10.9.75 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL238/25
COMMISSION DECISION
of10July1975
authorizingtheKingdomofBelgiumtograntaidstocoalminingundertakings
in1974
(OnlytheFrenchandDutchtextsareauthentic)
(75/545/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
CoalandSteelCommunity ,andinparticularArticles
2,3,4and5thereof;
HavingregardtoCommission DecisionNo3/71/
ECSC(')of22December1970onCommunityrules
forinterventions byMemberStatesforthebenefitof
thecoalindustry;
HavingregardtoDecisionNo73/287/ECSC(2)of25
July1973concerningcokingcoalandcokeforthe
ironandsteelindustryintheCommunity ,andin
particularArticle9(1)thereof;
HavingconsultedtheCouncil;
WhereastheBelgianGovernmenthasinformedthe
Commission inaccordancewithArticle2ofDecision
No3/71/ECSCoffinancialmeasures,bothdirectand
indirect,whichitintendstotakeforthebenefitofthe
coalindustryduring1974;whereastheaidslisted
below,whichareincludedinsuchmeasures,require
authorization inaccordancewiththeDecisionreferred
toabove;
WhereastheBelgianGovernmentproposestogrant
aidsin1974forinvestmentfinancingamountingto
Bfrs150million;
Whereasthissumistoenablethenecessaryinvest­
mentstobemadebyundertakingswhoseclosureis
notplannedin1974;
WhereastheBelgianGovernment alsoproposesto
grantaidsamountingtoBfrs50milliontotheunder­
taking'EsperanceetBonneFortune';whereasasa
,resultoftheclosureofshaft2oftheGosson-Kessales
miningcompanyinMontegneeandtheclosureofthe
'Bure-aux-Femmes 'shaftofPatienceandBeaujonc,
thatundertakinghasincurredadditionalexpenditure
onpumpingoutundergroundwaterseepingfromthe
closedpits;
WhereastheBelgianGovernment alsoproposes
payingBfrs4453milliontoensurethattheclosure
programmeiscarriedoutatwhattheBelgianGovern­
mentconsiderstobeasuitablerate;whereasthissumisdesignedtocovertheoperatinglosses,whichare
definedinastandardbookofchargesinrespectofall
subsidizedpits;
Whereastheaidsreferredtoabovefulfilthecriteria
laiddowninArticles6,7and9ofDecisionNo3/71/
ECSCfortheadmissibility ofsuchStat?aid
measures ;
Whereastheobjectoftheaidsforthefinancingof
investmentprojectsintheundertakingsbenefiting
fromtheaidmeetstherequirements ofArticle7(2)of
DecisionNo3/71/ECSC;whereastheseaidsaretobe
usedtocoverpartoftheexpenditureontheconcentra­
tion,mechanization andautomationofminework­
ings;toenablethecoaltobemoreintensively
up-gradedandbettercleaned;whereastheinforma­
tionsubmittedtotheCommission alsorevealsthat
theundertakingsbenefitingfromtheaidwillnot
applyforanyloansatareducedrateofinterestwithin
themeaningofArticle54oftheECSCTreatyin
respectofsuchinvestmentprojects;
WhereasinterventionunderArticle6(1)(2)ofDeci­
sionNo3/71/ECSCmaytaketheformofreimburse­
mentofthecostofpumpingoutundergroundwater
seepingfromtheworkingsofclosedpits;whereas
removaloftheundergroundwaterisnecessitatedby
theclosureoftheGosson-Kessales andBure-aux­
Femmespits;whereastheaiddoesnotexceedthe
actualpumpingcostsfortheadditionalremovalof
underground water;
WhereastheotheraidsprovidedforbytheBelgian
Government for1974amountingtoBfrs4453
millioncanberegardedasbeingcompatiblewiththe
provisionsofArticle9ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
Whereas,althoughproductioncostsrosebyabout
20%comparedwith1973,theBelgiancoalmining
industrysucceededbymeansofarelativelymore
severeincreaseincoalpricesinreducingoperating
costsin1974andthereforeaids,byabout16%
comparedwiththepreviousyear.
