15.2.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 42/1 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 11 May 1999 concerning aid granted by Italy to promote employment (Notified under document number C(1999) 1364) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/128/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 given interested parties notice to submit their comments in accordance with the abovementioned provisions (!) and having regard to those comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By letter No 3081 dated 7 May 1997 from the Permanent Representative's Office, the Italian authorities notified the Commission, in accordance with Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty (formerly Article 93(3)), of a draft law subsequently approved by Parliament (Law No 196 of 24 June 1997) concerning measures to promote employment (2). As it concerned a plan to grant aid, the draft law was entered in the register of notified aid under N 338/97. The Commission requested further () O] C 384, 10.12.1998, p. 11. (%) Official Journal of the Italian Republic No 154, 4 June 1997. information by letter No 52270 of 4 June 1997, to which the Italian authorities replied by letter dated 11 September 1997 from the Prime Minister's Office and letter No 7224 dated 28 October 1997 from the Permanent Representative's Office. Following the information received, the investigation was extended to other aid schemes connected with this package, i.e. Laws Nos 863/84, 407/90, 169/91 and 451/94, which govern training and work experience contracts. As the aid they provide for has already been granted, the laws in question were entered in the register of non-notified aid under NN 164/97. Investigation of the case was pursued by further Exchanges of Letters and meetings. The Commission sent letters Nos 55050 of 6 November 1997 and 51980 of 11 May 1998; the Italian authorities sent letters Nos 2476 of 10 April 1998 and 3656 of 5 June 1998. Meetings were held in Rome on 27 November 1997, 3 March 1998 and 8 April 1998. By letter of 17 August 1998, the Commission informed the Italian Government of its decision to initiate the procedure under Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty (formerly Article 93(2)) in respect of aid granted since November 1995 to promote employment through fixed-term training and work experience contracts provided for in Laws Nos 863/84, 407/90, 169/91 and 451/94. The Italian Government was also informed in the same letter of the decision to initiate the Article 88(2) procedure in respect of aid for converting training and work experience contracts into open-ended contracts under Article 15 of Law No 196/97.