No L 276/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 10. 84 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 17 April 1984 on aid which the Belgian Government has granted to an undertaking at Tournai manufacturing equipment for the food industry (Only the Dutch and French texts are authentic) (84/496/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 to the parties concerned to submit their comments as required by the said pro- vision, and having regard to those comments, Whereas : The Belgian Government decided to grant assistance through a regional body to an undertaking at Tournai manufacturing inter alia equipment for the food industry. The assistance took the form of a partici- pating interest of Bfrs 145 million in the capital of the undertaking by a regional public holding company and the granting of a 5 % interest-rate subsidy on a loan of Bfrs 19 600 000. After hearing of the decision to grant the aid, the Commission took the matter up with the Belgian Government in telexes sent on 22 July and 17 September 1982, in which it reminded the Govern- ment of its obligations under Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty to notify aid proposals in advance. The Govern- ment replied to the Commission’s request for informa- tion on 25 November 1982. The Commission decided to open the procedure provided for in Article 93 (2) of the EEC Treaty and by letter dated 7 January 1983 gave the Belgian Govern- ment notice to submit its comments. The Commission noted in the letter that the aid had already been implemented in disregard of the Article 93 (3} proce- dure. In its reply by letter dated 23 March 1983 the Belgian Government confirmed that the subscription of new capital had been decided on 23 June 1982. It argued, however, that the aid in the form of a 5 % interest-rate subsidy on the Bfrs 19 600 000 which had been decided on 6 May 1980, was too small to have an effect on competition and trade between Member States, and that in proposing to disallow the support of the company’s restructuring plans by the Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie (SRIW) because it was a public financing corporation, the Commission was discriminating against the SRIW by comparison with private financial groups. Two Member State Governments and two trade associations in the industry sent submissions stating that they shared the Commission’s concern about aid to the company. The two aid measures by the Belgian Government are liable to affect trade between Member States and to distort or threaten to distort competition within the meaning of Article 92 (1) of the EEC Treaty by favouring the firm in question and production of equipment for the food industry.