L 61/82 Official Journal of the European Union 27.2.2004 COMMISSION DECISION of 26 November 2003 on the aid which Italy is planning to implement for Industria Farmaceutica Cesare Serono SpA for the development of new chemical synthesis processes for oral pharmaceutical forms of polypeptides and conjugated substances (notified under document number C(2003) 3519) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2004/169/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 regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 (}), Having called on interested parties to submit their comments (?), Whereas: 1. PROCEDURE (1) By letter registered as received by the Commission on 27 March 2002 (A[32355), the Italian authorities notified, pursuant to Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty, planned aid for the pharmaceutical company Cesare Serono SpA (IES). (2) By letters D/52251 of 7 May 2002, D/54639 and D[54654 of 12 August 2002 and D[56044 of 25 October 2002, the Commission requested additional information regarding the notified aid. (3)  On 8 August 2002 (letter A/36069), 23 August 2002 (letter A[36253), 7 October 2002 (letter A[37252), 21 October 2002 (letter A[37664) and 26 November 2002 (letter A/38716) the Italian authorities submitted the information requested. (4) By letter SG(2003) D/228432 dated 7 February 2003, the Commission informed Italy that it had decided to () OJ L 83, 27.3.1999, p. 1. () 0] C 110, 8.5.2003, p. 2. initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty (hereinafter ‘the decision to initiate the procedure’) in respect of the proposed measure. (5)  The decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Commission called on interested parties to submit their comments within the prescribed period (one month), pursuant to Article 6(1) of Regulation (EC) No 659/1999. (6)  The Commission received comments from IFS on 13 June 2003. (7) By letter D/53893 of 17 June 2003, the Commission forwarded IFS’ comments to the Italian Government. (8)  The Republic of Italy has not replied officially to the Commission letters of 7 February 2003 and 17 June 2003. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE AID MEASURE 2.1. Legal basis and object of the measure (9)  The legal basis for the aid is Legislative Decree No 297 of 27 July 1999 (). This is an existing scheme approved by the Commission on 26 July 2000 (letter SG(2000) D/430165, State aid N 173/2000) (*). (10) The object of the aid consists in developing new chemical synthesis processes for oral pharmaceutical forms of polypeptides and conjugated substances (‘sviluppo di forme farmaceutiche orali ottenute da nuove molecole di natura sintetica, polipeptidica e sostanze coniugate’). (®) And its implementing regulation: Ministerial Decree No 593 of 8 August 2000. () O] C 310, 28.10.2000, p. 17.