7.9.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 239/35 II (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 23 May 2001 authorising France to grant aid to the coal industry for 2001 (notified under document number C(2001) 1481) (Only the French text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2001/678/ECSC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, () Having regard to Commission Decision No 3632/93/ECSC of 28 December 1993 establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (1), and in particular Article 9(4) thereof, Whereas: I (1) By letter of 6 March 2001, France notified the Commis- sion, in accordance with Article 9(1) of Decision No 3632/93/ECSC, of the financial aid it proposes to grant to the coal industry for 2001. (2) In accordance with Decision No 3632/93/ECSC and having regard to the information sent by France, the ) Commission is required to take a decision on the following financial aid: — aid for the reduction of activity amounting to FRF 2090 million to cover operating losses for 2001, — aid for the reduction of activity amounting to FRF 210 million. This aid is intended to cover the interest due for 2001 on the part of the loan issue floated by Charbonnages de France in 1997, 1998 and 1999 to cover the balance of the losses for those (5) years which are not covered by direct subsidies and capital injections, — aid to cover exceptional losses for 2001 amounting to FRF 4 213 million. The financial measures envisaged by France for its coal industry are covered by Article 1 of Decision No 3632/ 93/ECSC and must therefore be approved by the Commission in accordance with Article 9(4), which refers in particular to the general objectives and criteria laid down in Article 2 and the specific criteria set out in Articles 4 and 5 of the Decision. In its assessment, the Commission checks, in accordance with Article 9(6) of the Decision, whether the measures are in conformity with the plans for the reduction of activity which were approved by the Commission in its Decision 95/465/ ECSC (). II The sum of FRF 2090 million which France is proposing to grant to the coal industry under Article 4 of Decision No 3632/93/ECSC is intended to cover the difference between the production cost and the selling price of coal freely agreed between the Contracting Parties in the light of the prevailing conditions on the world market for coal of similar quality from third countries. This aid forms part of the plan for the reduction of activity by the company, which plans to cease all mining activities by 2005. Coal production was cut from 4,9 () O] L 329, 30.12.1993, p. 12. () O] L 267, 9.11.1995, p. 46.