1999/574/EC: Commission Decision of 27 July 1999 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case IV/36.581 - Télécom Développement) (notified under document number C(1999) 2299) (Text with EEA relevance) (Only the French text is authentic)

• Articles: 2

Article 1

On the basis of the facts in its possession, the Commission has no grounds for action under Article 81(1) of the EC Treaty and Article 53(1) of the EEA Agreement in respect of the notified agreements relating to the cooperation between Société nationale des chemins de fer français and Cégétel SA through their joint subsidiary Télécom Développement.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to:

1. Société nationale des chemins de fer français 88, rue St. Lazare F - 75 009 Paris

2. Cégétel SA 52, rue d'Anjou F - 75 008 Paris

3. Télécom Développement 88, rue St. Lazare F - 75 009 Paris.

Done at Brussels, 27 July 1999.

For the Commission

Karel VAN MIERT

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ 13, 21.2.1962, p. 204/62.

(2) OJ L 148, 15.6.1999, p. 5.

(3) OJ C 293, 22.9.1998, p. 4.

(4) See p. 14 of this Official Journal.

(5) Previously known as "Compagnie Generale des Eaux (CGE)".

(6) SBCI is a wholly owned subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc. SBC is a US company active mainly in the telecommunications services sector.

(7) Previously known as "Télécom Développement Services (TDS)".

(8) See Commission Decision 96/547/EC, Case IV/35.617, Phoenix/Global One (OJ L 239, 19.9.1996, p. 57); Commission Decision 97/780/EC, Case IV/35.830, Unisource (OJ L 318, 20.11.1997, p. 1); and Commission Decision 1999/573/EC, Case IV/36.592, Cégétel (see p. 14 of this Official Journal).

(9) Source: Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications, Licences L.33-1 (licence d'opérateur de résaux) et L.34-1 (licence de fournisseur de service téléphonique au public).

(10) Under French Law 97-135 of 13 February 1997, SNCF transferred the ownership of the railway infrastructures (notably tracks, platforms and merchandise) to "Réseau Ferré de France" (RFF), the company which that Law creates. As a temporary measure, the Law establishes that any acts relating to the property transferred to RFF, concluded by SNCF from 1 January 1997 and until the implementing regulations were promulgated, would be deemed to have been concluded on behalf of RFF (Article 16 of the Law). For this reason, Article 36 of the framework agreement between SNCF and Cégétel states that the provisions relating to the assets transferred to RFF pursuant to the Law of 13 February 1997 are deemed to have been concluded on behalf of RFF.

(11) As confirmed by a letter of the French Secretary of State for Transport to the President of SNCF dated 17 July 1996.

(12) SNCF is an indirect shareholder of Hermes through a 9 % shareholding in HitTail BV.

(13) See Commission Directive 90/388/EEC of 28 June 1990 on competition in the markets for telecommunications services (OJ L 192, 24.7.1990, p. 10), as last amended by Directive 96/16/EC (OJ L 74, 22.3.1996, p. 13).

(14) The arrangements for implementation of works on railways have to comply with the provisions of French Law 97-135 of 13 February 1997 (Journal officiel de la République Française, 15.2.1997, Annex 5).