2002/779/EC: Commission decision of 21 December 2000 on the State aid granted by the Federal Republic of Germany to Zeuro Möbelwerk GmbH, Thuringia (Text with EEA relevance.) (notified under document number C(2000) 4401)
1. The State aid of DEM 2 million granted by Germany to the investor Mr Wohlfahrt is incompatible with the common market.
2. The following State aid granted by Germany to Zeuro Möbelwerk GmbH, Thuringia (Zeuro), totalling DEM 35,114 million, is incompatible with the common market:
(a) the TIB shareholder loan of DEM 1 million;
(b) the waiver by TIB of the repayment of a shareholder loan of DEM 4 million;
(c) the increase of DEM 2,5 million in the nominal capital of Zeuro carried out by TIB;
(d) the waiver by TAB of the repayment of an operating loan of DEM 1,5 million previously granted;
(e) the public loans granted by KfW, amounting to DEM 3 million;
(f) the 65 % guarantee given by TAB on private loans amounting to DEM 3,9 million;
(g) the TAB loan of DEM 5 million;
(h) the TAB loan of DEM 2,5 million, wholly guaranteed by the Land;
(i) the BvS's reduction of the purchase price by DEM 500000;
(j) the waiver by the BvS of the remainder of the purchase price, amounting to DEM 5,701 million;
(k) the paid-up portion, amounting to DEM 1,6 million, of a holding taken by the Thuringia Consolidation Fund;
(l) the AIF grants amounting to DEM 900000;
(m) the grants towards staff costs of DEM 13000; and
(n) the SME loans of DEM 3 million.
3. The State aid of DEM 3,5 million which Germany intends to grant in the form of the portion of the holding taken by the Thuringia Consolidation Fund which has not yet been paid up is incompatible with the common market.
1. Germany shall take all necessary measures to recover from the recipients the aid referred to in Article 1(1) and (2) and unlawfully made available to them.
2. Recovery shall be effected in accordance with the procedures of national law. The aid to be recovered shall include interest from the date on which it was at the disposal of the recipients until the date of its recovery. Interest shall be calculated on the basis of the reference rate used for calculating the grant equivalent of regional aid.
Germany shall inform the Commission, within two months of notification of this Decision, of the measures it has taken to comply with it.
This Decision is addressed to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Done at Brussels, 21 December 2000.
For the Commission
Mario Monti
Member of the Commission
(1) OJ C 25, 24.1.1998, p. 2.
(2) See footnote 1.
(3) OJ C 213, 23.7.1996, p. 4.
(4) OJ L 107, 30.4.1996, p. 4.
(5) See Panorama of EU Industry 1997, Chapter 18.
(6) N 510/95, SG (95) D/11491.
(7) OJ C 368, 23.12.1994, p. 12.
(8) OJ C 288, 9.10.1999, p. 2.
(9) N 183/94, SG (94) D/11661.
(10) SG (99) D/1972, 15.3.1999.
(11) N 117/96, SG (96) D/11696.
(12) See also case No C 36/2000, State aid to Graf von Henneberg Porzellan GmbH, Ilmenau, Thuringia.
(13) N 117/96, SG (96) D/11696.
(14) Aid scheme E 15/92.
(15) NN 74/95, SG (96) D/1946.
(16) Commission notice on the de minimis rule for State aid, (OJ C 68, 6.3.1996, p. 9).
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
