L 227/46 Official Journal of the European Union 19.8.2006 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 14 December 2004 on a German aid scheme for Bavarian machinery rings (notified under document number C(2004) 4771) (Only the German text is authentic) (2006/570[EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 88(2)(1) 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 in accordance with the Articles cited above (') and having regard to those comments, Whereas: [. PROCEDURE By letter of 31 January 2001 Germany notified the Commission of a measure in favour of Bavarian machinery rings. Additional information was provided by letter of 11 May 2001, registered on 16 May 2001, and by letter of 9 October 2001, registered on 11 October 2001. By letter of 9 October 2001 Germany informed the Commission that the measure dated back to 1970 and had not been notified before. The aid was therefore placed on the list of non-notified aid schemes. () O C 82, 5.4.2003, p. 12. () By letter of 7 February 2003, the Commission informed Germany that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of this measure. In its decision to initiate the formal investi- gation procedure the Commission stated that it had no objections to raise on one part of the measure (social assistance), since it fell within the scope of section 14 of the Community Guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector (?) (hereinafter the Guidelines) and was therefore compatible with the common market in accordance with Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty. The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (3). The Commission called on interested parties to submit their comments on this aid scheme. The Commission received comments from interested parties in letters of 29 April 2003 (registered on 2 May 2003), 5 May 2003 (registered on 6 May 2003) and 26 May 2003 (registered on 28 May 2003), and in an e-mail of 12 February 2003 (registered on 14 February 2003). Germany sent its comments to the Commission by letter dated 4 April 2003, registered on 8 April 2003. In a further letter of 29 August 2003 registered on 3 September 2003, Germany submitted its comments on the comments from interested parties. () O] C 28, 1.2.2000, p. 2. () See footnote 1.