1.6.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 144/49 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 12 March 2002 on the State aid implemented by Spain for producers of cows' milk considered to be priority producers (notified under document number C(2002) 905) (Only the Spanish text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/411/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 88(2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in milk and milk products (') as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1670/2000 (3, and in particular Article 37 thereof, Having called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to the Article cited above (%), Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By means of a complaint, the Commission was informed that Spain had implemented an aid for the purchase of reference quantities by producers of cows' milk. By letters dated 27 January 1999 and 23 May 2000, Spain provided the Commission with further information. (2) By letter dated 2 February 2001, the Commission informed Spain that it had decided to initiate the proce- dure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the aid. (") OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 48. This Regulation replaces Regulation (EEC) No 804/68, applicable at the time the aid was paid. Article 23 of Regulation (EEC) No 804/68 laid down that Articles 87 and 88 (former Articles 92 and 93) of the Treaty were applicable to the sector. () O] L 193, 29.7.2000, p. 10. () O] C 87, 17.3.2001. (3)  The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Communi- ties (). The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the aid. (4 The Commission received no comments from interested parties. (5) By letter dated 11 June 2001, Spain sent a series of comments. II. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE AID (6)  Title, scheme: aid for the purchase of milk quotas. (7)  Budget: the planned budget for 1998 was ESP 40 million (EUR 240 404,84). (8)  Duration: the aid scheme was to apply for the 1998/ 1999 milk year, although it was suspended on 31 December 1998 pending the Commission Decision on compatibility with the Treaty. (9 Recipients: producers of cows' milk falling within the categories of livestock farmers considered to be priority producers for the purposes of allocating reference quan- tities from the national reserve in accordance with Royal Decree No 1888/1991 of 30 December 1991 estab- lishing a plan for the reorganisation of the milk and milk products sector (°). (*) See footnote 3. (’) Boletin Oficial del Estado No 2, 2.1.1992, p. 84.