9.3.1999 L 60/61 Official Journal of the European Communities IT (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 20 May 1998 concerning State aid for the processing and marketing of German agricultural products which might be granted on the basis of existing regional aid schemes (notified under document number C(1998) 1712) (Only the German text is authentic) (1999/183/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, which applied or would continue to apply after 1 January 1996. Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 93(2) thereof, (3) The Commission also requested the German authorities (and the other Member States) pursuant to Article 93(1) to confirm within two months of the date of the said letter that they would comply no later than 1 January 1996 with the guidelines and appropriate measures in question by amending their existing aids, where such aids did not comply with the guidelines and appropriate measures. The Commission indicated that if it did not receive such confirmation, it would reserve the right to commence the procedure under Article 93(2) of the Treaty. Having given the parties concerned the opportunity to submit their comments, in accordance with the above- mentioned Article, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By letter SG(95) D/13086 of 20 October 1995, the Commission proposed to the Member States, pursuant to Article 93(1) of the Treaty, guidelines and appropriate measures for State aid in connec- tion with investments in the processing and marketing of agricultural products (') (hereinafter referred to as the ‘guidelines and appropriate meas- ures’). By the same letter, the Commission informed the German authorities (and the other Member States) that it would authorize no further aid measure for investment in the processing and marketing of agricultural products notified to it under Article 93(3) of the Treaty which did not comply with these guidelines and appropriate measures and () OJ C 29, 2. 2. 199, p. 4. In reply to the Commission letter of 20 October 1995, the German authorities, by letters of 11 January and 14 February 1996: (a) confirmed that with regard to sectoral aid, they would comply with the appropriate measures in question as from 1 January 1996, amending existing aid schemes if necessary; (b) stated that with regard to regional aid, more flexibility was needed on the appropriate meas- ures, given that conditions and agricultural structures in the Community varied from one region to another.