Brussels, 19/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 19 February, the European Commission authorised state aid a German scheme aimed at providing relief to companies encountering financing difficulties as a result of the credit squeeze in the current economic crisis. The scheme allows authorities at federal, regional and local level, including public development banks, to grant aid in the form of reduced interest rates on loans concluded by 31 December 2010. The scheme meets the conditions of the Commission's Temporary Framework for state aid measures to support access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis because it is limited in time, respects the relevant thresholds and applies only to companies that were not in difficulty on 1 July 2008. The scheme is the fourth German measure authorised under the Temporary Framework: it follows a €15 billion German loan programme ("KFW-Sonderprogramm 2009") and a framework scheme ("Bundesregelung Kleinbeihilfen") allowing provision of aid of up to €500,000 per undertaking to firms in need. (O.L./transl.rh)