20.9.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 252/17 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 20 May 2008 on State aid implemented by France for building the cruise vessel Le Levant (C 74/99 (ex-NN 65/99)) (notified under document number C(2007) 5419) (Only the French text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2008/746[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 regard to Council Directive 90/684/EEC  of 21 December 1990 on aid to shipbuilding (') and in particular Article 4(7) thereof, Having called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to the provisions cited above (3) and having regard to their comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) On learning of the aid which is the subject of this decision, the Commission initially asked the French auth- orities for information by letters dated 2 December 1998 and 4 June 1999. The French authorities submitted () OJ L 380, 31.12.1990, p. 27. () 0] C 33, 5.2.2000, p. 6, and O] C 23, 1.2.2007, p. 28. @) () () (0) (0) comments by letters dated 12 May 1999 (A/33645) and 19 August 1999 (A[36449). In the light of this information, by decision of 2 December 1999 (), the Commission initiated the formal investigation procedure provided for in Article 88(2) of the Treaty in respect of certain aid granted for building the cruise vessel Le Levant. Following this decision, the French authorities submitted observations by letters dated 12 January 2000 (A[30357), 14 June 2000 (A[34964), 30 April 2001 (A[33440) and 11 June 2001 (A[34609). The Commission also received comments from an interested party, Compagnie des Iles du Levant (hereinafter referred to as CIL), which were forwarded to the French authori- ties and to which they replied. The proceedings culminated in Commission Decision 2001/882EC of 25 July 2001 on the State aid im- plemented by France in the form of development assistance for the cruise vessel ‘Le Levant, built by Alstom Leroux Naval for operation in Saint-Pierre-et- Miquelon (#), by which the Commission found the aid incompatible with the common market and called on France to ‘take all necessary measures to discontinue and recover [the aid] from the investors, as the direct beneficiaries and current owners of the cruise vessel'. C 33, 5.2.2000, p. 6. L 327, 12.12.2001, p. 37.