L 48/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 20.2.2002 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 18 July 2001 on the State aid implemented by the Netherlands in favour of Valmont Nederland BV (notified under document number C(2001) 2231) (Only the Dutch version is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/142/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 comments pursuant to the provisions cited above (') and having regard to their comments, Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE In the spring of 1998 the Commission became aware of press articles alleging that between 1993 and 1995 municipalities had misused money of the province of North Brabant in various ways in order to attract companies (?). It requested information by letter of 1 April 1998 (D[51488). The Netherlands authorities replied by letter of 2 July 1998, registered as A/35148 on 6 July. The Commission asked for further informa- tion and reminded the Netherlands Government of these requests by letters of 29 October 1998 (D/54414), 21 December 1998 (D/55299), 31 March 1999 (D/51425), 2 August 1999 (D/63284), 6 September 1999 (Df 63682), 27 October 1999 (D/64481), 24 January 2000 (D/50335) and 30 August 2000 (D/54456). The Nether- lands authorities provided the requested information by letters of 19 January 1999 (registered as A/30448 on 19 January 1999), 23 August 1999 (registered as A[36473 on 25 August 1999), by e-mail of 29 November 1999 and by letters of 10 February 2000 (registered as Af () O] C 37, 3.2.2001, p. 44. (3 ‘Gedeputeerden werkten mee aan U-bocht’, Brabants Dagblad, 6 March 1998; ‘U-bocht rammelde flink’, Brabants Dagblad, 10 March 1998; ‘U-bocht strijdig met regels EU’, Brabants Dagblad, 10 March 1998. 31270 on 15 February 2000), 22 August 2000 (regis- tered as A[36991 on 24 August 2000) and 5 September 2000 (registered as A[37421 on 13 September 2000). At two meetings on 14 April 1999 and 23 May 2000 the Netherlands authorities provided further informa- tion. After being contacted by the parent company of the Netherlands recipient, the Vice-Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the United States House of Representatives intervened in the case. In his letter of 11 July 2000 to the Head of the Commis- sion Delegation in Washington and to the Netherlands Ambassador in the United States, he sought assistance in resolving the matter as the land sale at issue had been concluded six years previously, in 1994. The Commis- sion replied by letter of 11 August 2000, commenting on the need for control of State aid by the European Commission and stressing the importance of the prin- ciple that unlawful aid is recovered from the recipient by the competent authorities. By decision of 18 October 2000, the Commission initiated the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty with respect to the aid measures. By letter dated 7 November 2000 (D/108153), it informed the Netherlands of this decision. After asking for a two-week extension of the deadline (letter of 5 December 2000, registered as A[40420 on 11 December 2000), which was granted by letter of 18 December 2000 (D/56227), the Netherlands reacted to the decision by letter of 12 December 2000 (registered as A[30329 on 8 January 2001). The decision was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (*), inviting interested third parties to submit their comments on the aid. () O] C 37, 3.2.2001, p. 44.