17.11.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 301/37 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 13 December 2000 on the State aid implemented by Germany for SKET Walzwerkstechnik GmbH (aid C 70/97 (ex NN 123/97)) (notified under document number C(2000) 4189) (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2001/798/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 the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and in particular Article 62(1)(a) thereof, Having called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to the provisions cited above and having regard to their comments, Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE By letter dated 16 November 1996 Germany notified restructuring aid for SKET Walzwerkstechnik GmbH, Magdeburg, to the Commission pursuant to Article 93(3) (now Article 88(3)) of the EC Treaty. By letter dated 27 November 1996 the Commission requested additional information. Germany replied by letters dated 13 January, 30 January and 7 March 1997. A meeting between the Commission and the German authorities was held on 1 July 1997 to discuss the case. As part of the aid had already been paid out, the case was regis- tered under number NN 123/97. On the basis of the information submitted by Germany, the Commission decided to initiate proceedings under Article 93(2) (now Article 88(2)) of the EC Treaty and to call on Germany to submit all the information necessary to assess the case as it had doubts as to the compatibility of the aid with the common market. The decision was communicated to Germany by letter dated 10 November 1997 (') and was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (*). The Commission changed the case number accordingly to C 70/97. In addition, interested third parties were invited to submit comments within a month of publication. On 6 February 1998, 27 May 1998, 19 January 1999, 1 February 1999, 11 March 1999, 24 June 1999, 19 July 1999, 9 September 1999, 20 October 1999, 17 January 2000 and 20 April 2000 Germany sent infor- mation in response to the initiation of proceedings. Moreover, two more meetings were held on 26 July 1999 and 21 October 1999 to give the German authori- ties the opportunity to discuss the case. No third party submitted comments. 2. THE FACTS SKET Walzwerkstechnik GmbH (SKET WT) is based in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1998, it had a workforce of [...] (*) and a turnover of approximately [..]* It designs and then arranges manufacture and installation of complete, custom-made steel rolling mills worldwide. It took over the engineering design activities of the failed conglomerate SKET SMM. (') Commission letter D(97) 9271. () O] C 118, 17.4.1998, p. 5. (*) Business secret.