L 383/70 Official Journal of the European Union 28.12.2006 COMMISSION DECISION of 12 October 2006 the United Kingdom’s application of the tax on non-domestic property to telecommunications infrastructure in the United Kingdom (No C 4/2005 (ex NN 57/2004, ex CP 26/2004) (notified under document number C(2006) 4378) (Only the English text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2006/951EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, — Broadband Stakeholders Group, received by letter Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular 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: L PROCEDURE On 17 February 2004, the Commission registered a complaint from Vtesse Networks Ltd (‘Vtesse), a UK telecommunications operator, concerning alleged preferen- tial tax treatment in favour of B T plc (BT’), the incumbent telecommunications operator in the United Kingdom. By letter dated 19 January 2005, the Commission informed the UK authorities that it had decided to initiate the formal investigation procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the measure at issue (‘decision to initiate the procedure’). The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 12 March 2005 (3. The Commission called on interested parties to submit their comments on the measure. Following the extension of the deadline, the UK authorities responded by letter of 4 April 2005 to the request for comments in the decision to initiate the procedure. The Commission received comments from the following interested parties: — AboveNet Communications UK Ltd. (‘AboveNet), received by letter dated 29 April 2005 —  Altnet Task Force (‘Altnet), received by letter dated 2 May 2005 () O] C 62,12.3.2005, p. 10. (3 See note 1. dated 13 May 2005 BT, received by letter dated 18 May 2005 Cable and Wireless Group plc. (‘Cable and Wireless'), received by letter dated 29 June 2005 Communications Management Association, received by letter dated 30 March 2005 Easynet Group Plc. (Easynet)), received by letter dated 3 May 2005 Gamma Telecom Ltd., received by letter dated 1 December 2005 Hutchinson Network Services UK Ltd. (‘Geo’), received by letter dated 6 May 2005 Global Crossing Ltd., received by letter dated 6 May 2005 GVA Grimley, received by letter dated 27 April 2005 Kingston Communications Plc, received by letter dated 29 April 2005 NTL Group Ltd., received by letter dated 29 April 2005 Telewest Broadband Ltd., received by letter dated 28 April 2005 Thus Plc., received by letter dated 4 May 2005 UK Competitive Telecommunications Association (UKCTA), received by letter dated 25 April 2005 Vanco Ltd., received by letter dated 19 April 2005 Viatel (UK) Ltd., received by letter dated 6 July 2005