12.12.2009 Official Journal of the European Union L 32721 COMMISSION DECISION of 13 July 2009 concerning the reform of the method by which the RATP pension scheme is financed (State aid C 42/07 (ex N 428/06)) which France is planning to implement in respect of RATP (notified under document C(2009) 5505) (only the French text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2009/945/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 observations pursuant to the provisions (') cited above and having regard to their observations, Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE observations to France, giving it the opportunity to comment on them and received France’s comments by letter dated 3 April 2008. On 23 April 2008, the French authorities informed the Commission that in the autumn of 2007, the French Government had embarked on the reform of special public-sector pension schemes, and in particular the pension scheme for RATP staff. On 6 January 2009, the Commission asked the French authorities for additional information and received a reply from them by letter dated 3 March 2009. (1) By letter of 29 June 2006, France notified the 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE BENEFICIARY Commission of the reform of the method by which the o . ) RATP pension scheme is financed. It provided the (8)  The Régie Autonome des Trar‘lsport,s Parisiens (the Paris Commission with additional information by letters public transport operator, or RATP) is a French public dated 29 September 2006, 15 December 2006 and enterprise which is wholly owned by the French State. It 4 April 2007. was established by Law No 48-506 of 21 March 1948 on the reorganisation and coordination of passenger transport in the Paris region (°), its aim being to () By letter of 10 October 2007, the Commission informed LIRSl o R Lo iy France of its decision to initiate the procedure laid down ’ in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the measure notified (hereinafter ‘the decision to initiate the procedure). (9)  Under this Law, RATP's activities are limited to public transport in the Paris region. Under Article 7 of Law No (3)  The decision to initiate the procedure was published in 48-506 of 21 March 1948, RATP is responsible for the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 January operating the public transport networks in the City of 2008 (). Paris and the Department of Seine and the lines in Seine- et-Oise and Seine-et-Marne previously granted or leased to the Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain or the (4)  The French authorities sent their observations by letter Société des transports en commun de la région pari- dated 22 January 2008. sienne. This was confirmed by Order No 59-151 of 7 January 1959. (5 On 19 February 2008, the Commission received obser- () Journal Officiel de la République francaise, 26 March and 3 April 1948. (*) Article 2 of the amended Order No 59-151 of 7 January 1959 on the organisation of passenger transport in the Paris region (Journal Officiel de la République francaise, 10 January 1959), which amended the 1948 Law referred to above. vations from one interested party. It forwarded those () OJ C 9, 15.1.2008, p. 13. () See footnote 1.