23. 5. 86 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 136/55 I1 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 9 October 1985 on aids granted by the French Government to producers’ organizations in the . fisheries sector (Only the French text is authentic) (86/186/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular the first subpara- graph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3796/81 of 29 December 1981 on the common organization of the market in fishery products ('), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3655/84 (), and in particular Article 28 thereof ; Having given formal notice to the parties concerned to submit their comments in accordance with the provisions of the first subparagraph of Article 93 (2) of the Treaty, Taking the following considerations into account : NOTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE AIDS Procedure Under Article 93 (3) of the EEC Treaty, the French Government notified the Commission, by letters of 9 April 1981, 10 Jjuly 1981 and 13 April 1982 from its Permanent Representation to the European Communities, of its intention to grant certain aids to sea-fishing under- takings. These include aid for enhancing the value of production, involving aid for the storage of surpluses by () OJ No L 379, 31. 12. 1981, p. 1. () OJ No L 340, 28. 12. 1984, p. 1. deep-freezing, granted by the FIOM (Fonds d’'Intervention et d’Organisation des Marchés des Produits de la Péche Maritime et des Cultures Marines), and aid to support prices, which is also paid by the FIOM to producers’ organizations to compensate their members in part for the inadequate increases in producer prices. By letters of 20 January and 30 May 1984 from its Perma- nent Representation, the French Government also forwarded to the Commission a document on the organ- ization, financing, activities and intervention operations of the FIOM. These include aid measures to support the market such as the abovementioned aid for the storage of surpluses by deep-freezing and a measure benefiting producer organizations within the framework of an autonomous withdrawal price support system. Aid for storage of surpluses In some ways this aid measure is similar to storage aid as provided for in Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 3796/81. It is paid in the form of a premium per kilo- gram and only where the storage operations are covered by contracts between producers’ organizations and proces- sors : such contracts are either intervention agreements or supply contracts. The agreements relate to surpluses with- drawn from the market at the withdrawal price. In return for the aid, the processor undertakes to absorb and process species in quantities not exceeding those laid down in the agreement. The amount of aid is variable and fixed at a flat rate per species, prior to the intervention operation, by reference to the purchase price, the proces- sing and storage costs and the cost price of the processed product, but it cannot under any circumstances be more