Brussels, 30/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 28 January 2009, the European Commission decided to raise objections to France's plan to provide €457 million in state aid to the ”Nano2012” R&D programme. STMicroelectronics is coordinating Nano2012, which will comprise CEA-LETI and other industry players and research bodies. It will aim to develop new technology for the design and manufacture of new generations of integrated circuits. Following its investigation, the Commission concluded that the aid would improve knowledge and its dissemination and would only have a limited impact on competition. Moreover, private investment in such a programme would be unlikely given the state of the market. (C.D. trans fl)