L 330/30 Official Journal of the European Union 18.12.2003 COMMISSION DECISION of 15 October 2003 concerning aid that the region of Sicily plans to grant in the citrus fruit sector (notified under document number C(2003) 3550) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (2003/884/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 88(2) thereof, Having given notice to the parties concerned to submit their comments in accordance with that Article, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE By letter dated 15 December 1999, registered on 20 December 1999, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union notified the Commission, pursuant to Article 88(3) of the Treaty, of Sicilian Regional Law No 22/1999, providing for emergency measures in the agricultural sector. The notification was registered under No 795/99. By letters dated 6 October 2000, registered on 9 October 2000, 1 February 2001, registered on 5 February 2001, and 30 July 2001, registered on 1 August 2001, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union provided the Commission with additional information on Regional Law No 22/1999 as requested by letters dated 23 February 2000, 20 November 2000 and 27 March 2001. By letter dated 25 September 2001 ("), the Commission informed Italy that it had decided to initiate the proce- dure provided for in Article 88(2) of the Treaty with regard to the aid provided for in Articles 1 to 6 of Regional Law No 22/1999. The procedure was registered under No C 65/2001. The Commission decision initiating the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Commu- nities (). The Commission invited interested parties to present their comments on the aid concerned. The Commission has received no comments from inter- ested parties. By letter dated 28 May 2003, registered on 4 June 2003, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union forwarded a letter from the Italian authorities asking for the aid provided for in Article 5 of () Letter SG(2001) D/260216. () 0J C 315, 9.11.2001, p. 12. (10) Regional Law No 22/1999 to be made the subject of a separate decision in view of its close relationship to aid provided for under a national aid scheme already authorised by the Commission (%). In response to the request, the Commission decided to split case C 65/2001 into two parts: part A concerning the aid provided for in Article 5 of Regional Law No 22/ 1999 and part B concerning the aid provided for in Arti- cles 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of that law. This Decision concerns solely part A of case C 65/2001, ie. solely the aid provided for in Article 5 of Regional Law No 22/1999. This Decision does not prejudice the decision that will be adopted concerning part B of the case. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE AID PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 5 OF REGIONAL LAW No 22/1999 Article 5 of Regional Law No 22/1999 authorises the Regional Minister for Agriculture and Forestry to contri- bute a maximum of ITL 10 billion (EUR 5 164 569) to the operations and assistance measures provided for in the national citrus cultivation plan. This funding is in addition to that already provided for in that plan for the region of Sicily. II. INITIATION OF THE PROCEDURE PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 88(2) OF THE TREATY The Commission initiated the procedure provided for in Article 88(2) of the Treaty for the following reasons: (@) in the letter forwarded by the Italian Permanent Representation on 30 July 2001, in reply to the Commission's request for information dated 27 March 2001, the Italian authorities stated that they had already forwarded all the information necessary for examining the aid provided for in Regional Law No 22/1999 and that they were not in a position to supply any further information. They therefore asked the Commission to adopt a decision on the aid concerned within two months in accordance with Article 4(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 659/ 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 (now Article 88) of the EC Treaty (*); (*) The national citrus cultivation plan authorised by the Commission in aid cases N 560/99 (letter SG(2000) D/103679 of 16 May 2000) and N 313/2001 (Decision C(2003) 369 final of 5 February 2003, notified to the Italian authorities by letter SG(2003) D/228423 of 7 February 2003). () OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1.