2000/206/EC: Commission Decision of 20 July 1999 on an aid scheme applied in Greece to cotton by the Greek Cotton Board (notified under document number C(1999) 2536) (Only the Greek text is authentic)

• Articles: 5

Article 1

The State aids granted in Greece in discharge of the statutory functions of the Greek Cotton Board that are financed by the compulsory contributions specified in Article 30(3) of Law 2040/92 are incompatible with the common market in that they are financed by a parafiscal charge on imported products.

Article 2

Greece must adjust the aid scheme referred to in Article 1 to make it compatible with this Decision.

Article 3

1. Greece shall take all necessary action to recover from recipients the illegally granted aid referred to in Article 1.

2. Recovery shall be in line with the procedures of national law. Interest shall be charged on the amounts to be recovered, to run from the date on which they were made available to recipients to that of actual recovery. It shall be calculated at the reference rate used for subsidy equivalent calculation in connection with aids for regional purposes.

Article 4

Within two months of notification of this Decision Greece shall inform the Commission of the action it intends to take to comply with it.

Article 5

This Decision is addressed to the Hellenic Republic.

Done at Brussels, 20 July 1999.

For the Commission

Monika WULF-MATHIES

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ C 278, 24.10.1995, p. 4.

(2) OJ L 51, 23.2.1982, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 371, 20.12.1989, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 211, 21.7.1981, p 2. Replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1554/95 (OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 48).

(5) See Judgment of 25 June 1970 in Case 47/69, France v. Commission, [1969-1971] ECR 341.

(6) See footnote 1.

(7) Commission letter to Member States No S 75294/6 of 19 September 1975.

(8) [1993] ECR I-5509.

(9) [1993] ECR I-4337.

(10) Eurostat 1995.

(11) [1972-1973] ECR 567.

(12) [1972-1973] ECR 815.

(13) [1977] ECR 171.

(14) [1991] ECR I-5505.

(15) OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1.