L176/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 5.7.2002 II (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 9 April 2002 concerning the use of State aid to the French coal industry for 1994 to 1997 (notified under document number C(2002) 1329) (Only the French text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/541ECSC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, in particular Article 4(c) thereof, Having regard to Commission Decision No 3632/93/ECSC of 28 December 1993 establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (!), Having invited the interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to Article 88 of the ECSC Treaty (3, and having regard to those comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) On 26 August 1997, five French undertakings, Thion & Cie, Maison Balland Brugneaux, Société Nouvelle Vinot Postry, Etablissements Lekieffre, and Charbogard (the complainants) submitted a complaint to the Commission about the undertaking Charbonnages de France. (2)  The complaint concerns the alleged misuse of State aid which France grants on an annual basis to Charbonnages de France, after authorisation by the Commission, in the framework of Decision No 3632/93/ECSC. It is alleged that the Charbonnages de France group is selling coal at a price generally lower than that on the world market, thus precluding all competition. This price is allegedly made possible only by making use, for unauthorised purposes, of State aid granted by France to Charbon- nages de France to support its coal production. According to the complainants, this practice distorts competition on the French market in imported coal intended for the industrial, residential and tertiary sectors. The complainants base their argument more particularly on the provisions of Decision No 3632/93/ECSC. () O] L 329, 30.12.1993, p. 12. () O] C 99, 10.4.1999, p. 9.