L 279/40 Official Journal of the European Union 12.10.2012 COMMISSION DECISION of 21 March 2012 on the measure SA.31479 (2011/C) (ex 2011/N) which the United Kingdom plans to implement for Royal Mail Group (notified under document C(2012) 1834) (Only the English text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2012/542[EV) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 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 provision(s) cited above () and having regard to their comments, Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE On 10 June 2011, after informal (pre-notification) contacts with the Commission, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the ‘United Kingdom’) notified a series of measures (see section 2.3) in favour of Royal Mail Group (RMG). By letter dated 29 July 2011, the Commission informed the United Kingdom that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 108(2) of the Treaty in respect of the notified measures in question. The Commission Decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2). The Commission called on interested parties to submit their comments. By letter dated 9 August 2011 the United Kingdom requested an extension of the deadline to respond until 14 September 2011, which was granted by the Commission by letter of 11 August 2011. The United Kingdom transmitted its observations on 8 September 2011. The Commission received the following comments from interested parties: — 5 October 2011 UK Mail — 6 October 2011 Communication Workers Union — 6 October 2011 UPS — 7 October 2011 Deutsche Post (") The initiation of proceedings was announced in OJ C 265, 9.9.2011, p. 2. () See footnote 1. (10) (11) — 7 October 2011 DX Group — 7 October 2011 Mail Competition Forum — 7 October 2011 TNT — 7 October 2011 Free Fair Post Initiative — 9 October 2011 Secured Mail. The comments received from interested parties were forwarded to the United Kingdom on 12 October 2011. The United Kingdom submitted its observations on the comments by letter registered on 16 November 2011. On 22 August 2011 the Commission sent an information request to the United Kingdom, to which it replied by letter of 14 September 2011. A meeting with UK authorities, RMG and its bankers took place on 20 September 2011 in which the latter provided more detailed information on the notified restructuring plan. The Commission held several other meetings with the UK authorities on 12 October 2011, 10 and 23 November 2011 and 12 January 2012 to discuss the case. The United Kingdom submitted several pieces of additional information by e-mail or letter dated 30 September 2011, 20 October 2011, 7, 11, 18, 20, 28 and 30 November 2011, 6 December 2011 and 14 February 2012. The United Kingdom authorities submitted final updates to the notification and clarifications on the restructuring plan on 17 February 2012. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURES 2.1. Context: liberalisation of the UK postal sector The United Kingdom places the notified measures in the context of its wider policy for postal services and underlines the strategic importance of RMG to ensure the permanent provision of universal postal services.