12. 3. 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 59/33 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 23 December 1992 ruling on financial aid by the Federal Republic of Germany to the coal industry in 1993 (Only the German text is authentic) (93/151/ECSC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, Having regard to Commission Decision No 2064/86/ ECSC of 30 June 1986 establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (), Whereas : In a letter dated 9 December 1992 the German Govern- ment informed the Commission, pursuant to Article 9 (2) of Decision No 2064/86/ECSC, of the measures it intends to take in order to support the coal industry in 1993. Pursuant to Decision No 2064/86/ECSC, the Commission must give a ruling on the following financial measures submitted to it for approval : : — aid totalling DM 2 948 million for the delivery of coal and coke to the Community steel industry, — aid totalling DM 120 million under a scheme for maintaining the underground labour force in deep (Bergmannsprdmie). The measures which the German Government intends to take to support the coal industry comply with the provi- sions of Article 1 (1) of Decision No 2064/86/ECSC. The Commission must therefore give a ruling under Article 10 of the Decision as to whether they comply with the objectives and criteria set out in the Decision and whether they are compatible with the proper functioning of the common market. () OJ No L 177, 1. 7. 1986, p. 1. II In accordance with Article 4 and 12 of the Decision, coal undertakings are authorized, where necessary, to grant | rebates on their list prices or production costs for delive- ries of coking coal, coke and coal for injection into blast furnaces in the Community steel industry under long- term contracts. These rebates must not cause the delivered prices of Community coal and coke to work out lower than those which would be charged for coal from non- member countries and coke made from coking coal from a non-member country. Since 1 January 1992 the new principles underlying the aid measures planned by the German Government for the delivery of coal and coke to the Community steel industry * have been based on a system the purpose of which is to bring increased 'pressure to bear on production costs during the three-year period from 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1994. Continuing the policy implemented during the period from 1982 to 1991, the German Government has once again placed a ceiling on the total amount of aid for the period 1992 to 1994 and has intro- duced a financial contribution to be paid by the industry. The total aid planned for the period amounts to DM 9 106 million, and the total quantities covered by the aid should amount to 57,2 million tonnes of coal. The volume of aid available for the period will correspond to only 83 % of the total amount of aid granted in the preceding three-year period under the previous scheme ; deliveries of coal covered by the system will represent only 81 % of the quantities supported in the period 1989 to 1991. Under this system, the German Government proposes to pay coal producers, from available budgetary resources, a sum of DM 2 948 million for 1993 in respect of produc- tion of 18,5 million tonnes of coal and coke.