L 296/60 Official Journal of the European Communities 30.10.2002 COMMISSION DECISION of 24 April 2002 on the State aid implemented by Belgium for the Beaulieu Group (Ter Lembeek International) (notified under document number C(2002) 1341) (Only the French and Dutch versions are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/825/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 88(2) 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 pursuant to the provisions cited above (') and having regard to their comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By Decision of 4 October 2000, notified to Belgium on 16 October 2000 (SG(D)2000/107549), the Com- mission terminated the Article 88(2) procedure in respect of some of the aid granted by Belgium to the Verlipack Group (2. By that same Decision, it revoked its Decision of 16 September 1998 (ref. SG(D)98/ 8769) (%) not to raise any objections to part of the aid. This was prompted by the fact that the Decision of 16 September 1998 was based on incorrect information provided in the course of the procedure which was of decisive importance in the decision. (2)  During its examination of the aid, the Commission was informed of other measures that might contain elements of state aid for the Verlipack Group and/or the Beaulieu Group. Since the case concerned new support from the Walloon Region, the Commission called on the Belgian State on 5 July 2000 to provide it with information that would enable it to assess the measures in the light of the rules applicable. (1) O] C 313, 8.11.2001, p. 2. (3 OJ L 320,5.12.2001, p. 28. (% 0] C29,4.2.1999, p. 13. (3)  After several reminders, the Commission decided to issue, by letter of 19 January 2001, a formal injunction to Belgium to supply the information that would enable it to assess the compatibility of the measures in favour of Verlipack and/or the Beaulieu Group with Article 87 of the Treaty. Only a few days before this injunction was notified, Belgium submitted its reply to the letter of 5 July 2000 by letter registered as received on 15 January 2001. (4 On 6 June 2001 the Commission decided to initiate the Article 88(2) procedure with regard to the aid. Belgium was informed by letter of 8 June 2001. After having requested additional time to reply, Belgium responded by letter received by the Commission on 26 July 2001. (5)  The publication of this letter in the Official Journal of the European Communities (¥) prompted a reaction from the Collectif de Défense des Travailleurs Licenciés de Verli- pack a Jumet et a Ghlin, an association of workers laid off at Verlipack’s Jumet and Ghlin plants, by letter of 3 December 2001 and from the United Kingdom Permanent Representation by letter of 7 December 2001. Belgium replied to the letter of 3 December 2001 by letter received by the Commission on 16 January 2002. II. BACKGROUND IL1. Developments within the Verlipack Group (6)  Until it was declared bankrupt on 18 January 1999, the Verlipack Group had been Belgium’s largest producer of hollow container glass (white or brown glass bottles or jars for the agri-foodstuffs industry), with a market share of 20 % in Belgium and 2 % in the Community. It employed 735 people at its plants at Ghlin, Jumet and Mol in 1996. (#) See footnote 1.