7.12. 93 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 300/15 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 22 September 1993 concerning aid granted by the French Government to the Pari mutuel urbain (PMU) and to the racecourse undertakings (Only the French text is authentic) (93/625/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular the first subpara- graph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having, in accordance with the abovementioned Article, given notice to the parties concerned to submit their comments, Whereas : On 7 April 1989, seven companies belonging to the Ladbroke group lodged a complaint with the Commission against aid granted by the French Government to the economic interest grouping Pari mutuel urbain (PMU). By letter dated 27 July 1989, the Commission asked the French authorities for information on the aid. In the light of the information provided to it, the Commission concluded that the PMU had benefited and was continuing to benefit from a series of facilities granted by the French State. Such facilities consisted mainly of tax exemptions or reliefs under which the Trea- sury waived certain revenue payable to it or granted defer- rals of payment. The measures are described in detail below. After having examined the measures, the Commission decided, on 17 December 1990, toinitiate Article 93 (2) proceedings (') in respect of the aid for the following reasons. Thanks to the resources which the French State had waived, the PMU had been able to reverse an un- favourable financial situation and had been able to computerize its network for taking bets on horse-races. Availing itself of this situation, it had moreover endea- voured, since the beginning of the 1990s, to increase its share of the betting market in other Member States, where it was in competition with, amongst others, companies belonging to the Ladbroke group. Such measures had to be regarded as State aid within the meaning of Article 92 (1) of the EEC Treaty. Since three of the measures had continued to be granted after the initiation of the Article 93 (2) proceedings, the Commission adopted, on 1t June 1991, an interim Deci- sion requiring the French authorities to stop granting the aid forthwith (3). II As part of the proceedings, the French Government submitted its comments to the Commission by letters from its Permanent Representation dated 12 April 1991 and 7 February 1992. In them, it stated that it had never regarded its economic relations with the PMU as possibly involving State aid and requiring notification. The total amount of the levies received by the State was more than it would have obtained through strict application of the ordinary rules of law. It had never been the State’s () OJ No C 38, 14. 2. 1991, p. 3. () OJ No L 14, 21. 1. 1992, p. 35.