20.1.77 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL17/25
COMMISSION DECISION
of22December 1976
relatingtothegrantingofaidforhorticultureunderglassintheNetherlandsin
ordertooffsettheincreaseinfueloilprices
(OnlytheDutchtextisauthentic)
(77/75/EEC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity ,andinparticularthefirst
subparagraph ofArticle93(2)thereof,
HavingregardtoCouncilRegulation (EEC)No
1035/72of18May1972onthecommonorganization
ofthemarketinfruitandvegetables('),andinparti­
cularArticle31thereof,
HavingregardtoCouncilRegulation (EEC)No
234/68of27February1968ontheestablishment ofa
commonorganizationofthemarketinlivetreesand
otherplants,bulbs,rootsandthelike,cutflowersand
ornamentalfoliage(2),andinparticularArticle11
thereof,
Havingregardtothecommentssubmittedbythe
partiesconcerned,
Whereasbyletterof15July1975fromtheofficeof
itspermanentrepresentative ,theNetherlandsGovern­
mentcommunicated totheCommission under
Article93(3)oftheTreatyaproposalforaid
comprisingthegrantingofsubsidiesforhorticulture
underglassamountingtoF134-50pertonneofheavy
fueloilandF13700per1000litresoflightfueloil,
inordertooffsettheincreaseinthepriceofoil
products,andtheraisingoftherateofreimbursement
ofexcisedutiesonheavyandlightfueloilfrom75to
100%;whereastheabovementioned subsidies
amountedtoaboutone-thirdofthepriceincreasefor
oilproductsbetween 1September1973and1July
1975,i.e.F134-54pertonneofheavyfueloilandF1
37-05per1000litresoflightfueloil;
Whereasinthe'guidelinesforthegrantingofany
nationalaidwithaviewtotheadaptationofhorticul­
tureunderglassandinshorefisheriestodevelopments
ontheenergymarket',communicated totheMember
Statesbyletterof25June1974andamendedby
letterof30April1975,theCommissiondecidedto
considerascompatiblewiththecommonmarketaid
intendedtooffsettheincreaseinthepriceofoil
productsusedinhorticulturebetween 1July1975
and30June1976,providedthatitdidnotexceed
one-thirdofthepriceincreasefortheseproductsrecordedbetween1September1973andthedateon
whichanysuchaidmeasurewasadopted;whereas
theseguidelinesalsostatethatthiscompensation may
begrantedonlyifthepriceofnaturalgasisequalto
thepriceofheavyfueloillesstheamountoftheaid
granted,thesepricesbeingunderstoodasbeingbased
onanequalcalorificvalue;
Whereasthetotalamountoftheaidproposedbythe
NetherlandsGovernment (subsidiesandincreasein
therateofreimbursement ofexerciseduties)exceeded
theamountswhichcouldbeauthorizedforfueloil
pricesobtainingonthedateonwhichthemeasures
wereproposed;
WhereastheCommission thereforeinitiatedon15
September1975theprocedureprovidedforinthe
firstsentenceofArticle93(2)oftheEECTreatyin
respectofthesemeasuresexceedingthemaximumof
one-thirdofthepriceincrease;whereas,underthe
saidprocedure,itgavetheNetherlandsGovernment ,
theotherMemberStatesandanyotherparties
concerned,noticetosubmittheircomments(3);
WhereastheNetherlands Government submittedits
commentstotheCommission byletterof23
December1975,inwhichitdidnotcontestthefact
thatthereimbursement ofexcisedutiesfellwithinthe
fieldofapplicationofArticles92to94oftheEEC
Treaty,butdidnotaccepttheviewthattheincrease
intherateofreimbursement ofexcisedutieswouldbe
coveredbytheguidelines ;
Whereas,inreplytoaletterof11June1976fromthe
MemberoftheCommissionresponsibleforagricul­
ture,theNetherlands authoritiessubmittedtothe
Commission byletterof2August1976,certain
commentswhichdidnotcontainanypointssuchas
toaltertheCommission'sassessment ;
WhereastwoMemberStatesandcertainparties
concernedotherthantheMemberStatessubmitted
commentstotheCommissioninwhichtheystated
thattheyregardedexceedingthemaximumofone­
thirdasincompatiblewiththecommonmarketsince,
intheirview,adistortionofcompetitionhadalready
beencreatedbythefactthatthoseengagedinhorticul­
tureintheotherMemberStatesdidnotreceiveaid
(■)OJNoL118,20.5.1972,p.1.
