Commission opposes Italian State aid for development of steroids After notification by the Italian authorities of their intention to grant RTD aid to the SIGMA-TAU pharmaceuticals company in the context of the Special Funds for applied research, the Commission came to the opinion on 17 July 1991 that the intensity of aid proposed (38.7%) is... After notification by the Italian authorities of their intention to grant RTD aid to the SIGMA-TAU pharmaceuticals company in the context of the Special Funds for applied research, the Commission came to the opinion on 17 July 1991 that the intensity of aid proposed (38.7%) is unusually elevated for the research undertaken, this being essentially composed of applied research and development (90.6% of the overall project). Targeting the synthesis, toxicological screening and clinical testing of a range of steroids of potential use in the treatment of hypertension, the project involves ECU 26.3 million of eligible costs. Considering that applied research of this kind is fundamental to competition in the particular field, that competition within the Member States is very strong, and noting that the normal rate of aid-intensity stands at 25%, the Commission therefore opens the procedure set out in Article 93 of the EEC Treaty, opposing aid in this case. Countries Italy
