Press Release: State aid: Commission launches in-depth investigation into French tax scheme for ‘fiscal economic interest groupings’ (EIGs)

The European Commission decided on 15 December 2004 to launch an in-depth investigation to establish whether the French tax scheme for 'fiscal EIGs' was compatible with the Community rules on state aid. At that stage, the Commission's view was that the scheme constituted state aid both for members of 'fiscal EIGs' and for companies which lease goods from such entities. According to the information available to the Commission, the transport sector was the main beneficiary of this scheme. The investigation, which was not intended to prejudge the Commission's final decision in any way, invited all the interested parties to submit their observations.