9. 8. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 218/19 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION " COMMISSION DECISION of 4 February 1988 amendlng Decision 86/614/EEC authorizing Greece to take certain safeguard measures under Article 108 (3) of the EEC Treaty (Only the Greek text is authentic) (88/438/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 108 (3) thereof, . Whereas : Commission Decision C/85/1344, which was notified to the Greek Government on 13 August 1985, ordered Greece to abolish the export aid provided for by Decision 1574/70 of the Greek Monetary Committee as amended by Decision 350/82; Commission Decision 85/594/EEC (*) authorized Greece to take certain safeguard measures under Article 108 (3) of the EEC Treaty ; among other things it authorized Greece to continue to grant until 31 December 1986 the export aid provided for by the said Decision at a rate no higher than 26,4 % of the fob price; Commission - Decision  86/614/EEC ()  amending Commission Decision 85/594/EEC required Greece to reduce by 40 % the rate of aid applied previously to allow for the effects of the introduction of VAT and to phase out the remaining 60 % of the said export aid in four equal annual steps beginning on 1 January 1987, so that the maximum rate of aid for 1987 was 11,88 % of the fob price ; Atticle 3 of the Decision 86/614/EEC provided'that the Commission was to reduce or exclude all aid should evidence be presented to it which, upon examination and () OJ No L 373, 31. 12. 1985, p. 9. () OJ No L 357, 18. 12. 1986, p. 28. after consultation with the interested parties, showed that the grant of Greek export aid to any particular sector was causing or threatened to cause major changes in traditional trade flows and that the changes were causing or threatening to cause serious material injury in an- established industry in other Member States to a degree contrary to the common interest. I In March 1983 a Dutch firm producing candied fruit peel (NIMEXE 20.04-30) first complained to the Commission that Greek export aid in their sector had reached 32 % of the fob price, causing an extremely severe distortion of competition in the common market. Over the years, on numerous occasions, these complaints continued. On 29 April 1987 this complainant, joined by the Dutch Fruit and Vegetable Processing Industry Association and, in particular, the Preserved Fruit Manufacturers section, asked the Commission to apply Article 3 of Decision .- 86/614/EEC and exclude all aid to the Greek preserved fruit industry. The first complainant is the biggest of four small Dutch producers of candied fruit peel all situated in and around Franeker in Friesland. Traditionally these produce most candied fruit peel sold in the Netherlands, in Germany, and in the UK. Their main market is Germany. The first complainant’s specialty is fruit peel sold in 100 gram packs; the other producers mainly sell in bulk to industrial users. Four Italian and one French producer buy the raw material and sell the finished product mostly in their own countries.