Whereasinthesoutherncoalfield,revenuefrom
productionin1974coveredbarely50%oftotal
operatingcosts;whereasin1974,threepitsinthe
southerncoalfieldwereclosed,sothatbytheendof(')0|NoL3,S.I.1971,p.7.
(-')OJNoL259,IS.9.1973,p.41.

NoL238/26 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 10.9.75
notimpairtheproperfunctioningofthecommon
market;
Whereasthisviewalsoappliesifaccountistakenof
theaidsgrantedtothecoalminingundertakings
pursuanttoDecisionNo72/287/ECSC;
WhereasaccordingtoArticle11(1)ofDecisionNo
3/71/ECSC,theCommissionmustsatisfyitselfthat
theaidsauthorizedareusedforthepurposeslaid
downinArticles6to9ofthatDecision;whereasto
thisenditmustbeinformedinparticularofthe
amountandapportionment ofthepayments,
HASADOPTED THISDECISION :
Article1
TheGovernment oftheKingdomofBelgiumis
herebyauthorizedtogranttheBelgiancoalmining
industryaidstotallingBfrs4653millionforthe1974
calendaryear.
Bfrs150millionofthisamountareintendedforthe
financingofinvestmentprojects,Bfrs50millionfor
theremovalofundergroundwaterwhichhasentered
theEsperanceandBonneFortunepitandBfrs4453
milliontocoveroperatinglosses.
Article2
TheGovernmentoftheKingdomofBelgiumshall
notifytheCommission infulldetailby15November
1975oftheaidsgrantedpursuanttothisDecision,
andinparticulartheamountspaidandthemannerin
whichtheyareapportioned .
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheKingdomof
Belgium.1974onlyninepitswereinoperation;whereasabout
1800personshavebeenaffectedbytheseclosures;
Whereas,inviewoftheSocialfactorsobtaininginthe
Belgiansoutherncoalfield,theaidtobegrantedfor
1974tocoveroperatinglossescanberegardedas
beingcompatiblewiththeprovisionsofArticle
9(1)(1)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
WhereasitshouldbenotedthattheCampine
coalfieldisofextremeimportancetotheBelgiansteel
industryforthesupplyofcokingcoal;whereas,asa
resultofthehighlevelofactivityinthesteelindustry
in1974,demandforcokingcoalandcokewasgreat;
whereas,becauseofthetightsupplysituationwith
regardtocokingcoalthroughouttheworld,itwas
verydifficultfortheBelgiansteelindustrytoincrease
evenmoresharplyitspurchasesofcokingcoalfrom
otherCommunitycountriesandthirdcountriesin
1974;whereasforthisreason,thestabilization of
outputintheCampinecoalfieldcontributedtothe
avoidanceoftemporarysupplybottlenecksincoking
coal;whereastheaidisthereforecompatiblewith
Article9(1)(2)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
Whereasitshouldbenoted,moreover,thattheaidsto
coveroperatinglossesarenothigherthanthe
expectedoperatinglosses;whereastheyaretherefore
alsoinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofArticle9(2)
ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
WhereastheaidsproposedbytheBelgianGovern­
mentfor1974arenotsuchastoimpairtheproper
functioningofthecommonmarket;
Whereasthisviewissupportedbythefollowingfind­
ings:
—noadverseeffectsontradeincoalbetween
BelgiumandtheotherCommunitycountrieswere
discerniblein1974,
—in1973,nopricealignmentsonlowerCommu­
nitycoalpriceswereeffectedintheformationof
pricesforBelgiancoal,
—industrialusersofboilercoalreceivenoindirect
aidsasaresultofartificiallylowpricesforBelgian
coal,
—theclosureofunprofitablepitsleadst-orationaliza­
tionandconcentration ofproductioninpitswhere
productivity ishighest;
Whereasitmaythereforebeconcludedthattheaids
proposedbytheBelgianGovernment for1974willDoneatBrussels,10July1975.t
/■'ortheCoinmission
ThePresident
Prancois-Xavier ORTOLI