On 19 December 2013, the European Commission announced in a press release that it had lowered the notification requirement for state aids that "are deemed to have no impact on competition and trade in the internal market".
In the future, subsidised loans of up to 1 million EUR (previously 200'000 EUR over three years) will no longer require a notification to the Commission. Furthermore, companies undergoing financial difficulties were included to these provisions and may now benefit from the de minimis rule as well.
The regulation came into force on the day of the press release announcement.
The GTA includes state guarantees and other financial incentives that are likely to affect the restructuring and performance of firms facing international competition, whether from imports, in export markets, and from foreign subsidiaries.