No L 102/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 4. 97 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 5 June 1996 concerning guarantees of the Land Brandenburg (Germany) for investment projects in Poland (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (97/257/BC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having regard to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and in particular Article 62 (1) (a) thereof, Having given notice to the parties concerned, in ac- cordance with the aforementioned Articles, to submit comments, and having regard to those comments, Whereas: M (2) By a communication dated 25 January 1995, the German authorities notified a Brandenburg guarantee scheme for investment projects in Poland (Richtlinien fiir die Ubernabme von Biirgschaften zur Teilfinanzierung von Vorbaben in der Repu- blik Polen durch die Biirgschaftsbank Branden- burg); by communications dated 28 March, 16 June and 10 August 1995, and at a meeting held in Bonn on 23 May 1995, the German authorities provided additional information. On 31 October 1995, the Commission decided to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 93 (2) of the EC Treaty. By letter dated 27 December 1995, the Commission informed the German Government thereof and requested it to submit its comments within one month. That letter was published in Official Journal of the European Commaunities No C 71 of 9 March 1996 as notice to the other Member States and interested parties to (6 submit any comments they might have on the measures in question within one month. By letter dated 29 January 1996, the German Government submitted detailed observations. Observations were also submitted by Du Pont de Nemours International SA on 9 April 1996. Those observations were submitted to the German Government for its comments by fax dated 22 April 1996. The other Member States did not react to the notice. II The guarantee programme is to run from 1995 to 1998 and offers guarantees worth a total of DM 20 million (ECU 10,5 million) per year. The German authorities expect to grant some 20 guarantees each year. The scheme is open to: — undertakings having their registered office or a place of business in Brandenburg, or — persons residing in Brandenburg, that wish to carry out projects in Poland (joint ventures, company start-ups), as well as to projects involving: — Brandenburg members of joint ventures with Polish entities, or — companies (Projektgesellschaften) formed in Poland by undertakings having a place of busi- ness in Brandenburg with a view to taking part in a joint venture. The guarantees are granted exclusively in the manufacturing and services industries, horticulture and the liberal professions.