L 66/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 14.3.2000 COMMISSION DECISION of 25 November 1999 concerning an aid scheme implemented by Portugal with a view to reducing the debt burden of intensive stock farms and assisting recovery in the pig-farming sector (notified under document number C(1999) 4861) (Only the Portuguese text is authentic) (2000/200/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 Council Regulation (EEC) No 2759/75 of 29 October 1975 on the common organisation of the market in pigmeat (') and Council Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75 of 24 October 1975 on the common organisation in poultrymeat (3), as last amended by Regulations (EC) No 3290/94 (%) and (EC) No 2916/95 (¥, and in particular Articles 21 and 19 thereof, Having called on interested parties to submit their comments (°), Whereas: Procedure (1) Decree-Law No 146/94 of 24 May 1994 includes, in Chapter 1, a credit line for reducing the debt burden of intensive stock farms and, in Chapter II, a credit line for assisting recovery in the pig-farming sector. The Decree-Law was published in the Portuguese Official Gazette (®). (2) On 26 November 1996, since it had received no notice of the State aid from the Portuguese authorities, the ) OJ L 282, 1.11.1975, p. 1. Q) () OJ L 282, 1.11.1975, p. 77. () OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 105. () OJ L 305, 19.12.1995, p. 49. (*) O] C 83, 18.3.1998, p. 5. ©) Didrio da Repiblica, Series I-A, No 120 of 24 May 1994. Commission sent Portugal a letter pursuant to Article 88(3) of the Treaty, asking it to confirm, within 15 working days, the existence of the aid, its entry into force, any budgetary implications it might have and details of one of the credit lines. By letter of 23 December 1996 the Portuguese authorities gave confirmation of the existence of Decree-Law No 146/94 on State aid in the form of credit lines for reducing the debt burden of firms of intensive stock farms and assisting recovery in the pig-farming sector. The measures were accordingly entered, under NN 65/97, in the register of unnotified State aids. (3) By letter of 23 May 1997, recorded as received on 27 May 1997, the Portuguese Permanent Representation sent the Commission the information it had requested in its letters of 26 November 1996 and 5 May 1997. (4) By letter of 10 October 1997 the Commission notified Portugal of its decision to initiate proceedings under Article 88(2) of the Treaty against the aids in question. In the letter, the Commission also gave notice to Portugal to submit its comments within one month of the date of the letter. (5) The Commission's Decision to initiate the proceedings provided for in Article 88(2) of the Treaty was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities ). The Commission invited the other Member States and other interested parties to submit their comments on the aids in question within one month of the publication of the Decision in the Official Journal of the European Communities. (6) Portugal submitted its comments by letter dated 13 January 1998. (7) The Commission did not receive any comments from other interested parties. () See footnote 5.