30.3.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 90/79 COMMISSION DECISION of 6 December 2006 on State aid for research and development implemented by Belgium for Techspace Aero (notified under document number C(2006) 5799) (Only the French and Dutch versions are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2007/200/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 Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC Treaty ('), and in particular Article 7 thereof, Having regard to the Commission Decision of 22 June 2006 (?) initiating the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of aid C 28/2006 (ex NN 23/2004), Having called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to that Article, Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE (1) By letter of 13 February 2004, registered as received by the Commission on 18 February, Belgium notified the Commission of aid for research and development (R &D) to Techspace Aero. By letters of 23 December 2004, 1 July 2005 and 8 March 2006, registered as received by the Commission on 3 January 2005, 5 July 2005 and 13 March 2006 respectively, Belgium provided the Commission with further information. (2)  This notification was sent together with the notification of an aid scheme for research and development in the aircraft industry since the aid in question was granted under that scheme and individual notification was therefore required under point 4.7 of the Community framework on State aid for research and development (%) (R & D framework). This aid scheme has been examined individually as scheme No C 27/2006 (ex NN 22/2004). L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation ) No 1791/2006 (O] L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). (3 O] C 196, 19.8.2006, p. 16. C 45, 17.2.1996, p. 5. G) By letter of 22 June 2006, the Commission informed Belgium that it had decided to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the individual aid granted to Techspace Aero. By letter dated 11 September 2006, registered as received on the same date, Belgium submitted its comments to the Commission. By letter of 2 October 2006, the Commission asked Belgium for additional information, which was provided by letters of 23 and 24 November 2006, registered as received on the same dates. The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (*). The Commission called on interested parties to submit their comments. The Commission received no comments from interested parties. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE AID 2.1. Beneficiary Techspace Aero is a Belgian company that specialises in the manufacture of subassemblies for aircraft and spacecraft engines. According to the information on its website, the company is owned by the French group Safran (51 %), by the Walloon region (28,4 %), by the US firm Pratt & Whitney (19 %) and by Société Wallonne d'Investissement (1,6 %). In 2004 it employed 1 230 staff and had a turnover of EUR 271 million. Techspace Aero specialises in low-pressure compressors. It has taken part in numerous developments of major civil aircraft engines with integrators such as General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and the company SNECMA. (*) See footnote 2.