L 265/8 Official Journal of the European Union 8.10.2013 DECISIONS COMMISSION DECISION of 17 July 2013 on State aid SA.33412 (12/C) (ex 11/N) which Italy is planning to implement for the development of logistics chains and the upgrading of intermodality (notified under document C(2013) 4392) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2013/487[EV) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 108(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 (1), Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE By electronic notification of 27 July 2011 the Italian authorities notified the Commission, in accordance with Article 108(3) TFEU, of their intention to modify an aid scheme aimed at encouraging the transfer of heavy goods vehicles from road to sea. This notification was registered under case number SA.33412. A meeting took place between the Commission and Italian representatives on 14 September 2011. Following this meeting, the Commission requested additional information on the notified change on 23 September 2011, 9 December 2011, 7 March 2012 and 16 May 2012. The Italian authorities provided the requested information on 19 October 2011, 9 November 2011, 11 January 2012, 19 March 2012 and 12 June 2012. By letter dated 25 July 2012, the Commission informed Italy that it had decided to initiate the formal investi- gation procedure laid down in Article 108(2) TFEU in respect of the modification of the scheme for the devel- opment of logistics chains and the upgrading of inter- modality. () OJ C 301, 5.10.2012, p. 49. S The Commission decision to initiate the procedure (‘the opening decision’) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (}). The Commission called on interested parties to submit their comments. Italy submitted its comments on the opening decision by letter dated 9 August 2012. By letters dated 15, 30 and 31 October 2012 interested parties submitted their comments on the opening decision. The Commission forwarded those comments to Italy on 19 December 2012 to give it the opportunity to react. Italy’s comments were received by letter dated 16 January 2013. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURES 2.1. Background The measure provides for the modification of a State aid scheme aimed at supporting the modal shift of heavy goods vehicles from road to sea. Subsidies will be granted to road haulage companies which make use of existing or new maritime routes instead of road transport. The initial aid scheme was authorised by the Commission on 20 April 2005 for a three year period between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2009 (hereinafter ‘the 2005 decision’) (3). Under that scheme, road haulage companies receiving aid were required to maintain the same number of journeys or the same quantity of goods transported during the subsidised period for an additional three years after the expiry of the scheme (%). (?) See footnote 1. () State aid N 496/2003 (O] C 79, 1.4.2006, p. 26). (#) See recitals 7, 21, 28 and 29 of the 2005 decision.