30.4.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L1121 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 19 January 2005 on the Rivesaltes plan and CIVDN parafiscal charges operated by France (notified under document number C(2005) 50) (Only the French text is authentic) (2007/253EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 88(2) thereof, Having given interested parties notice to submit their comments pursuant to that Article (), and having regard to those comments, Whereas: L PROCEDURE (1) Following a complaint, the Commission questioned the French authorities about the measures subject to this Decision by letters of 19 July 1999, 16 December 1999, 24 August 2000 and 9 December 2000. France replied to the Commission by letters of 19 August 1999, 24 February 2000 and 25 January 2001. The Commission met the French authorities on 26 January 2000 and a delegation of the inter-branch committee for natural sweet wines (CIVDN) on 31 March 2000. (2) Since the measures were applied without prior authorisa- tion from the Commission, they were entered in the register of non-notified aid under the number NN 139/2002. () OJ C 82, 5.4.2003, p. 2. (3) By letter dated 21 January 2003, the Commission informed France of its decision to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the Treaty in respect of the aid. (4) The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (%). The Commission called on the other Member States and interested parties to submit their comments on the aid in question. (5)  The French authorities sent their comments by letter of 16 and 18 June 2003. The Commission received comments from the complainant which it sent to the French authorities by letter of 6 August 2004. The French authorities replied by letter of 10 September 2004. IL DESCRIPTION 1. THE ‘RIVESALTES PLAN’ (6) In 1996, the CIVDN decided to set up a wine conversion project aiming to replace part of the production of natural sweet wines in the Eastern Pyrenees region by grubbing up and replanting with quality wine varieties, in order to remedy the structural crisis facing this product, demon- strated by regular collapses in outlets. The purpose of the aid was to finance improvements to the quality of the vine population in the region. The scheme was fully wound up on 1 August 2002. () See footnote on page 1.