8. 10. 94 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 260/27 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 6 July 1994 concerning compensation in respect of the deficit incurred by TAP on the routes to the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira (Only the Portuguese text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (94/666/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 given notice in accordance with the above Article to interested parties to submit their comments and having regard to those comments, Whereas : By letter of 10 April 1992, registered on 13 April 1992, the Portuguese Government informed the Commission of its intention to settle an alleged accumulated debt of Esc 35140 964 000 owed to Transportes Aéros Portugueses SA (hereinafter referred to as ‘TAP’). By letter of 25 June 1992, registered on 26 June 1992, in response to a letter from the Commission of 28 May 1992, the Portuguese authorities provided information on the abovementioned operation and listed the criteria which should apply for compensating TAP’s losses on the routes to the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Autonomous Regions’) from 1992 onwards. The Commission requested further information by letters of 4 August and 16 December 1992, which the Portu- guese Government answered by letters of 28 October 1992 and 15 January 1993, registered on 30 October 1992 and 25 January 1993 respectively. On 11 January 1993 officials of the Commission’s Direc- torate-General for Transport responsible for State aid held a meeting in Brussels with representatives of the Portu- guese Civil Aviation Administration, TAP and the Portu- guese Permanent Representation. In March 1993 the Commission decided that the compensation in respect of the deficit incurred by TAP in the 1978-91 period was aid compatible with the common market pursuant to Article 92 (3) (a) of the Treaty, but opened the procedure with regard to future method for calculating compensation (hereinafter referred to as ‘the new method’). The Portuguese Government was informed of this decision by letter of 14 April 1993, which was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (), giving interested third parties the oppor- tunity to comment. The Portuguese authorities replied to the Commission’s letter by letter of 13 July 1993. The United Kingdom commented on the case, support- ing the Commission’s conclusions. These comments were transmitted to the Portuguese authorities which replied by () OJ No C 178, 30. 6. 1993, p. 2.