24.3.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 77/57 COMMISSION DECISION of 16 October 2002 on the scheme by which Italy plans to aid employment in the Region of Sicily C 56/1999 (ex N 668/1997) (notified under document number C(2002) 3738) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/195/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 88 of the EC Treaty (1), Having called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to the provisions cited above (), Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By letter No 6307 of 19 September 1997, the Italian authorities notified the Commission, in accordance with Article 88(3) of the Treaty, of Article 11(1) of Sicilian Regional Law No 16 of 27 May 1997 (Regional Law No 16/97). The Law was to enter into force subject to the Commission's prior authorisation under Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty. The scheme was accordingly entered in the register of notified aid under number N 668/1997. (2)  The Commission requested additional information in letters dated 24 October 1997 and 1 April 1998, and the Italian authorities replied by letter of 11 May 1999. (3) By letter dated 10 August 1999, the Commission informed Italy that it had decided to initiate the () OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1. (3) 0] C 27, 29.1.2000, p. 13. procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the aid. (4)  The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (}). The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the aid. (5)  On 15 February 2000 a meeting took place in Brussels between the Commission departments and the Italian authorities in the course of which the Italian authorities stated that they intended to submit comments on the decision to initiate the procedure in this case as soon as the Court of Justice had delivered judgment on Italy's application for the annulment of Commission Decision 2000/128/EC of 11 May 1999 concerning aid granted by Italy to promote employment (*). That Decision declared that a scheme of assistance towards the hiring of employees under training and work experience contracts, and the conversion of those contracts into open-ended contracts, was incompatible with the Community rules. (6)  On 7 March 2002, by its Judgment in Case C-310/99 Italy v Commission (°) the Court of Justice dismissed Italy's application. (7) In the case at issue here the Commission received no comments from interested parties. (8) By letter of 24 June 2002, the Commission told the Italian authorities that if it did not receive information or observations within twenty days of the date of that letter it would take a decision on the basis of the information in its possession. (%) See footnote 2. (%) OJ L 42, 15.2.2000, p. 1. (°) Not yet reported.