L17/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 19.1.2001 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 20 September 2000 on the State aid implemented by France in the wine-growing sector (notified under document number C(2000) 2754) (Only the French text is authentic) (2001/52[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 called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to those provisions and having regard to those comments, Whereas: 1 PROCEDURE (1)  The French authorities notified an aid scheme for adapting the vineyards in Charentes by letter of 3 February 1999, recorded as recieved on 8 February 1999. Requests for further information were sent on 18 March and 14 July 1999. The French authorities replied by letters of 6 May and 28 July 1999. The Commission initiated the procedure provided for in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the above aid measure by letter No SG (99) D/8176 of 15 October 1999. The procedure was initiated in respect of three of the four measures initially notified by the French author- ities. The Commission raised no objections to the measure to supplement the grubbing premium. The decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities ('). The Commission called on the other Member States and interested parties to submit their comments on the aid in question. The Commission has received no comments () O] C 359, 11.12.1999, p. 7. from interested parties. The French authorities sent their comments by letter of 13 December 1999. On 12 March 1999 and 6 April 2000, without informing the Commission or awaiting completion of the investigation procedure, the French authorities adopted two decrees on the conditions for granting the aid for improving the vine population of wine-growing holdings in the Cognac region for the 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 wine years, respectively (2. The Commission again contacted the French authorities, by letter from the deputy Director-General for Agriculture of 31 May 2000, to inquire whether the supplement to national aid for improving the vine population had actually been implemented. It drew attention to Article 88(3) of the Treaty, which prohibits the implementation of State aid. It also mentioned the principle that aid which is not compatible with the common market is to be recovered. The French authorities sent the abovementioned legisla- tive texts by letter of 28 June 2000, implicitly confirming thereby that the measure had been adopted. DESCRIPTION The envisaged scheme continues the conversion of the vineyards in Charentes, currently used to produce cognac, to the production of other wines (local wines’). This scheme is a response to the crisis affecting the sector, which is resulting in a substantial accumulation of stocks. The conversion is to be effected through four measures intended to promote the production of wine for which there is consumer demand and reduce the volumes of cognac produced. (®) JORF, 11.4.1999 and JORF, 23.4.2000.