14.12.74 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL335/43
COMMISSION DECISION
of16October1974
approvingaidstobegrantedbytheKingdomoftheNetherlandsforthebenefitofunder­
takingsinthecoalindustryinrespectofthecalendaryear1973
(OnlytheDutchtextisauthentic)
(74/616/ECSC)
toreducethedifferencesbetweenthecostsand
revenueofthepits;
Whereastheprivately-owned pitsarealsotoreceive
aidintheformofalumpsumofFl4millionto
coverexpenditureincurredasaresultoftheclosure
ofpits;whereasthisaidisdesignedtocovercosts
amountingtothatsumandattributabletoexcep­
tionalexpenditureincurredbytheundertakings
whosepitshavebeenclosed;whereasthenatureand
amountoftheaidisinaccordancewiththe
provisionsofArticle6(2)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
Whereasthestate-ownedpitsaretoreceivefor1973
interestamountingtoFl700000ondefaultedpay­
mentsinrespectofaidpromisedbytheNetherlands
Governmentinpreviousyearsbutnotpaiduntil
alaterdate;whereasthispaymentwillreducethe
differencebetweenthecostsandrevenueofthepits;
WhereastheaidamountingtoFl6millionfromthe
NetherlandsGovernmentforthestate-ownedpits
for1973isinfacttheaidpromisedin1971;whereas
thisaidhasalreadybeenapprovedbytheCommis­
sionmemorandum onfinancialinterventions by
MemberStatesin1971forthebenefitofthecoal
industry;NoXVII/191/1/71,pp.59etseq.;Com­
missionDecisionNo72/141/ECSCof6March1972;
OfficialjournaloftheEuropeanCommunities ,No
L70of23March1972,pp.22etseq.)-,THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuro­
peanCoalandSteelCommunity ,andinparticular
Articles2,3,4and5thereof;
HavingregardtoCommissionDecisionNo3/71/
ECSCi1)of22December1970onCommunityrules
forinterventionsbyMemberStatesforthebenefit
ofthecoalindustry;
HavingregardtoDecisionNo73/287/ECSC(2)of
25July1973oncokingcoalsandcoke,andin
particularArticle9(1)thereof;
HaveconsultedtheCouncil;
WhereastheNetherlandsGovernment hasinformed
theCommission,pursuanttoArticle2ofDecision
No3/71/ECSC,ofthefinancialmeasureswhichit
proposestoimplementdirectlyorindirectlyforthe
benefitofthecoalindustryinrespectof1973;
whereasthefollowingaidsrequireapprovalpursuant
totheaforementioned Decision;
WhereastheNetherlands Government hasmade
provisionforaidamountingtoFl26-9millionfor
privatelv-owned pitsfor1973tocoveroperating
losses;whereastheNetherlandsGovernmentcon­
sidersthatthisamountshouldenablepitclosures
totakeplaceatasuitablerate;
Whereas,furthermore ,privately-owned pitsareto
receivefor1973Fl5-1millionininterestondefaulted
paymentsinrespectofaidpromisedbytheNether­
landsGovernment inpreviousyearsbutnotpaid
untilalaterdate;whereasthispaymentwillalsohelpWhereastheaforementioned aidsareinaccordance
withthecriterialaiddowninArticles6and9of
DecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
WhereastheNetherlandsGovernmentplanstocut
backproductiontoaverygreatextent;whereasthe
Netherlandscoalproductionwasonly1-8million
metrictonsin1973comparedto2-9millionmetric
tonsin1972;whereaslossesonmineoperationsin
theNetherlandsincreasedbetween1971and1972;
whereasrevenuecoveredonly71%ofthepits'
productioncosts;whereasthepitswouldnolonger0OJNoL3,5.1.1971,pp.7etseq.
(2)OJNoL259,15.9.197.3,p.41.

NoL335/44 14.12.74 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
—theaidstothecoalindustrycannotamountto
indirectaidtoindustrialconsumersofcoal,as
domesticcoalforprivateconsumption isalmost
theonlycoalproducednow;
Whereasinviewoftheabovefindingsitmaybe
concludedthatthecompetitivepositionofthe
Limburgcoalfieldinrelationtotheothercoalfields
intheCommunityhasnotchangedin1973;
Whereas,pursuanttoArticle11(1)ofDecision
No3/71/ECSC,theCommissionmustsatisfyitself
thattheapprovedaidisusedforthepurposes
indicatedinArticles6to9ofDecisionNo3/71/
ECSC;whereasinordertodosotheCommission
mustbeinformedinparticularoftheamountof
theseaidsandthemannerinwhichtheyare
apportioned ,beviablewithoutaidfromthepublicauthorities;
whereastherewasnoimprovement intheposition
in1973;
Whereasthedropinproductionandtheimplemen­
tationofrationalization measuresin1973ledtoa
reductionofapproximately 3700,i.e.approximately
43%ofthenumberofpersonsemployedinthe
Netherlandscoalindustry;whereasonepitwas
closedin1973,sothatonlytwopitswerestillin
operationbytheendof1973;whereasin1973the
Netherlandscoalindustrywaspassingthrougha
phaseinwhichproductionwasbeingstopped;
whereasinviewofthistrendtheaidsproposedfor
1973tocoveroperatingcostshelptoprevent
economicandsocialdifficultiesfromarisingandare
thereforeinaccordancewiththeprovisionsof
Article9(1)(1)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
Whereasitmustfurthermorebepointedoutthat
theoperatinglossessustainedbytheprivately-owned
pitsin1973havebeenestimatedbytheNetherlands
Governmentatanamountapproximately equalto
thatoftheproposedaidtocoverlosses;
Whereas,inviewofthespecialsituation ,prevailing
intheNetherlands ,whichhasreduceditscoal
productionandconcentrateditononlyafewpits,
andinviewoftheuncertainties asregardsfuture
costs,theproposedaidforthebenefitofprivately­
ownedpitsisinaccordancewiththeprovisionsof
Article9(2)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
WhereastheaidsproposedbytheNetherlands
Governmentfor1973arenotsuchastoimpairthe
properfunctioningofthecommonmarket,although
theamountofaidproposedfor1973withinthe
framework ofArticles6and9ofDecision
No3/71/ECSCisFl19-32(5-42u.a.)permetricton
producedandisthuslowerthanthecorresponding
aidtobegrantedtotheBelgianandFrenchcoal
industriesbuthigherthanthattobegrantedtothe
GermanandBritishcoalindustries;
Whereastheseconclusions arebasedonthe
followingfindings:
—suppliesofNetherlandscoaltootherCommunity
countriesfellconsiderablyin1973;
—theamountofCommunitycoalpurchasedbythe
Netherlands isverylow,whichtheamountof
coalimportedfromnon-membercountriesrose
in1973bymorethan50%asagainst1972;HASADOPTED THISDECISION :
Article1
TheGovernmentoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands
isherebyauthorizedtograntinrespectofthe
calendaryear1973aidinanamountnotexceeding
Fl36millionforthebenefitoftheprivately-owned
pitsintheNetherlandsandinrespectofthelike
periodinanamountofFl700000forthebenefit
ofthestate-ownedpits.
Article2
TheGovernmentoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands
shallnotifytheCommissionby30November1974
ofdetailsoftheaidsgrantedpursuanttothis
Decision,inparticularasregardstheamountspaid
andthemannerinwhichsuchamountsare
apportioned .
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheKingdomofthe
Netherlands .
DoneatBrussels,16October1974.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
Francois-Xavier ORTOLI