1.3.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 55/65 COMMISSION DECISION of 16 October 2002 on the State aid implemented by Portugal for Opel Portugal Comércio e Inddstria de Veiculos (notified under document number C(2002) 3742) (Only the Portuguese text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2003/147[EC) 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 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 By letters dated 2 March, 10 April and 31 May 2001, the Portuguese authorities notified a plan to grant training aid and regional aid to Opel Portugal Comércio e Inddstria de Veiculos, SA (hereinafter Opel Portugal). The Commission requested further information on 19 July 2001 and the Portuguese authorities replied on 3 October. It carried out an on-site visit to the plant in Azambuja on 26 November 2001 and sent a request for further information on 30 November, to which the Portuguese authorities replied on 28 January 2002. The Commission decided on 27 March 2002 to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the Treaty (decision to open the formal investigation procedure) since it found that there were doubts as to the compat- ibility with the common market. Portugal submitted its comments on the opening of the procedure on 24 May 2002. The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Commu- nities (), with an invitation to interested parties to submit () O] C 151, 25.6.2002, p. 2. () See footnote 1. their comments on the aid. The Commission received comments from interested parties. It forwarded them to Portugal, which was given the opportunity to react; its comments were received by letter dated 30 May 2002. II. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE AID Opel Portugal is a subsidiary of the United States auto- motive group General Motors (hereinafter GM) that manufactures motor vehicles at its Azambuja plant, in the Lisbon region. The notified project concerns the production of a new small passenger and commercial vehicle, the Corsa Combo, based on the Opel Corsa plat- form. The vehicle, production of which started in 2001, replaces ageing models based on the old Corsa platform. Two distinct measures relating to training aid and regional aid are planned in favour of Opel Portugal. (a) Training aid The project The training project in question is Opel Portugal's voca- tional training programme for its workforce (the programme), which runs from 2000 to 2003. The Portu- guese authorities have provided the Commission with detailed information concerning the training to be provided and the costs involved. According to the information provided by the Portu- guese authorities, the programme includes 327 365 hours of training, of which 253 099 are general training and 74 266 specific training. The training is provided by Opel Portugal directly, as well as by other training insti- tutions accredited by the public body Inofor (Instituto para a Inovagdo na Formacdo).