22.8.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L211)7 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 18 January 2000 on the State aid granted by Germany to Linde AG (notified under document number C(2000) 64) (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/524/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 called on interested parties to submit their comments pursuant to the provision cited above (}), Whereas: I. PROCEDURE In May 1998, in the course of its contacts with the German authorities, the Commission became aware of the existence of several transactions involving the Treu- handanstalt (THA), its successor, the Bundesanstalt fur vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS) and the companies UCB Chemie GmbH (JCB) and Linde AG (Linde). These transactions basically concerned the conditions under which carbon monoxide was to be supplied to an amine production site acquired by UCB from Leuna Werke GmbH (LWG) after a privatisation procedure. Subsequently, by letter dated 7 August 1998 (A[36142), the German authorities informed the Commission of the background to these transactions and the aid measures involved. By letter dated 18 September 1998 (D[16578), the Commission requested further information, which was provided by letter dated 3 December 1998 (Af 38804). The case was registered as NN 16/99 on 10 February 1999. () O] C 194, 10.7.1999, p. 15. () By letter dated 30 March 1999 (SG(99)D/2353, O] C 194, 10 July 1999, p. 15), the Commission informed Germany that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of: — a DEM 9 million grant to Linde for the construction of a new carbon monoxide production plant; — the conditions under which carbon monoxide is currently being supplied to UCB. By letter dated 25 May 1999 (A/33985), the German authorities submitted their comments. The Commission received no comments from other interested parties. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURES I.1. Recipient Linde is an affiliate company of the Linde Group, a worldwide conglomerate with over 120 subsidiaries and employing more than 32 000 workers. In 1998 the Linde Group had a turnover of DEM 10 738 000 000 and a balance sheet total of DEM 9 371 000 000. It operates in four business sectors: engineering and contracting, materials handling, refrigeration engineering and industrial gases. Linde's headquarters are located in Hollriegelskreuth, Munich. In 1998 the company achieved a turnover of DEM 4 554 000 000 and employed 12 499 workers. Linde is currently the second-largest supplier of indus- trial gases in Europe. Industrial gases are those gases