17.12.73 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL346/13
COMMISSION DECISION
of14November1973
approvingadditionalaidfromtheRepublicofFrancefordiebenefitofthecoal
industryin1972
(OnlytheFrenchtextisauthentic)
(73/396/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingthe
EuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity,andin
particularArticles2,3,4and5thereof;
HavingregardtoCommissionDecisionNo3/71/
ECSC(*)of22December1970onCommunityrules
forinterventionbyMemberStatesforthebenefitof
thecoalindustry;
HavingregardtoDecisionNo70/1/ECSC(2)of19
December1969oncokingcoalandcoke,andin
particularArticle9(1)thereof;
HavingconsultedtheCouncil;
Havingconsideredthefollowinggrounds;
WhereastheCommission oftheEuropean
CommunitiesadoptedDecisionNo72/374/ECSCon
19October1972(3);whereasthisDecisionapproved
theaidintendedbytheFrenchGovernmenttobe
grantedforthebenefitofthecoalindustryin
respectof1972totheextentthatithadbeen
includedandexaminedbytheCommissioninthe
'Memorandum onfinancialinterventions by
MemberStatesforthebenefitofthecoalindustry
1972'(4);
Whereasduringthepreparationsforconsultations
withtheCouncilon6September1972concerning
theMemorandum onfinancialinterventions by
MemberStatesforthebenefitofthecoalindustry,
therepresentativeoftheCommissionwasinformed
bytheFrenchGovernmentoftheintentiontoeffect
anincreasefor1972intheoriginallyplannedaid,in
ordertocovertheremainingoperatinglosses;
whereasallotheraidoriginallyplannedfor1972
andapprovedbytheCommission remains
unchanged;
WhereasinaccordancewithArticle2ofDecision
No3/71/ECSC,theFrenchGovernment
communicated totheCommission theadditional
amountsitintendedtopayinrespectof1972forthebenefitofthecoalindustry;whereasitis
plannedtograntadditionalaidtotheamountofFF
150000000totheFrenchcoalindustryfor1972,
whichintheopinionoftheFrenchGovernment
guaranteesthattheeconomicreorganization ofthe
coalfieldswillproceedonappropriatelines;whereas
thetotalamountconsistsoftheaidsgrantedtothe
individualcoalfields:Nord/Pas-de-Calais —FF
25000000;Lorraine—FF23000000;andCentre­
Midi—FF102000000;whereasincomparisonwith
theaidsalreadyapprovedfor1972,theincrease
amountstoapproximately 8%inthecaseofthe
Nord/Pas-de-Calais coalfieldand15°/ointhecase
oftheLorrainecoalfield;whereasinthecaseofthe
Centre-Midi coalfieldthereisanconsiderable
increaseofalmost65%;
Whereastheaforementioned aidisinaccordance
withthecriterialaiddowninArticle9ofDecision
No3/71/ECSCfortheadmissibilityofsuchstate
aid;
Whereasthereasonfortheincreaseinaidisthatthe
estimateofthetrendofcostsandrevenueproved
toooptimistic;
Whereasthedeclineinfueloilpricesin1972
resultedinalossinrevenueintheNord/Pas-de­
CalaisandCentre-Midicoalfields,sincethemain
productsofthesecoalfieldsaresteam-raising coal
anddomesticcoal;whereasintheLorraine
coalfield,thechiefproductofwhichiscokingcoal,
therevenueofthecollieriesin1972wasmoreor
lessstableincomparisonwith1971.Production
costs,ontheotherhand,rosemorerapidlyin1972
thanhadbeenanticipatedbytheFrench
Government,thisbeingattributedinparticularto
thefactthatproductiondroppedmorerapidly(by
approximately 2000000metrictons)thanhadbeen
allowedforinproductionplanning;
Whereasinspiteoftheincreaserequested,the
aggregateoftheaidsfor1972islessthanthatfor
1971;whereastheCommission consequently
believesthattheattentionoftheFrenchGovernment
shouldbedirectedtodevelopments oftheCentre­
Midicoalfield,inrespectofwhichtheaidsgranted
inordertocoverlossesin1972willamounttothe
relativelyhighfigureofalmost42FF/t;whereasin
viewtherelativelysmallincreaseinaidsthereseems
tobenoneedforafreshscrutinyoftherelevant
provisionsofCommissionDecisionNo72/374/0)OJNoL3,5.1.1971,p.7.
mOJNoL2,6.1.1970,p.10.
