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State aid: Commission approves €108 million Danish aid measure to support coronavirus-related research and development activities of Bavarian Nordic
The European Commission has approved a €108 million Danish aid measure to support coronavirus-related research and development (R&D) activities of Bavarian Nordic, a company active in the vaccine development and manufacturing industry. The scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said:
“This €108 million Danish aid measure will contribute to much needed research and development activities to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. We continue working in close cooperation with Member States to find workable solutions to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, in line with EU rules.”
The Danish aid measure
Denmark notified to the Commission under the Temporary Framework a €108 million aid measure to support coronavirus-related R&D activities of Bavarian Nordic, a large company active in the vaccine development and manufacturing industry in Denmark and Germany. The public support will take the form of a repayable advance.
The aim of the measure is to support the development of a novel coronavirus vaccine, developed by AdaptVac and licensed to Bavarian Nordic. The candidate vaccine is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials. The aid will support the next development steps, namely the phase III trial to confirm safety and demonstrate efficacy, the experimental development of the necessary production processes, and the works related to the required regulatory authorisations.
The Commission found that this aid measure is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, (i) the aid will cover less than 80% of the relevant R&D costs and will be fully recovered in case of regulatory authorisation; and (ii) any results of the research activities will be made available to third parties in the European Economic Area at non-discriminatory market conditions through non-exclusive licences.
The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to fight the health crisis, in line with Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework.
On this basis, the Commission approved the aid measure under EU State aid rules.
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