Information from the Commission - The granting of industrial loans at reduced interest rates under Article 54 of the ECSC Treaty for safety and hygiene purposes and particularly for the prevention of nuisances
Date: 1974-11-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: ECSC levy, ECSC loan, environmental protection, interest, investment, pollution control measures













EUR-Lex - 31974Y1125(01) - EN






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31974Y1125(01)

Information from the Commission - The granting of industrial loans at reduced interest rates under Article 54 of the ECSC Treaty for safety and hygiene purposes and particularly for the prevention of nuisances  


Official Journal C 146 , 25/11/1974 P. 0001 - 0001 Spanish special edition: Chapter 10 Volume 1 P. 0058  Portuguese special edition Chapter 10 Volume 1 P. 0058  





The granting of industrial loans at reduced interest rates under Article 54 of the ECSC Treaty for safety and hygiene purposes and particularly for the prevention of nuisances On 7 March 1974, the Commission sent to the Council a draft recommendation for the Council to make to the Member States concerning the allocation of costs and the intervention of public authorities in environmental matters (1). The recommendation adopts the polluter must pay principle, in accordance with the Council Decision of 22 November 1973 (2), and contains rules of application and also exceptions.  These guidlines, on which the Commission's environmental policy will be based, and the Commission's experience of applications for reduced interest loans for investments of this kind, have led the Commission to state more exactly the conditions on which such loans will be granted (3).    1. In granting reduced interest rate loans, the Commission will base itself on the principles and criteria which it has adopted elsewhere in respect of national aids for the same purpose. In addition, in assessing the maximum amount of Community aid granted at reduced interest rate loans, account will be taken of national aids for the environment which may have been given for the same investments.       2. The Commission reaffirms that it proposes to extend such loans only in certain clearly defined cases, within the limit of the means available for this purpose, and without any entitlement being created by the conditions mentioned above.       3. The reduced interest rate loans are only to be granted up to a maximum amount of 50 % of the cost of the investments.       4. The reduced interest rate loans are only to be granted if all the following conditions are satisfied:      (a) the financing of the investments to be carried out by the undertakings shall be specifically for the purposes of environmental protection and in response to obligations imposed by the public authorities;           (b) the investment to be financed shall be one to be carried out at plants in existence on 1 January 1975, the fraction of the cost corresponding to extensions of capacity not however being eligible for reduced interest loans;           (c) the investment to be financed shall be restricted to one meeting accepted standards of efficiency and for which the costs are substantially more than those which would be considered normal for the construction of similar installations;           (d) the reduced interest rate loans may only be granted in so far as, before 31 December 1980, the investment decisions concerned have given rise to firm orders and the corresponding loan applications have been made.         5. The restrictions provided by paragraphs 3 and 4 are not applicable to the financing of investments relating to the industrial utilization of technical processes having an innovating character if the results of their putting into operation are made available within the Community to all those interested.  (1)OJ No C 68, 12.6.1974, p. 1. (2)OJ No C 112, 20.12.1973. (3)See generally the communication of the Commission published in OJ No C 73, 18.6.1970, p. 20.