19.11.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 309/27 DECISIONS COMMISSION DECISION of 25 July 2012 on measure SA.23324 — C 25/07 (ex NN 26/07) — Finland Finavia, Airpro and Ryanair at Tampere- Pirkkala airport (notified under document C(2012) 5036) (Only the Finnish and Swedish versions are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2013/664/EU) 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 provisions cited above (1), Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE (1) In February 2005 the Commission received a complaint from Bluel Oy (Bluel’), a Finnish airline that is part of the SAS Group. Bluel alleged, among other things, that Ryanair Ltd (Ryanair) was receiving aid due to lower- than-average airport charges at Tampere-Pirkkala airport (TMP airport or ‘the airport). (20 The Commission requested Finland to provide further information in relation to the complaint by letters of 2 March 2005 and 23 May 2006. Finland replied by letters of 27 April 2005 and 27 July 2006. (3) By letter dated 10 July 2007 the Commission informed Finland of its decision to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 108(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (3) (the opening decision’) in respect of the agreement between Airpro Oy and Ryanair and the implementation of the low-cost strategy by () O] C 244, 18.10.2007, p. 13. () With effect from 1 December 2009, Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty have become Articles 107 and 108, respectively, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The two sets of provisions are identical in substance. For the purposes of this Decision, references to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU should, where appropriate, be understood as references to Articles 87 and 88, respectively, of the EC Treaty. The TFEU also introduced certain changes in terminology, such as the replacement of ‘Community’ by ‘Union’ and ‘common market’ by ‘internal market’. The terminology of the TFEU will be used throughout this Decision. Finavia and Airpro Oy at TMP airport. Finland provided its comments on the opening decision on 28 November 2007. (4)  The Commission’s decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (3). The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the measure in question within one month of the publication date. (5)  The Commission received comments on the subject from four interested parties (Ryanair, SAS Group, Air France and the Association of European Airlines). It transmitted these comments to Finland by letter dated 13 February 2008. Finland transmitted its comments on 15 April 2008. (6) By letter dated 25 June 2010 the Commission requested further information. Finland replied by letter dated 1 July 2010. By letter dated 5 April 2011 the Commission requested further information on the financing of the airport. Finland replied by letter dated 5 May 2011. However, Finland’s reply was incomplete. Therefore, the Commission sent a reminder pursuant to Article 10(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC Treaty (%). Finland replied by letter dated 15 June 2011. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURES AND GROUNDS FOR INITIATING THE PROCEDURE 2.1. Background to the investigation TMP airport (7)  TMP airport is located in Pirkkala, 13 kilometres south- west of the City of Tampere in southern Finland. It is the third largest airport in Finland (measured in number of passengers, see table in paragraph (10)). Besides handling civil aviation, the airport also serves as a base for the Finnish Air Force. () See footnote 2. () OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1.