(»)OJNoL256,14.11.1972,p.19etseq.
(4)Doc.NoXVII/52/2/72.

NoL346/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 17.12.73
Whereasitcanthereforebeestablishedthatthe
increaseinFrenchaidisnotsuchastoimpairthe
properfunctioningofthecommonmarketreferred
totheArticle3(1)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
WhereasinaccordancewithArticle11(1)of
DecisionNo3/71/ECSCtheCommission must
satisfyitselfthattheapprovedaidisusedforthe
purposestatedinArticle9ofthisDecision;whereas
tothisenditmustbeinformedinparticularofthe
amountanddistributionoftherelevantpayments,
HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :
Article1
TheGovernmentoftheRepublicofFranceis
herebyempoweredtograntinrespectof1972
additionalaidtothetotalamountofFF150000000
tothecoalminingindustrytocoveroperating
losses,andtodistributethisamountamongthe
individualcoalfieldsasfollows:ECSC(*)of19October1972(preventionofsevere
economicandsocialdisturbancesinregionswhere
therearestillinsufficientopportunities forre­
employment);whereastheFrenchGovernmenthas
notcommunicated anynewaspectstothe
Commission ;
Whereastherequestedincreaseinaidsinrespectof
1972tocoveroperatinglossesisthereforein
accordancewiththeprovisionsofpoint1,
Article9(1)ofDecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
Whereas,furthermore ,itmustbepointedoutthat
theincreaseinaidtocoveroperatinglossesinthe
miningindustrymustnotexceedtheestimated
operatinglosses;whereastheincreaseisthusalsoin
accordancewiththeprovisionsofArticle9(2)of
DecisionNo3/71/ECSC;
WhereastheincreaseinaidplannedbytheFrench
Governmentfor1972isnotsuchastoimpairthe
properfunctioningofthecommonmarket,although
thetotalamountofaidtobecalculatedin
accordancewithArticles6to9ofDecisionNo3/
71/ECSCyieldsafigureofFF34-24(6*16u.a.)per
metrictonproducedandisthusrelativelyhighin
comparisonwiththeaidsfortheGermancoal
industry;
Whereasthesefindingsarebasedonthefollowing
resultsofinvestigations :
—anadverseeffectoncoaltradebetweenFrance
andtheotherMemberStatesasaresultof
increaseinaidtocoveroperatinglossesinthe
coalminingindustryisnotdiscernible;
—industrialconsumersofcokingcoalandsteam­
raisingcoalreceivenoindirectaidasaresultof
theformationofartificiallylowpricesfor
Frenchcoal.TherevenuefromtheNord/Pas-de­
CalaiscoalfieldandtheCentre-Midicoalfield,of
whichthemainproductsaresteam-raising coal
anddomesticcoalshowsadropof6to7%>for
1972incomparisonwith1971,whichisinline
withthedownwardtendencyinfueloilprices;
Whereasinrespectoftheothercriteriaforthe
properfunctioningofthecommonmarket,the
provisionsofCommissionDecisionNo72/374/
ECSC(2)of19October1972donotgiverisetoany
newaspectsthroughtheincreasingofFrenchaidto
coveroperatinglossesintheminingindustry;Nord/Pas-de-Calais FF25000000
Lorraine FF23000000
Centre-Midi FF102000000
Article2
TheGovernmentoftheRepublicofFranceshall
communicate totheCommission notlaterthan
31December1973fullparticularsofaidsgranted
pursuanttothisDecision,andinparticularthe
amountanddistributionoftherelevantpayments,
aswellasoftheprogressoftheeconomic
reorganization ofthecoalfields.
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheRepublicof
France.
DoneatBrussels,14November1973.
FortheCommission
ThePresident
Francois-Xavier ORTOLI
0)OJNoL256,14.11.1972,p.20.
(2>OJNoL256,14.11.1972,p.20.