L 352/10 Official Journal of the European Union 27.11.2004 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 30 March 2004 on the State aid scheme put into effect by Italy providing for urgent measures to assist employment (notified under document number C(2004) 930) (Only the Italian version is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2004/800/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first subparagraph of Article 88(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: 2 1. PROCEDURE By letter dated 12 February 2003 (recorded as incoming mail under number A/31217 on 14 February 2003), the Italian authorities notified, pursuant to Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty, an aid scheme providing for urgent measures to assist employment. The measure was put into effect before the Commission had given its approval, and it was therefore registered as an unlawful aid measure under the number NN 7/03. By letter dated 12 March 2003 the Commission asked for further information. After a request for an extension () OJ C 308, 18.12.2003, p. 5. of the deadline had been accepted by the Commission, Italy submitted additional information by letter dated 20 May 2003. By letter dated 16 October 2003, the Commission informed Italy that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the Treaty in respect of the scheme. The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union(?). The Commission invited other interested parties to submit their comments on the measure. No such comments were received. Italy submitted comments by letter dated 22 December 2003. The Commission asked for further information by letter dated 19 January 2004, to which Italy replied by letter of 11 February 2004. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE AID The aim of the scheme is to safeguard jobs in firms in financial difficulty which are in a form of insolvency proceeding known as ‘special administration’ (amminis- trazione straordinaria) and which have more than 1 000 employees. The legal basis of the scheme is Decree-law No 23 of 14 February 2003, which was converted into statute by Act No 81 of 17 April 2003. () See footnote 1.