19.10.2002 Official Journal of the European Communities L 282/57 COMMISSION DECISION of 24 April 2002 on the State aid implemented by the Federal Republic of Germany for companies on the Worth Industrial estate (notified under document number C(2002) 1482) (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2002/784/[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 letter dated 28 September 2000, the Directorate- General for Competition sought information from Ger- many on the aforementioned aid measure; Germany replied on 8 November 2000. The Commission request- ed additional information on 10]January 2001; Germany replied on 30 January 2001. (2)  On 25 July 2001 the Commission decided to open the formal investigation procedure. By letters dated 16 August and 29 August 2001, Germany submitted its comments on the opening of the procedure. The Commission requested further information by letter dated 25 October 2001; Germany replied on 19 Novem- ber 2001. The Commission received comments on the opening of the procedure from the United Kingdom on 5 November and 19 December 2001. The comments were forwarded to the relevant departments in Germany which replied on 23 November and 28 January 2002. The Commission requested clarification of a number of matters from the () OJ C 280, 4.10.2001, p. 2. IL. (6) United Kingdom by letters dated 20 November 2001 and 16 January 2002. The United Kingdom replied by letters dated 19 December 2001 and 11 February 2002. DESCRIPTION OF THE BENEFICIARIES AND THE 1L ALLEGED AID MEASURE The district of Germersheim and the local regional development agency (Strukturentwicklungsgesellschaft fiir das Gebiet des Landkreises Germersheim mbH) have together set up a land development company (Industriepark Worth GmbH - IPW). The object of the company is to develop a new industrial park on an land adjoining a DaimlerChrysler production plant. IPW has invested DEM 6,6 million in the construction of commercial premises on the land, which are rented out to three automotive suppliers to DaimlerChrysler (MAGNA Seating Systems GmbH, Grammer AG, Fritz- meier Composite). Germany stated that the suppliers had not requested any investment aid. According to Germany, the rental prices on the industrial estate are DEM 9,00 per m? for production/storage areas and DEM 12,00 per m? for office premises. GROUNDS FOR INITIATING THE INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE The Commission had doubts as to whether the rental agreements between IPW and the suppliers correspond to ‘normal market conditions’. The fact that the district of Germersheim has a majority holding in IPW suggests that the suppliers were offered preferential conditions since the public shareholders in IPW naturally have an interest in attracting companies to the region. Moreover, it is assumed that the main objective of the [IPW project is to ensure that DaimlerChrysler suppliers move to the Worth industrial estate.