NoL100/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 19.4.83
COMMISSION DECISION
of7April1983
approvingaidsfromtheFrenchRepublictothecoal-miningindustryduring
1982
(OnlytheFrenchtextisauthentic)
(83/160/ECSC)
THECOMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtoCommissionDecision528/76/ECSC
of25February1976regardingtheCommunitysystem
ofmeasurestakenbytheMemberStatestoassistthe
coal-miningindustry('),
HavingconsultedtheCouncil,sustainedbythecentraladministration ofCharbon­
nagesdeFrance)willnotbehigherthanthelikely
operatinglossesofCharbonnages deFrance;
Whereasthefollowingpointsarerelevantinconnec­
tionwithaidtotheindividualcoalfields :
1.In1982,aidtotheNord/Pas-de-CalaisandCentre-
Midicoalfieldswillbecalculatedinsuchawaythat,
asaresultoftheclosureoffurtherpits,therewill
beareductioninproduction,whichwillmeanthat
some120fewerpersonswillbeemployedinthe
coalindutry.Theaidswillpreventsevereeconomic
andsocialdisruptioninareaswheretherearenot
yetadequateopportunitiesforre-employment .The
aidstothesecoalfieldsthereforecomplywiththe
provisionsofthefirstsubparagraphofArticle12(1)
andArticle12(2)oftheDecision.
2.TheoutputplanningoftheCharbonnages de
FranceintheLorrainecoalfieldsaimsatlong-term
stabilization,sincethecokingcoalproducedinthis
coalfieldisimportantforsupplyingthesteel
industry.Theaidgrantedforthispurposecomplies
withthesecondsubparagraphofArticle12(1)and
Article12(3)oftheDecision.I
WhereastheFrenchGovernment hasinformedthe
Commission,pursuanttoArticle2oftheaboveDeci­
sion,ofthefinancialmeasureswhichitintendsto
implementdirectlyorindirectlyforthebenefitofthe
coalindustryduring1982;whereasofthesemeasures
thefollowingmaybeapprovedpursuanttothat
Decision;
WhereastheFrenchGovernmentintendstograntto
Charbonnages deFrancefor1982aidamountingto
FF2936200000topermittheeconomicrestructur­
ingofthecoalfieldstoproceedinanappropriate
manner;
WhereastheFrenchGovernmentalsoproposesto
granttothecentraladministration ofCharbonnagesde
Francein1982aidamountingtoFF441000000to
coverthechargesincurredinborrowingandtrans­
ferredfromthepitstothecentraladministration of
Charbonnages deFranceundertheFrenchGovern­
ment'sfinancialimprovementscheme;whereasthis
aidispaidnottothecoalfieldsbutonlytothecentral
administration ofCharbonnages deFrance;
Whereastheabovementioned aidsmeetthecriteria
laiddownintheDecisionfortheadmissibilityofsuch
Stateassistance;
WhereastheaidofFF3377200000proposedbythe
FrenchGovernmentfor1982tocoverlosses(ofwhich
FF2936200000,istocoverthecoalfields'losseson
miningandFF441000000tocoverthelossesII
Whereas,underArticle3(2)oftheDecision,an
examinationofthecompatibilityoftheproposedaids
withtheproperfunctioningofthecommonmarket
mustalsoextendtoallotherfinancialmeasuresto
supportcurrentproductionin1982;
Whereasthesumofalltheseaidstosupportcurrent
productionbytheFrenchcoalindustryis553800000
ECU,or30,77ECUpertonne,for1982;whereasthis
ishigherthancorresponding GermanandUnited
KingdomaidsbutlowerthanBelgianaid;
Whereasthefollowingpointsmustbemadeaboutthe
compatibility oftheproposedaidwiththeproper
functioningofthecommonmarket:
—therewerenosupplydifficultiesontheFrench
coalmarketin1982, (■)OJNoL63,11.3.1976,p.1.

19.4.83 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL100/15
HASADOPTEDTHISDECISION :
Article1
TheFrenchRepublicisherebyauthorizedtograntto
thecoal-miningindustrythefollowingaidsfor1982:
(a)anamountnotexceedingFF2936200000to
coverlossesonmining;
(b)anamountnotexceedingFF441000000tocover
thefinanciallossessustainedbythecentral
administration ofCharbonnages deFrance.
Article2
TheGovernmentoftheFrenchRepublicshallnotify
theCommissionby30April1983ofdetailsofthe
aidsgrantedpursuanttothisDecisionandinparti­
cularoftheamountspaidandthemannerinwhich
theyareapportioned .
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheFrenchRepublic.
DoneatBrussels,7April1983.—FrenchcoalexportstotheotherCommunity
countriesfellin1982comparedwith1981,
—hardlyanypricealignmentagreementswere
enteredintoforFrenchcoalin1982,
—industrialconsumersofcoaldidnotdirectly
receiveaidin1982throughthepricesofFrench
cokingcoalandsteamcoal,
—theclosureoffourmarginalpitsintheNord/Pas-
de-CalaisandCentre-Midi coalfieldresultedin
rationalization andconcentration ofproductionon
pitswhereproductivityishighest;
Whereasitmayaccordinglybeconcludedthattheaids
proposedin1982forcurrentproductionbythe
Frenchcoalindustryarecompatiblewiththeproper
functioningofthecommonmarket;
Whereasthisappliesevenwhenaccountistakenof
aidstocoalminesunderDecison73/287/ECSC;
III
Whereas,pursuanttoArticle14(1)oftheDecision,
theCommissionmustsatisfyitselfthattheapproved
aidsareusedexclusivelyforthepurposessetoutin
Articles7to12ofthatDecision;whereasconse­
quentlytheCommissionistobenotifiedinparticular
oftheamountoftheaidandthemannerinwhichit
isapportioned ,FortheCommission
ÉtienneDAVIGNON
Vice-President