20.6.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 145/27 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 22 December 1999 on aid scheme C 39/99 (ex E 2/97) United Kingdom, English Partnerships (EP) under the partner- ships investment programme (PIP), hereinafter, ‘EP/PIP’ scheme (notified under document number C(1999) 5208) (Only the English text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/389/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 called on interested parties to submit their comments ('), pursuant to the provision cited above and having regard to their comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By letter of 9 January 1995 the United Kingdom notified to the Commission, in accordance with Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty, the programme of assistance offered under the Single regeneration budget (SRB) (N 31/95). This notification covered a number of schemes, including English partnerships (EP) under the partner- ships investment programme (PIP) (the EP/PIP scheme), a regional development scheme, relating to the public financing of regeneration projects in England. (2) By letter to the United Kingdom of 4 May 1995 (SG(95) D[5602), the Commission approved the SRB on the basis of Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty concerning aid () O] C 245, 28.8.1999, p. 9. for the development of certain economic areas. In its decision the Commission stated that a number of meas- ures included in the SRB were not caught by Article 87(1) of the EC Treaty. ‘Urban regeneration (EP activi- ties)’” was mentioned as one of those measures. The UK authorities have operated the scheme on the basis of the perception that no EP programme concerning funding of regeneration projects involves State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1). Following the approval of the SRB, the Commission's attention was drawn to certain cases where the benefi- ciaries of EP assistance were also enterprises competing in intra-Community trade. In a meeting of January 1996 the Commission asked the UK authorities to provide clarification on the actual functioning of the scheme. Different aspects of the issue have been further discussed and analysed in meetings and correspondence between January 1996 and February 1998. The Commission first announced its intention to propose appropriate meas- ures on the basis of Article 88(1) of the EC Treaty at a meeting with the UK authorities in September 1997. A visit to the EP headquarters in London took place in October 1997 for further research and discussions concerning a sample of cases, in order to determine more precisely the appropriate measures to be proposed.