# CE2004084EN.01001202.xml

| 3.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 84/12 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 84/12

---

(2004/C 84 E/0012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1941/03

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 June 2003)

Subject:   Stamp duty exemption scheme

Subject:

| 1. | Will the Commission publish the letter dated 21 December 2001 from the UK authorities and registered by the Commission on 9 January 2002? |
| --- | --- |

1.

Will the Commission publish the letter dated 21 December 2001 from the UK authorities and registered by the Commission on 9 January 2002?

| 2. | What submissions and evidence did the UK authorities put forward in response to the doubts expressed by the Commission and recorded in the Official Journal of 27 April 2002 about whether the list of ‘designated disadvantaged areas’ would in effect lead to a significant widening of the UK regional aid map? What allayed the Commission's doubts about whether the sale of non-residential property and the creation of new leases for such property constitutes in all circumstances ‘initial investment’ as defined in the guidelines? What allayed the Commission's doubts about whether the aid intensity of the scheme would exceed 4 % What allayed the Commission's doubts about the restrictions of aid in the deprived urban area guidelines to small companies only and solely to beneficiaries who carried on their principal economic activity in deprived urban areas and reserved at least 20 % of the new jobs created for persons resident in the deprived area? |
| --- | --- |

2.

What submissions and evidence did the UK authorities put forward in response to the doubts expressed by the Commission and recorded in the Official Journal of 27 April 2002 about whether the list of ‘designated disadvantaged areas’ would in effect lead to a significant widening of the UK regional aid map? What allayed the Commission's doubts about whether the sale of non-residential property and the creation of new leases for such property constitutes in all circumstances ‘initial investment’ as defined in the guidelines? What allayed the Commission's doubts about whether the aid intensity of the scheme would exceed 4 % What allayed the Commission's doubts about the restrictions of aid in the deprived urban area guidelines to small companies only and solely to beneficiaries who carried on their principal economic activity in deprived urban areas and reserved at least 20 % of the new jobs created for persons resident in the deprived area?

Joint answer

to Written Questions E-1940/03 and E-1941/03

given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(14 July 2003)

(14 July 2003)

The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that its Decision on the aid scheme entitled: ‘Stamp duty exemption for non-residential properties in disadvantaged areas’ was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (1). The Commission Decision contains a detailed response to the two written questions mentioned above. The Commission would, therefore, like to refer to its Decision on the matter.

1

Concerning the notification of the scheme, which was sent by the British authorities on 21 December 2001, the Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 (now Article 88) of the EC Treaty (2) does not provide for the publication of notifications from the Member States in the Official Journal of the European Union. A description of the facts contained in the notification is to be found, in particular, in Section II (description of the aid) of Commission decision ‘Stamp duty exemption for non-residential properties in disadvantaged areas.’

2

---

(1)  OJ L 149, 17.6.2003.

1

(2)  OJ L 83, 27.3.1999.

2

---