5. 11. 96 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 283/43 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 17 July 1996 concerning State aid that the City of Mainz, a local authority of the Federal Republic of Germany, has granted to Grundstiicksverwaltungsgesellschaft Fort Malakoff Mainz mbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Siemens AG/Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (96/631/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 92 and 93 thereof; Having given notice, in accordance with Article 93 (2) of the EC Treaty, to the other Member States and third parties concerned to submit their comments, Whereas: On 21 December 1994 the Commission, after having received detailed complaints from external sources, decided to initiate the procedure under Article 93 (2) of the EC Treaty with regard to a land-sale agreement between the City of Mainz and Grundstiicksverwaltungs- gesellschaft Fort Malakoff Mainz mbH & Co. KG, a real- estate holding of Siemens AG/Siemens Nixdorf Informa- tionssysteme AG. It concluded that the terms and condi- tions of the agreement might contain State aid elements incompatible with the common market. The German Gevernment was informed about the decision by letter dated 23 January 1995. The German authorities were requested to provide further information concerning the details of the case and to submit an expert valuation by the date of the sales contract of the site in question. On 19 April 1995, the German Government informed the Commission that such expert valuation was in preparation and that it would submit its comments in substance once the expert valuation was available. On 5 May 1995, the decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities ('), with the request to other Member States and other interested parties to submit their comments. No such comments were received. On 10 July 1995, the German Government submitted the expert valuation with some additional comments. On 9 October 1995, the case was, amongst other issues, the subject of a meeting between representatives of the Commission and the German Government. On 17 January 1996, the Commission transmitted a list of ques- tions concerning the details of the expert valuation, and in particular their calculation concerning the economic relevance of some provisions of the sales contract. By letter dated 18 March 1596, the German authorities proposed to discuss these questions in a meeting with representatives of the administration of the City of Mainz, the land valuers and representatives of the Commission. This meeting was held on 26 March 1996 in Bonn. It was agreed that the German authorities would submit addi- tional comments and information regarding the questions which could not be solved during that meeting in writing. The German Government sent its additional comments and information on 23 May 199%6. () OJ No C 113, 5. 5. 1995, p. 17.