• liquidity support: €1 174 billion (9.3 % of EU GDP) average outstanding State guarantees on banks' funding and other (short-term) liquidity support measures; and

• measures to support bank solvency: €442 billion (3.5 % of EU GDP) in recapitalisation measures and treatment of impaired assets.

Three Member States accounted for nearly 60% of the total aid used; those are the United Kingdom (19 %), Ireland (16 %) and Germany (16 %).

Aid granted to the real economy – Temporary Framework

To minimise the impact of the tightening in credit conditions, Member States also granted aid to the real economy under a temporary framework adopted by the Commission at the end of 2008. The main support measure used was a one-off subsidy of up to €500 000 per company, which was replaced in 2011 by the normal €200 000 amount that can be granted to a company over three years without prior clearance by the Commission. This was followed by subsidised loan interests or guarantees, reduced interests for environmentally-friendly investments and risk capital aid. The temporary framework expired on 31 December 2011.

Between December 2008 and 1 October 2011, Member States made available €82.9 billion under the temporary framework. The amount taken up in 2011 was €4.8 billion, while it was €11.7 billion in 2010 and €21 billion in 2009. This indicates that market funding became more available over that period.

Long-term trends in non-crisis aid
Non-crisis aid decreased and was at €64.3 billion or 0.5% of EU GDP. Aid to industry and services amounted to €52.9 billion or 0.42% of EU GDP of which almost 90% was earmarked for horizontal objectives of common interest. Most notably, the Commission observed a greater focus on aid measures for regional development, research, and environmental protection, all of which contribute to the Europe 2020 strategic objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Almost 90% of total aid is granted through block exemptions or schemes (see IP/06/1765 and IP/08/1110). Once approved by the Commission, such procedures allow Member States to grant aid to individual companies without prior Commission scrutiny, offering Member States a high degree of flexibility and low administrative burden, while compatibility criteria safeguard a level playing field in the internal market. Only 12.5% of the total aid was assessed individually.

The Scoreboard further shows that more than €13.5 billion, representing about 85% of the total amount of illegal and incompatible aid, had been repaid by beneficiaries to the granting authority at the end of June 2012. This marks a further improvement as compared to previous years.