27.9.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 268)25 COMMISSION DECISION of 21 December 2005 on State Aid C 26/05 (ex N 580/B/03) under the programme submitted by Sicily as part of the assistance scheme for growing citrus fruit in Italy (notified under document number C(2005) 5354) (Only the Italian version is authentic) (2006/641[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 called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to those provisions (1), Whereas: — ~ L PROCEDURE By letter dated 15 December 2003, registered on 16 December 2003, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union notified the Commission of a number of assistance measures for Italian citrus-fruit cultivation in accordance with Article 88(3) of the Treaty. By letter dated 20 January 2004, the Commission requested additional information on these measures from the Italian authorities. By letter dated 30 April 2004, the Commission, having received no response to its request for information of 20 January 2004, sent a reminder to the Italian authorities. By letter dated 24 May 2004, registered on 25 May 2004, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union sent the Commission a letter from the Italian authorities in which they requested an extension of the deadline for a reply to the questions asked in the letter of 20 January 2004. An extension was granted to the Italian authorities by letter dated 3 June 2004. By letter dated 30 June 2004, registered on 2 July 2004, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union sent the Commission the additional information which the Italian authorities had been requested to provide in the letter dated 20 January 2004. 0OJ C 256, 15.10.2005, p. 18. ) (10) (11) (13) The above-mentioned assistance consisted of an additional budget allocation for funding the measures approved under aid scheme N 313/01 (%) but, as indicated in the notifica- tion, part of that budget was to be used to finance measures to control citrus tristeza virus which had not been examined under aid scheme N 313/01. The Commission, having established that it had all the information necessary to examine the funding of the measures approved under that aid scheme N 313/01 but that it still did not have information on the measures to control citrus tristeza virus, decided, so as not to hinder the funding of the measures already approved, to divide the file into two parts: Part A for the funding referred to above and Part B for the measures to control citrus tristeza virus. Part A of the file was approved by the Commission (?). By letter dated 12 August 2004, the Commission asked the Italian authorities for additional information on part B of the file. By letter dated 27 September 2004, registered on 29 September 2004, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union sent the Commission the additional information which the Italian authorities had been requested to provide in its letter dated 12 August 2004. As the information provided by the Italian authorities was incomplete, the Commission requested a number of further details by letter dated 11 October 2004. By letter of 25 October 2004, registered on 27 October 2004, and by letter of 9 November 2004, registered on 15 November 2004, the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union sent the Commission the further details which the Italian authorities had been requested to provide in the letter dated 11 October 2004. As the information provided by the Italian authorities was still incomplete, the Commission again requested a number of further details by letter dated 23 November 2004. (®) See letter SG(2003) D/228423 dated 7.2.2003. () See letter SG(2004)-Greffe D[203509 dated 13.8.2004.