7.8.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 199/17 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 21 July 2003 on the fulfilment of the conditions laid down in Article 3 of Decision No 3/2002 of the EU-Poland Association Council of 23 October 2002 extending the period set in Article 8(4) of Protocol 2 on European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) products to the Europe Agreement (2003/588/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Article 87(3)(e) thereof, Having regard to EU-Poland Association Council Decision No 3/2002 extending the period set in Article 8(4) of Protocol 2 on European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) products to the Europe Agreement, and in particular Article 3 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: (1) A Europe Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Poland, of the other part ('), was signed on 16 December 1991. (2)  Article 8(4) of Protocol 2 to the above Europe Agree- ment lays down that during the first five years after entry into force of the Agreement, and by derogation from paragraph 1(iii) of the same Article, Poland may exceptionally, as regards steel products, grant public aid for restructuring purposes, provided that this leads to the viability of the benefiting firms under normal market conditions at the end of the restructuring period, that the amount and intensity of such aid are strictly limited to what is absolutely necessary in order to restore viabi- lity and that the aid is progressively reduced, and that the restructuring programme is linked to a global ratio- nalisation and reduction of overall production capacity in Poland. () OJ L 348, 31.12.1993, p. 2. 3) The initial period of five years expired on 31 December 1996. Poland requested an extension of the abovementioned period in April 1997. It is appropriate to grant an extension of this period for an additional period of eight years starting on 1 January 1997 or until the date of Poland's accession to the European Union, whichever comes first. To this effect, on 23 October 2002, the EU-Poland Association Council adopted Decision No 3/2002 and it is provisionally applied from that date. Atrticle 1 of EU-Poland Association Council Decision No 3/2002 granted an extension of the abovementioned period, subject to the fulfilment of conditions laid out in Articles 2 and 3. Under Article 2 of EU-Poland Association Council Deci- sion No 3/2002 the extension of the abovementioned period is made conditional on the submission by Poland to the Commission of a restructuring programme and business plans for all companies included in the restruc- turing process which meet the requirements of Article 8(4) of Protocol 2 to the Europe Agreement and have been assessed and agreed by its national State aid moni- toring authority (the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection).