EN Official Journal of the European Union C 86/38

Communication from the French Government concerning Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons (1)

(Notice regarding an application for an exclusive licence to prospect for oil and gas, designated the ‘Valenciennois Licence’)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 86/07)

By application of 2 October 2007, Gazonor, a company with registered offices at 2, avenue de la fosse, F-62420 Billy-Montigny, applied for an exclusive five-year licence, designated the ‘Valenciennois Licence’, to prospect for liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in an area of approximately 423 square kilometres covering part of the North department.

The perimeter of that area is made up of the meridian and parallel arcs successively joining the vertices defined below by their geographical coordinates, the original meridian being that of Paris.

Points Longitude Latitude A 1,10° E 56,10° N B Intersection of the Franco-Belgian border and parallel 56,10° N C Intersection of the Franco-Belgian border and parallel 56,10° N D Intersection of the Franco-Belgian border and parallel 56,10° N E Intersection of the Franco-Belgian border and meridian 1,50° E F 1,50° E 55,90° N G 1,21° E 55,90° N H 1,21° E 55,91° N I 1,25° E 55,91° N J 1,25° E 55,93° N K 1,21° E 55,93° N L 1,21° E 55,97° N M 1,10° E 55,97° N

B to C : Franco-Belgian border. D to E : Franco-Belgian border.

Submission of applications and criteria for awarding rights

The initial applicant and competing applicants must prove that they meet the requirements, as specified in Articles 4 and 5 of Decree No 2006-648 of 2 June 2006 concerning mining rights and underground storage rights (Journal officiel de la République française of 3 June 2006).

Interested companies may, within a period of ninety days of the publication of this notice, submit a competing application in accordance with the procedure summarised in the ‘Notice regarding the granting of mining rights for hydrocarbons in France’ published in Official Journal of the European Communities C 374 of 30 December 1994, p. 11, and established by Decree No 2006-648 concerning mining rights and underground storage rights (décret relatif aux titres miniers et aux titres de stockage souterrain). Competing applications must be sent to the Minister responsible for mines at the address below.

The decisions on the initial application and competing applications will be based on the criteria governing the award of mining rights, as set out in Article 6 of the abovementioned Decree, and will be taken by 24 October 2009 at the latest.

Conditions and requirements regarding performance of the activity and cessation thereof

Applicants are referred to Articles 79 and 79(1) of the Mining Code (code minier) and to Decree No 2006-649 of 2 June 2006 on mining and underground storage operations and the regulations governing mining and underground storage (décret relatif aux travaux miniers, aux travaux de stockage souterrain et à la police des mines et des stockages souterrains) (Journal officiel de la République française of 3 June 2006).

Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development: Ministère de l'écologie, du développement et de l'aménagement durables (direction générale de l'énergie et des matières premières, direction des ressources énergétiques et minérales, bureau de la législation minière), 61, boulevard Vincent Auriol, Télédoc 133, F-75703 Paris Cedex 13 (tel. (33) 144 97 23 02, fax (33) 144 97 05 70)).

The abovementioned laws and regulations can be consulted at:

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr

(1) OJ L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 3.