2007/583/EC: Commission Decision of 21 June 2007 on State aid C 17/2006 (ex N 3/2006), training aid to Autoeuropa — Automóveis Lda, Portugal (notified under document number C(2007) 3130) (Text with EEA relevance )
Date: 2007-06-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Portugal, State aid, control of State aid, vocational training

L 219/36

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.8.2007

COMMISSION DECISION

of 21 June 2007
on State aid C 17/2006 (ex N 3/2006), training aid to Autoeuropa — Automóveis Lda, Portugal
(notified under document number C(2007) 3130)

(Only the Portuguese version is authentic)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2007/583/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

II. WITHDRAWAL OF THE NOTIFICATION

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,
and in particular
Article 88(2) thereof,

establishing the European
subparagraph of
the

first

Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic
Area, and in particular Article 62(1)(a) thereof,

Having called on interested Parties to submit their comments
to those provisions (1) and having regard to their
pursuant
comments,

Whereas:

I. PROCEDURE

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

By letter of 27 December 2005 (registered as received on
4 January 2006), Portugal notified the Commission of its
intention to grant aid amounting to EUR 3 552 423 to
Autoeuropa — Automóveis
in
Lda
connection with a training project
the company
wished to implement. The Commission requested
further information by letter of 31 January 2006, to
which Portugal replied by letter dated 9 March 2006
(registered as received on 23 March 2006).

(Autoeuropa)

that

By letter of 16 May 2006, the Commission informed
Portugal that it had decided to initiate the procedure
laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect
of the aid. The Portuguese authorities presented their
comments in accordance with this procedure by letter
of 31 August 2006.

The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was
published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2).
The Commission called on interested parties to submit
their comments.

The Commission received comments from interested
parties. It forwarded them to Portugal, which was given
the opportunity to react; its comments were received by
letter of 13 November 2006. The Commission requested
further information from Portugal by letter of 2 February
2007.

(5)

(6)

(7)

informed the
By letter of 4 May 2007, Portugal
Commission that the notified aid would no longer be
implemented given that Autoeuropa had modified its
training project and that
the notification thus no
longer served any purpose.

The Commission notes that, according to Article 8 of
Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 (3), the Member
State concerned may withdraw the notification in due
time before the Commission has taken a decision on
in cases where the
the aid. According to Article 8(2),
Commission has
investigation
initiated the
procedure, the Commission must close the procedure.

formal

Consequently, the Commission has decided to close the
formal investigation procedure under Article 88(2) of the
EC Treaty in respect of
the relevant aid, given that
Portugal has withdrawn its notification,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

that

Portugal has withdrawn its notification,

Pursuant to Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty and in view of the
fact
the
investigation procedure
Commission hereby closes the formal
in respect of the training aid that Portugal intended to grant to
Autoeuropa — Automóveis Lda.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Portuguese Republic.

Done at Brussels, 21 June 2007.

For the Commission

Neelie KROES
Member of the Commission

(1) OJ C 177, 29.7.2006, p. 25.
(2) See footnote 1.

(3) Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying
down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC
Treaty (OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1).