner Kroes in stressing that it is now up to the Member States to ensure that the advantages made possible by the exemption are made available to businesses. (C.D./trans.fl)