6.5.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 111/45 COMMISSION DECISION of 11 December 2002 on the application by Portugal of the financial and tax aid scheme for the free zone of Madeira in the period between 1 January and 31 December 2000 (notified under document number C(2002) 4825) (Only the Portuguese text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/294/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 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 those Articles (!) and having regard to those comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE () When the Commission adopted the guidelines on national regional aid (?), it took the view, pursuant to Article 88(1) of the EC Treaty, that the gradual development and operation of the common market meant that a reassessment had to be carried out with the Member States of regional aid schemes in existence before the date of adoption of the guidelines so as to allow the establishment, from 1 January 2000, of a transparent and equitable system of regional aid for all Member States, based on full compliance with the guidelines. By letter SG(98) D[1684 of 24 February 1998, which set out appropriate measures pursuant to Article 88(1) of the Treaty in respect of national regional aid, the Commission proposed that the Portuguese authorities should amend all existing regional aid schemes which were in force on 1 January 2000, so as to make them compatible with the provisions of the guidelines as from that date. () OJ C 301, 21.10.2000, p. 4. () O] C 74, 10.3.1998, p. 9. ) By letter No 327 of 21 April 1998 from the Portuguese Permanent Representation, registered as received by the Commission on the same day, the Portuguese authorities requested an additional period of two weeks in which to submit their comments on the proposed appropriate measures. By letters No 409 of 4 June 1998 and No 423 of 10 June 1998 from their Permanent Representation, — registered as received by the Commission on 10 and 12 June 1998 respectively, the Portuguese authorities transmitted to the Commission a letter dated 29 May 1998 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs stating that the Portuguese Government agreed with the principles underlying the Commission’s action on regional aid and including certain comments on the guidelines on national regional aid. Since the letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs did not make it clear to the Commission that the Portuguese authorities agreed with the proposed appropriate measures mentioned above, by letter D[52552 of 18 June 1998, transmitted to the Portuguese Permanent Representation, and by letter D[53161 of 23 July 1998, transmitted to the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Commission asked the Portuguese authorities to confirm their agreement. By letter No 629 of 2 September 1998 from the Portuguese Permanent Representation, registered as received by the Commission on 7 September 1998, the Portuguese authorities transmitted to the Commission a letter dated 20 August 1998 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs stating that the financial and tax aid scheme for the free zone of Madeira (*) would expire on 31 December 2000, being subject to the appropriate measures for national regional aid. By letter D/53951 of 29 September 1998 to the Portuguese Permanent Representation, the Commission stated that, in view of the abovementioned letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, it considered that the Portuguese authorities had confirmed their agreement on the proposed appropriate measures. At the same time, it asked the Portuguese authorities either to give an assurance that the financial () State aid E 19/94, ex E 13/91 and N 204/86.