30.7.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 198/15 COMMISSION DECISION of 14 October 1998 concerning aid granted by Spain to companies in the Magefesa group and their successors (notified under document number C(1998) 3211) (Only the Spanish text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (1999/509/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 92 and the first subparagraph of Article 93(2) thereof, Having given notice to interested parties, in accordance with the above provisions, to submit their comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE On 16 July 1997 the Commission, after receiving seven complaints in February 1997, decided to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 93(2) of the Treaty in connection with aid received since 1989 by companies in the Magefesa group or the companies which were their successors. (In 1989 the Commission adopted Decision 91/1/EEC (1), in which it found that aid received by the group, which manufactures household goods, was incompatible with the common market.) On the same date, the Commission asked the Spanish Government for detailed information on the reimbursement of incompatible aid received by companies in the Magefesa group or their successors and on the group's present structure and its legal and financial situation. In accordance with Article 93(2) of the Treaty, the Commission asked the Spanish Government by letter of 6 August 1997 to submit its comments within a month. The other Member States and third parties were informed in the Official Journal of the European Communities () of the decision to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 93(2) of the Treaty, and were invited to submit their comments. The Spanish authorities responded by letter of 12 November 1997 to the initiation of the procedure, providing comments and information. () OJLS,8.1.1991, p. 18. () 0J €330, 1.11.1997, p. 2. Two competitors and the trade unions of the company Industrias Domésticas SA (Indosa) submitted their comments by letters dated 28 November 1997. These were passed on to the Spanish authorities for their comments by letters dated 17 and 23 December 1997 and 9 January 1998. The Spanish authorities did not submit comments. The receiver responsible for Indosa, one of the companies which received aid declared incompatible in 1989 and more recent aid, submitted its comments by letter of 27 November 1997. The substance of these comments was incorporated as an annex in the Spanish Government's abovementioned letter of 24 April 1998. As the Commission took the view that some issues remained which had not been clarified by the Spanish authorities' response to the initiation of the procedure, the latter were sent a further request for information by letter of 24 February 1998. With the abovementioned letter of 24 April 1998, the Spanish authorities provided a complex document including numerous annexes in support of the information supplied. II. STRUCTURE OF THE GROUP The Magefesa group(’) and its successors manufacture household goods such as pressure cookers, saucepans and stainless steel cutlery. The group's structure may be represented as follows: () — Grupo Magefesa includes the main company, Manufacturas Generales de Ferreterfa (hereinafter referred to as ‘Magefesa’), the industrial companies Cuberta del Norte SA (Cunosa), Manufacturas Inoxidables Gibraltar SA (Migsa), Indosa, Investigacion y Dessarrollo Udala SA and Las Mimosas SA (Inlamisa), through which Magefesa holds a stake in Edificios y Naves Industriales, SA (Enisa) and Tefal Espafiola SA; — Grupo Licasa, which includes La Industrial Cuchillerfa Alavesa SA, Licasa Patrimonial SA Manufacturas Gur SA (Gursa), Alberdi Hermanos SA (Albersa) and Licasa Industrial SA; — similarly, various companies within the group (Magefesa, Cunosa, Gursa, Migsa, Indosa) formed a commercial group, Agrupacién de Empresas ‘Magefesa, through which they bought their raw materials and marketed their products.