2.2 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 26/29 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 19 July 1995 concerning aid for the operation of air routes granted under the Law of the Region of Sardinia of 20 January 1994 (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (96/110/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 the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and in particular Article 62 (1) (a) thereof, Having given the interested parties notice to submit their comments, in accordance with the abovementioned provi- sions, and in view of the fact that no comments were submitted, Whereas : By letter of 8 March 1994, the Italian authorities informed the Commission, in accordance with Article 93 (3) of the Treaty, of the aid scheme for the operation of third-level air services introduced by the Law of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia of 20 January 1994 (hereinafter ‘the Law of 20 January 1994). On 30 March 1994, the Commission sent the Italian authorities a request for further information to enable it to determine whether the aid scheme was compatible with the common market. The Commission’s request concerned the definition of the routes to and from Sardinia which may have received or may in future receive operating aid, the definition of routes which could have benefited under the Law of 20 January 1994, the possible application by the Italian authorities of certain provisions of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 of 23 July 1992 on access for Community air carriers to intra- Community air routes ('), (Articles 3 (2) and (4), 4 and 5) as amended by the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden which might restrict market access and lastly, the rules for the payment and calculation of the subsidies and the amount concerned. By letter dated 3 June 1994, the Italian authorities sent the Commission a memorandum from the Region of Sardinia which partly complied with the request for infor- mation of 30 March 1994. It stated that the Region had not in the past granted any aid to airlines, that a list of the routes which might receive aid under the scheme had not yet been drawn up, that the financial compensation concerned was available to all Community airlines meeting the requirements and, lastly, that the amount of the aid was limited by the budget allocated to it. No detailed information, however, was given as to the possible application of the restrictive provisions of Regu- lation (EEC) No 2408/92 on market access, in particular Article 4 which makes provision for public service obliga- tions, including where appropriate financial compensation to the operating companies, in particular in respect of regional routes with light traffic. Although a reminder was sent to the Italian authorities on 1 August 1994 con- cerning this last point, the Commission has not to date received the information requested. On the basis of the information in its possession, the Commission decided to initiate the Article 93 (2) proce- dure and informed Italy of its decision by letter of 17 January 1995. The letter gave the Italian Government notice to submit its comments to the Commission within one month, together with the information required by the Commission to pursue its examination of the matter. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (*), and other interested parties were invited to send their comments within one month of the date of () OJ No L 240, 24. 8. 1992, p. 8. () OJ No C 117, 12. 5. 1995, p. 2.