No L 114/26 Official Journal of the European Communities 8. 5. 96 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 31 October 1995 concerning aid to French pig farmers in the form of a guarantee — StaBiporc adjustment fund (Only the French text is authentic) (96/297/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organization of the market in pigmeat ('), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 3290/94 (3, and in particular Article 21 thereof, Having, in accordance with Article 93 (2) of the EC Treaty, given notice to the parties concerned to submit their comments (%), Whereas: 1 1. By letter dated 19 April 1993, recorded on 20 April 1993, the French Permanent Representative to the European Communities notified the Commission of the relaunch of the Stabiporc adjustment fund, in reply to the request made by the Commission on 9 March 1993. 2. On 16 February 1994, the Commission decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 93 (2) of the EC Treaty with regard to the measures financed from public funds through the Office national interprofes- sionnel des viandes, de I'élevage et de Ilaviculture () OJ No L 282, 1. 11. 1975, p. 1. () O] No L 349, 31. 12. 1994, p. 105. () O) No C 311, 8. 11. 1994, p. 5. (Ofival — National Bureau for the Meat, Livestock and Poultry Trade), for the following reasons: — the measures are identifiable as aid in the form of advances at a reduced rate of Pibor interest (Paris interbank offer rate ‘12 months’ +0,5 %). The advances bear an interest rate lower than the normal market rate and must therefore be consi- dered as operating aids producing no long-term structural improvements in the sector concerned, — there was no guarantee of full or part repayment of the cash advances made to pig farmers from the funds made available by Ofival, — the adjustment mechanism was in breach of the rules of the common organization of the market in pigmeat, — the Commission had no information on other agreements between Stabiporc on the one hand and various banking institutions (Caisse nationale de crédit agricole CNCA, Crédit Mutuel) and the solidarity fund for cereal growers and stock farmers (Unigrains), on the other hand. . After examining the comments received from other interested parties and from France, the Commission adopted a final negative decision with regard to the measures referred to in point 2 (Case C 8/94) and asked France to abolish the aid in question and to recover the aid already paid (). () OJ No L 335, 23. 12. 1994, p. 82.