11. 7. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 169/9 
STATE AID 
NN 23/89 
(Italy) 
(Articles 92 to 94 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community) 
(90/C 169/07) 
Commission communication pursuant to Article 93 (2) of 
the EEC Treaty to other Member States and interested 
parties concerning aids which Italy has decided to grant 
for AIMA measures during 1986 and 1987. 
I 
1. By telex on 10 March 1989 (No VI/D/04203) 
Commission staff asked the Italian Government for 
information on the measures in question. 
2. By telex on 2 May 1989 (No 2077/604) the Italian 
Government asked that the time limit for sending the 
information be extended by six weeks. 
3. By telex on 10 May 1989 (No 453) the Italian 
Government provided some details on the measures in 
question and said that further information would be 
forthcoming. 
4. Additional information was supplied by the Italian 
authorities after a request by Commission staff. 
II 
After examining the measures in question the 
Commission hereby informs the Italian Government that: 
A. by not communicating the following AIMA aids for 
the 1986 and 1987 marketing years: 
— purchasing aid and storage aid for products 
resulting from the distillation of table wine, 
— aid to support the pig sector in Emilia-Romagna, 
— aid for the experimental programme on the 
classification of pig carcases, 
— purchasing aid and storage aid for table olives, 
— purchasing aid and storage aid for products 
resulting from the distillation of fruits and 
potatoes, 
— purchasing aid and public storage aid for 
potatoes, — aid for maturing ham, 
— storage aid for beef in Sardinia, 
— storage aid for Pecorino Romano, 
the Italian Government has failed to fulfil its obli­
gations pursuant to Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty; 
B. it requests it to do all possible to ensure that, in 
future, any national and/or regional measure 
involving the payment of aid is notified before 
adoption so that the Commission can make its obser­
vations in the light of Articles 92 and 93 of the EEC 
Treaty; 
C. as regards national measures adopted in application 
of Community legislation, it has no comment to 
make concerning the following measures proposed by 
AIMA for 1986 and 1987: 
— short-term private storage aid for table wine and 
grape must, 
— the additional calf premium, 
— the additional premium for maintaining suckler 
cows, 
— compensation for the discontinuation of milk 
production, 
— special aid for tobacco growers affected by the 
earthquake of November 1980, 
— special adaptation aid for sugar producers; 
D. it has no comment to make concerning the following 
aid: 
— purchasing aid and storage aid for products 
resulting from the distillation of Italian table 
wine, 
— the experimental programme for the classification 
of pig carcases, 
— purchasing and storage aid for products resulting 
from the distillation of Italian fruits and potatoes, 
— purchasing and storage aid for potatoes; 
E. it has already adopted a position and notified the 
Italian Government on 20 December 1987 of its 
favourable opinion concerning aid to make good the 
damage caused by the Chernobyl accident; 
NoC 169/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 11. 7. 90 
F. it informed the Italian Government on 9 March 1987 
that the aid for storage for four months of quality 
wines par during the 1985/86 marketing year in 
storage on 1 August 1986 and aid for the special 
distillation of 2,5 million hectolitres of table wine and 
170 000 hectolitres of table wine obtained by the 
downgrading of Mosccato d'Asti DOC wine had 
been authorized on the basis of the Council Decision 
of 8 December 1986; 
G. it is therefore initiating the procedure provided for in 
Article 93 (2) of the EEC Treaty in respect of the 
following measures proposed by AIMA for 1986 and 
1987: 
— aid for the support of pig production in the 
regions of Emilia-Romagna affected by foot-
and-mouth disease, 
— purchasing and storage aid for 'Nocellara del 
Belice' table olives, 
— aid to prolong the maturing of hams, 
— public storage aid for long- and medium-keeping 
hard and medium-hard cheeses, 
— purchasing aid for meat following the drought 
affecting Sardinia, 
— purchasing and storage aid for Pecorino Romano. 
The Commission takes the view that such measures 
are not compatible in principle with the common 
market. Furthermore, Community legislation in the 
beef and veal, pig, dairy and oils and fats sectors 
should be considered as a complete and exhaustive 
svstem ruling out any additional measures by 
Member States. The new measures proposed by 
AIMA are supplementary to those already adopted at 
Community level and therefore constitute an 
infringement of Community rules. For the reasons 
given above, these measures cannot be regarded as 
exceptions pursuant to Article 92 (3) of the EEC 
Treat}': 
H. in the light of the above and in accordance with this 
procedure, the Commission hereby gives notice to the 
Italian Government to submit its comments together 
with the information referred to in (a) and (b) below 
within six weeks of the receipt of this letter. 
(a) As regards the purchasing aid for meat in 
Sardinia, whether this measure was limited to 
farmers suffering livestock losses equal to at least 
20 % of the average amount of livestock held 
during the three years preceding the drought and whether the authorities allowed farmers to gain a 
net benefit from this aid, taking account, where 
appropriate, of additional costs occasioned by the 
drought, greater than that which they would have 
had if the drought had not occurred. 
(b) As regards the buying in and storage of Pecorino 
Romano, who are the beneficiaries, what are the 
conditions governing the granting of aid, what is 
the maximum level of the proposed aid (express 
as the subsidy plus, where appropriate, the 
subsidy equivalent of the reduced rate loans), its 
duration, the reason for the aid and whether the 
aid has been granted in accordance with 
Community rules on the storage of these 
products. 
Ill 
The Commission informs the Italian Government that it 
will be giving notice to the other Member States and to 
the other parties concerned, by publishing this letter in 
the Official Journal of the European Communities, to 
submit their comments. 
The Commission reminds the Italian Government that, 
pursuant to Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty, the 
measures referred to in point G above may not be put 
into effect until the Article 93 (2) procedure has resulted 
in a final decision. 
The Commission would also draw the attention of the 
Italian Government to the letter which it sent to all the 
Member States on 3 November 1983 concerning their 
obligations pursuant to Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty 
and the communication published in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities No C 318 of 24 November 
1983, page 3, pointing out that it may require any aid 
granted illegally, that is, without a final decision having 
been taken pursuant to the Article 93 (2) procedure, to 
be repaid and/or refuse to make EAGGF advance 
payments or to charge expenditure relating to national 
measures that directly affect Community measures to the 
EAGGF budget. 
The Commission hereby gives the other Member States 
and interested parties notice to submit their comments on 
the measures in question within four weeks from the 
date of publication of this communication to: 
Commission of the European Communities, 
200 rue de la Loi, 
B-1049 Brussels.