No L 256/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 9. 81 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 23 July 1981 on a proposal by the Netherlands Government to grant aid for increasing the production capacity by an undertaking in the chemical industry (polyethylene) (Only the Dutch text is authentic) (81/716/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having given notice in accordance with the above Article to interested parties to submit their comments and having regard to these comments, Whereas Article 6 of the Netherlands Law of 29 June 1978 (Wet Investeringsrekening — WIR)(!) on the promotion and guidance of investment introduced an ‘additional premium for major schemes’ for the benefit of projects where investment exceeds Fl 30 million. The amount of the premium depends on the number of jobs created and may account for up to 4 % of the investment in question. When examining the Netherlands Law at the draft stage, in the course of the procedure under Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty, the Commission pointed out that since the ‘additional premium for major schemes’ involved no sectoral or regional objectives it therefore constituted a general aid system, and that since the arrangements applied to all investment, without distinction by reference to given undertakings, regions (1) Staatsblad 1978, No 368. or sectors, they could not qualify for the derogations under Article 92 (3) (a) or (c). In the absence of such specification, the Commission could not assess the system’s effects on trade between Member States and on competition and therefore assess its compatibility with the common market. In respect of such general aid systems it is now the well-established policy of the Commission to accept them subject to one of two conditions, namely that the Member State concerned notifies to the Commis- sion either a plan for regional or sectoral application or alternatively, where this is felt not to be possible, significant individual cases of application. In line with this approach, and in accordance with Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty, the Commission requested prior notification in good time of individual cases of application of the ‘additional premium for major schemes’, account being taken of the amount of investment concerned. During discussions with the Netherlands authorities the Commission stated that it would assess each case on its own merits in the light of the rules contained in Article 92 et seq. or rules developed during admini- stration of those provisions. The Netherlands Govern- ment could not infer that, by requesting regular prior notification, the Commission had taken a favourable view of the additional premium system.