No L 106/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 4. 89 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 15 November 1988 . relating to aid which the Belgian Government has granted to a petrochemicals company at Ottignies/Louvain-la-Neuve (SA Belgian Shell) (Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic) (89/254/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and . in particular the first subparagraph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having given notice in accordance with the above Article to interested parties to submit their comments, and- having regard to. those comments, Whereas : By letter dated 22 December 1987, received on 4 January 1988, the Belgian Government notified a plan to grant. investment aid to SA Belgian Shell at-Ottignies/Louvain- la-Neuve under the Expansion Law. of 17 July 1959. The investment aid is to be granted for the creation of a research-laboratory for the development of new, technolo- gically advanced petrochemical products and the improvement of existing products such as-epoxy resins,. polyurethanes, elastomers, polypropylene, polyethylene, polybuthylene, polyvinyl chloride and "~ expansible polystyrene. The research will also investigate new applications for these productsd. It is not planned to start- production -at Louvain-la-Neuve. In view of the considerable volume of trade in petroche- micals between Community countries, the. Commission considered that the measure in question was an aid pursuant to Article 92 (1) of the EEC Treaty and that, according to the information at its disposal and that made available by the¢ Belgian authorities, it did not prima facie satisfy the conditions for exemption pursuant to Aticle 92 (3). It therefore opened the procedure prov1ded for in Article 93 (2) in respect of that aid. By letter dated 11 February 1988 it gave the Belgian Government notice to submit its comments. Comments were also invited from the other Member States by letter dated 29 April and from other interested parties by letter dated 3 May 1988. II- The Belgian Government, in reply to the opening of the Article 93 (2) procedure, sent its comments by letter dated: - 7 April 1988, received on 14 April 1988. It argued that the laboratory to be assisted had been specifically designed to undertake basic and experimental applied research in order to identify and assess new potential applications and to develop, at the stage of basic industrial research, .innovative high technology products capable of satisfying new, predetermined needs. Within the framework of the procedure, four other Member States, an enterprise-in the relevant- sector and one association submitted -observations. I The measures proposed by the Belgian authorities consist in a direct grant of 15,6 % of planned investment (Bfrs- 217015 million - in aid for an investment of Bfrs- 1391 125 million) and in a five-year exemption from property tax with a net grant equivalent of 9,56 %.