15.1.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 12/1 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 12 July 2000 on the state aid granted by France to Scott Paper SA Kimberly-Clark (notified under document number C(2000) 2183) (Only the French text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/14/[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 given notice to the parties concerned to submit their comments in accordance with the said Article (*) and having regard to those comments, Whereas: ) 1. PROCEDURE Following publication by the French Cour des Comptes (Court of Auditors) in November 1996 of the special public report entitled ‘Local authority assistance for firms' (3), the Commission received by letter dated 23 December 1996 a complaint concerning the preferential terms on which the Ville d'Orléans (the city council) and the Conseil Général du Loiret (the county council) (together referred to as ‘the local authorities’) had sold 48 ha of the La Saussaye industrial estate to the United States company Scott Paper, a manufacturer of household and sanitary paper. By letter dated 17 January 1997, the Commission requested further information from the French () O] C 301, 30.9.1998, p. 4. (®) ‘Les interventions des collectivités territoriales en faveur des entreprises’, Cour des Comptes, Paris, November 1996. authorities. By letter dated 14 February 1997, the French authorities requested a further extension of 15 days, which the Commission granted on 3 March 1997. By letter dated 19 March 1997, the French authorities supplied some of the information requested. Because the information was not complete, however, the Commission renewed its request in a letter dated 26 March 1997, to which the French authorities replied in part by letter dated 21 April 1997. In the same letter, they requested a further extension of 20 days, which the Commission granted on 2 May 1997. On 3 June 1997 the Commission received the supplementary information requested. On 8 August 1997 it once more asked the French authorities to clarify certain matters. It sent them reminders on 24 September and 24 October 1997. The French authorities provided additional information on 3 November 1997, which was communicated to the complainant on 17 November 1997. By letter dated 8 December 1997, the complainant provided further information, to which the Commission's services replied on 6 January 1998. The last additional information from the complainant reached the Commission on 29 January and 1 April 1998. On 20 May 1998 the Commission decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the measures, in view of the doubts it still had about the circumstances in which the French authorities had acted in regard to Scott Paper and the compatibility of those measures with the Treaty. By letter dated 10 July 1998 (SG(98) D[5663) the Commission informed the French authorities of this decision.