The European Commission has been tasked to determine whether proposed loan guarantees to Saab Automobile would break rules on state support. Johanna Martin, spokeswoman for Minister Maud Olofsson, said that the government has notified Brussels last Friday regarding 400 million euros ($585 million) of guarantees being considered for loans from the European Investment Bank.

Martin asserted that this does not indicate that the Swedish government has chosen to approve any loan guarantees. She said that this decision will be considered at a later stage. She explained that what this means only is that the government likes to be well prepared. She also denied media reports that the notification to the Commission meant the center-right government had committed to the deal that would allow for luxury sports car maker Koenigsegg buy Saab from General Motors Co. Continued after the jump!

For the financing to push through, state guarantees for the EIB loans are a requirement. However, the debt office, which negotiates on behalf of the government, has yet to ink any agreement. Nevertheless, Martin remained optimistic saying that a deal could still be reached as soon as the hurdles are overcome.

She called the decision to hand in a notification to the European Commission as “one piece of the puzzle.” He emphasized that since the government is adamant on being prepared, it requires that this step in the process be handled, says Autonews. There are other aspects in the process that have to be in place so the notification isn’t really that significant. But we think it’s safe to say that this move can be interpreted as the government considering the possibilities

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