2002/787/ECSC: Commission decision of 23 July 2002 concerning State aid to the French coal industry for 1998 to 2001 (Text with EEA relevance.) (notified under document number C(2002) 2792)

• Articles: 6

Article 1

1. France is authorised to grant to the French coal industry, for 1988, aid for the reduction of activity, in addition to that authorised by Decision 2001/85/ECSC, totalling EUR 4376267. the balance of the amount of aid on which the Commission had to take a decision in accordance with Article 2(a) of that Decision, namely EUR 2483939, therefore cannot be paid.

2. If France has already paid the sum of EUR 2483939 referred to in paragraph 1 to the Charbonnages de France group before a Commission Decision has been taken, France shall take all necessary measures to recover this amount from the Charbonnages de France group.

3. Recovery shall be immediate and in accordance with the procedures laid down in French law, provided that these permit the immediate and effective implementation of this Decision. The amounts to be repaid must include interest at the market rate from the date the aid was made available to the beneficiary to its actual recovery.

Article 2

1. France shall take all necessary measures to recover the aid for the reduction of activity above a total amount of EUR 353696820 for 1999, i.e. an amount of EUR 594696 as compared with the amount initially authorised in Decision 2001/85/ECSC.

2. The amounts to be repaid by the Charbonnages de France group shall be recovered in accordance with Article 1(3).

Article 3

1. France shall take all necessary measures to recover the aid for the reduction of activity above a total amount of EUR 352220210 for 2000, excluding the interest charges referred to in the second indent of Article 1 of Decision 2001/58/ECSC, i.e. an amount of EUR 3900694 as compared with the amount initially authorised in that Decision.

2. The amounts to be repaid by the Charbonnages de France group shall be recovered in accordance with Article 1(3).

Article 4

1. France is authorised to grant to the French coal industry, for 2001, aid for the reduction of activity, in addition to that authorised by Decision 2001/678/ECSC, totalling EUR 1493727. The balance of the amount of aid on which the Commission had to take a Decision in accordance with Article 1(a) of that Decision, namely EUR 30764, therefore cannot be paid.

2. If France paid the amount of EUR 30764 referred to in paragraph 1 to the Charbonnages de France group before a Commission Decision was taken, it shall be recovered in accordance with Article 1(3).

Article 5

France shall inform the Commission, within two months of the notification of this Decision, of the measures it has taken to comply with it.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

Done at Brussels, 23 July 2002.

For the Commission

Loyola De Palacio

Vice-President

(1) OJ L 329, 30.12.1993, p. 12.

(2) OJ L 176, 5.7.2002, p 26.

(3) OJ L 29, 31.1.2001, p. 45.

(4) OJ L 21, 23.1.2001, p. 12.

(5) OJ L 239, 7.9.2001, p. 35.

(6) See Decision 2001/58/ECSC, Article 1, second indent.