Brussels, 09/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 8 June, the European Commission authorised Lithuanian and Spanish measures to help businesses to deal with the current economic crisis. Under these schemes, aid of up to €500,000 per firm may be granted in 2009 and 2010 to businesses facing funding problems because of the current credit squeeze. In Lithuania, the aid will be granted in form of public guarantees, and in Spain in the form of direct grants. The Spanish scheme has a total budget of €1.4 billion. The Commission considers that both schemes meet the conditions of the temporary framework for state aid measures which gives member states additional scope to facilitate access to financing in the present economic and financial crisis. Both schemes are limited in time, the maximum aid is also limited, and the schemes apply only to businesses which were not in difficulty on 1 July 2008. They are, therefore, compatible with the relevant arrangements in the EC Treaty, which permit aid to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a member state. (O.L./transl.rt)