Final report of the Hearing Officer in case COMP/M.2698 — Promatech/Sulzer Textil (pursuant to Article 15 of Commission Decision 2001/462/EC, ECSC of 23 May 2001 on the terms of reference of Hearing Officers in certain competition proceedings (OJ L 162, 19.6.2001, p. 21)) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2004-03-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: audit, competition law, economic concentration, report, textile industry, textile machine

C 67/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

17.3.2004

Aid No: N 636/01

Title: Aid to rescue the Sabena airline company

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Legal basis: Décision du Gouvernement belge, Arrêté Royal du
5 octobre 2001

Besluit van de Belgische regering, Koninklijk Besluit van 5
oktober 2001

Member State: United Kingdom

Date of adoption of the decision: 13.2.2001

Aid intensity or amount: Grant of a bridging loan of no
more than EUR 125 million bearing interest at 6,33 %

Duration: Three months maximum

Other information: The Belgian Government undertook to
send the European Commission, within four months of auth-
orising the measures in question, either a restructuring plan for
Sabena or a liquidation plan or proof that the loan had been
paid back.

Aid No: N 687/2000

Title: Competition for
logistics

innovative solutions

in rail based

Objective: To provide financial assistance to innovative
projects in the field of rail freight

Legal basis: Section 3 of the Transport Act 1962

Budget: EUR 9,6 million

Duration: Ad hoc

In addition, Sabena, within the context of pre-bankruptcy
proceedings before the Brussels Commercial Court (Tribunal
de Commerce), undertook not to use the loan granted by the
Belgian Government until
it had been approved by the
European Commission

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Final report of the Hearing Officer in case COMP/M.2698 — Promatech/Sulzer Textil

(pursuant to Article 15 of Commission Decision 2001/462/EC, ECSC of 23 May 2001 on the terms
of reference of Hearing Officers in certain competition proceedings (OJ L 162, 19.6.2001, p. 21))

(2004/C 67/08)

(Text with EEA relevance)

The draft decision does not give rise to any particular observations regarding the right to be heard.

The Commission's examination of this case began following requests made by a number of Member States
under Article 22(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 4064/89 (‘Merger Regulation’), as amended by Council
Regulation (EC) No 1310/97. Following the initiation of proceedings under Article 6(1)(c) on 14 April
2002, the Commission carried out an in-depth investigation of the market(s) on which it had identified
competition concerns. On 19 June 2002 Promatech submitted commitments modifying the original
concentration plan in order to remove the Commission's competition concerns and to obtain clearance
in the shortest period of time. The Commission has concluded that the commitments submitted by the
parties maintain or restore effective competition in the territories of the Member States that requested the
Commission to deal with the case. Accordingly, no statement of objections has been sent in this case, and
a decision under Article 8(2) of the Merger Regulation is proposed.

Brussels, 18 July 2002.

Karen WILLIAMS