Press Release: State aids: the Commission approves financing for the ‘Chaîne française d’information internationale’ (CFII)

The European Commission on 7 June 2005 approved financing for the future 'Chaîne française d'information internationale' (international news channel CFII) in accordance with the rules of the EC Treaty on state aid. The Commission took the view that, although the project involved state aid, it could nevertheless be authorised as a project financing a service of general economic interest. The Commission also concluded that the project offered sufficient guarantees against the risk of distortion of competition, for example by preventing unjustified transfers of public funds to France Télévision and TF1, who were to be shareholders in the future channel.