2003/277/EC: Council Decision of 8 April 2003 concerning the assumption by the Italian State and the Sicilian Region of responsibility for expenditure over and above that established under the Council Decision of 22 July 1997 relating to security provided personally by members of agricultural cooperatives in a situation of established insolvency
Date: 2003-04-08
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Italy, Sicily, State aid, agricultural cooperative, credit guarantee, financial aid, financial solvency

L 101/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

23.4.2003

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 8 April 2003

concerning the assumption by the Italian State and the Sicilian Region of responsibility for expen-
diture over and above that established under the Council Decision of 22 July 1997 relating to
security provided personally by members of agricultural cooperatives in a situation of established
insolvency

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(3)

(2003/277/EC)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community, and in particular the third subpara-
graph of Article 88(2) thereof,

Having regard to the request submitted by the Italian Govern-
ment on 10 January 2003,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

By a decision of 22 July 1997 the Council considered as
compatible with the common market
the financial
support measures laid down by Law No 237/1993,
passed by the Italian Parliament on 19 July 1993,
in
which Article 1(1a) provided for the Italian State to
assume, within the framework of that Law, the obliga-
tions entailed by security provided for agricultural coop-
eratives by their members, where those cooperatives
were in a situation of established insolvency. The struc-
tural undercapitalisation from which the Italian agricul-
tural cooperative system suffered in the past resulted in
widespread use of debt capital based on personal
security.

Article 126 of Law No 388/2000 passed by the Italian
Parliament and based on the same reference framework
(Law No 237/1993), provides for a further authorisation
of expenditure of EUR 118 785 086,79 supplementing
the EUR 103 291 379,82 originally set aside to finance
Law No 237/93 which was not enough, fully to imple-
ment the assistance measure planned to prevent any
discrimination and unequal treatment between potential
recipients. It represents the financial completion of the
Council Decision of 22 July 1997.

The Commission took the view that Article 126 of Law
No 388/2000 should be assessed in the light of the
Community guidelines for rescuing and restructuring
firms in difficulty. In this connection the Italian Govern-
ment maintained that those guidelines have no bearing
on the provision, which serves social purposes involving
exceptional situations for cooperative members who
have provided their personal and family assets as
security, not the needs of cooperatives.

(4)

Sicilian Regional Law No 37/1994 of 10 October 1994
falls within the same reference framework, providing in
Articles 2 and 3 for an additional EUR 5,165 million in
financing, followed by a further EUR 75 million under
draft Regional Law No 392/2002, making a total of
EUR 80,165 million. This regional Law refers explicitly
to Italian Law No 237/1993 and confers eligibility
notably on agricultural cooperative members unable to
benefit
legislation on account of
shortage of funds.

from the national

(5)

Sicilian regional assistance is available as an alternative
to that from the Italian State, but is at the same time
secondary to the latter, with priority being given to
members who have not applied under Law No 237/
1993.

(6)

The Sicilian region has taken steps to bring the list of
those covered into line with the requirements for inclu-
sion in the list under national rules.

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 101/11

(7)

(8)

The aid in question is not likely to distort competition
within the Community.

There are exceptional circumstances enabling the aid to
be regarded, by way of derogation and only as far as is
strictly necessary, as being compatible with the common
market, subject to the conditions provided for by this
Decision,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The financial support provided for by Article 126 of Italian
Law No 388/2000 of 23 December 2000 and by Articles 2
and 3 of Sicilian Regional Law No 37/1994 of 10 October
1994, and the support provided for by draft Regional Law No
392/2002 of 15 May 2002 shall be regarded as being compa-
tible with the common market, in accordance with the third
subparagraph of Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty under the same
conditions as the Council Decision of 22 July 1997.

This financial support has been calculated on the basis of the
amount of security provided personally by members of agricul-
tural cooperatives to those cooperatives,
the insolvency of
which has been established, and for which the State budget
shall
of
EUR 118 785 086,79 and EUR 80 165 000 for the national
law and regional law respectively.

responsibility

amount

assume

the

up

to

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Italian Republic.

Done at Luxembourg, 8 April 2003.

For the Council

The President

G. DRYS