2OJNoL55,2.3.1968,p.1. (3)OJNoC217,23.9.1975.

20.1.77 NoL17/26 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
contrarytothecommoninterest;whereasitisthere­
forecoveredbytheprohibitioncontainedinArticle
92(1)oftheTreatywithoutqualifyingforexceptional
treatmentunderparagraph3(c)ofthatArticle;
Whereas,furthermoreitisobviousthattheaidin
questiondoesnotfulfiltheconditionswhichwould
enableittoqualifyforaderogationasprovidedforin
Article92(2)and(3)(b)oftheEECTreaty;whereas
theaidisnotofaregionalnaturewithinthemeaning
ofArticle92(3)(a);
Whereas,consequently ,thisaidisincompatiblewith
thecommonmarketunderthetermsofArticle92of
theTreaty,insofarasitexceedstheaforementioned
maximumrate,
HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :
Article1
TheKingdomoftheNetherlandsshallnotadoptthe
proposedaidmeasurescommunicated totheCommis­
sionbyletterof15July1975,totheextentthatthe
totalamountoftheaidexceedsF134-54pertonneof
heavyfueloilandF137-05per1000litresoflight
fueloil.
Article2
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheKingdomofthe
Netherlands .duringtheperiodinquestiontooffsettheincreasein
thepriceoffuel;
Whereasthereisaverylargevolumeoftradebetween
theMemberStatesintheagriculturalproducts
concerned ;whereas,consequently ,thegrantingof
nationalaidislikelytoaffectthistradebetween
MemberStatesandtodistortcompetitionwithinthe
meaningofArticle92(1)oftheEECTreaty;
Whereastheguidelinescoveredanyaidintendedto
offsettheincreaseinthecostofenergyproducts,
withoutanyexception,andthereforealsoincludedaid
intheformofthereimbursement ofexciseduties;
Whereastheaidfortheoperationofundertakings
providedforintheguidelineswasintendedtoallev­
iatetheeffectsoftheincreaseinthepriceofoil
productsandtoenableundertakingsengagedinhorti­
cultureunderglasstoremainoperativeduringa
certainperiodofadjustmenttothenewsituation,
likelytobealastingone,createdbythisincrease,in
ordertoavoidsocialandregionalproblems;whereas
themaximumratefixedbytheguidelinesconstituted
thelimitwithinwhichsuchaidcouldbeconsidered
asintendedtofacilitatethedevelopmentofhorticul­
turewithinthemeaningofArticle92(3)(c)ofthe
EECTreaty,sincethismaximumrateenabled
MemberStatestograntsufficientaidtoensurethe
adjustmentofhealthyandviableundertakings tothe
increaseinthepriceofoilproductswhileatthesame
timemaintainingtheneedforaneffortonthepartof
theundertakingsthemselvestocovertwo-thirdsof
thisincrease;whereasaidinexcessofthislimit
wouldreducetheeffortrequiredoftheundertakings ,
wouldenablelessprofitableundertakings toremain
operativeandwouldimpairtradepatternstoadegree
contrarytothecommoninterest;
Whereasexceedingtherateofaidprovidedforinthe
guidelineswoulddistortcompetitionandwould
impairtradebetweentheMemberStatestoadegreeDoneatBrussels,22December1976.
FortheCommission
P.J.LARDINOIS
MemberoftheCommission