Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Legislation, Loan, Transport

"The decision of the European Commission yesterday is natural since they have to initiate an investigation when the state has made capital payments. We ourselves declared the loan with a request to review it," Parts said, stressing that the ministry considers earlier capital payments into Estonian Air an investment, in the dispute with the Commission.

Should the state make any additional decisions during the investigation, be it a capital investment or increasing loans, it will also be investigated, Parts said.

Parts said that there are plenty of examples in aviation when payments have had to be made during restructuring. He said that these can be made when there is certainty that the final result is positive.

The government decided at the end of last year to give Estonian Air 8.3 million euros of a "crisis loan" and informed the European Commission of it. The latter announced yesterday that this and three preceding loans granted by the government to Estonian Air can contradict EU rules.