17.3.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 78/21 COMMISSION DECISION of 7 December 2011 concerning compensation payments made by the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organisation (ELGA) in 2008 and 2009 (notified under document C(2011) 7260) (Only the Greek text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2012/157/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 invited interested parties to submit their comments, in accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 108(2) of the Treaty (1), Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) Following press reports which came to the Commission’s attention that the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organi- sation (ELGA’) intended to make compensation payments of EUR 425 million after protests by a large number of Greek farmers in January 2009 about their revenue losses in 2008 due to damage caused by adverse weather conditions, a bilateral meeting with the Greek authorities was held on 4 February 2009. Subsequently, the Permanent Representation of Greece to the European Union, by letter of 9 February 2009, supplied information regarding this measure. (20 The Commission asked for additional information by letter of 23 February 2009. By letter of 20 March 2009, the Greek authorities replied to the Commission that ELGA had taken out a loan for the compensation payments of EUR 425 million in question, as well as another loan of EUR 444 million, mainly to make payments to compensate producers for damage, in 2008, to crop and animal production due to causes covered by ELGA. (3)  The Commission asked for additional information by letter of 4 May 2009. The Greek authorities replied by () 0] C 72, 20.3.2010, p. 12. letter of 16 June 2009. By letter of 13 July 2009, the Commission informed the Greek authorities that the compensation of EUR 425 million for 2009 had been registered as an alleged case under CP 196/2009 and that the compensation of EUR 444 million paid in 2008 had, for the part concerning compensation for damage due to causes covered by ELGA, been considered to be unlawful aid within the meaning of Article 1(f) 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 (?) and had been registered under NN 39/09. (4)  Following the reply by the Greek authorities, dated 18 August 2009, the Commission asked for further information by letter of 14 September 2009. In that letter the Commission also informed the Greek auth- orities that as a result of the information they had supplied, ie. that the compensation of EUR 425 million for 2009 had been paid to the farmers concerned, those payments had also been registered as unlawful aid within the meaning of Article 1(f) of Regulation (EC) No 659/1999, also under NN 39/09. (5)  The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 20 March 2010 (}). The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the measures concerned. The Commission received comments from third parties which were forwarded to the Greek auth- orities on 6 May 2010. The Greek authorities sent their observations on the comments of the interested third parties on 21 July 2010. (6)  The Greek authorities provided additional information on the aid concerned by letters of 4 June 2010, 10 September 2010 and 14 September 2010. The Commission requested further information in a letter dated 17 November 2010. The Greek authorities replied by letter of 9 March 2011. (*) Subsequently Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty. On 1 December 2009 Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty were replaced by Articles 107 and 108, respectively, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. () OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1. () See footnote 1.