Press Release: Agricultural state aid: Commission ends proceedings into tax refund scheme for German greenhouses

The European Commission terminated the proceedings under state aid legislation into a tax refund scheme for German greenhouses with a positive, and partly negative, decision. The Commission assessed the measure and came to the conclusion that the scheme was compatible with the Common Market insofar at it could be based on the Community guidelines on State aid for environmental protection. The Commission considered however that a part of the tax reductions could not be justified under these guidelines, or any other Community guidelines, and found them incompatible with the Common Market. For this part, the Commission has ordered a recovery of the aid.