Articles 92 to 94 of the EC Treaty aim at preventing member sates from granting to undertakings aid that distorts or threatens to distort competition and affects trade between member states. Articles 92 to 94 are thus directed at the same objectives as art. 85 and 86. Unlike art. 85 and 86, however, the state aid rules are not couched in terms of an outright prohibition. Rather, art. 92(1) provides that state aid is 'incompatible' with the common market. This shift in tone reflects the more politically-sensitive nature of state aids: while art. 85 and 86 are aimed at the activities of private enterprise, the state aid rules are aimed at those of member states.