20.12.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 3235 II (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 28 June 2000 on State aid granted by the Federal Republic of Germany to Salzgitter AG, Preussag Stahl AG and the group's steel-industry subsidiaries, now known as Salzgitter AG — Stahl und Technologie (SAG) (notified under document number C(2000) 1963) (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/797[ECSC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, Having regard to Commission Decision No 2496/96/ECSC of 18 December 1996 establishing Community rules for State aid to the steel industry (") (the sixth Steel Aid Code), and in particular Article 6(5) thereof, Having given notice to the parties concerned (}) to submit their comments in accordance with the aforementioned provisions and having regard to those comments, Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) At the beginning of 1998 the Commission observed from a reading of the annual accounts of Preussag Stahl AG that the company had been subsidised by Germany repeatedly over a number of years. The Commission entered the case in the register of unnotified State aid measures, under the number NN 55/98; in order to form a clearer picture of the situation, the Commission sent Germany requests for information on 16 March and 27 May 1998, which were answered on 27 April, 18 September and 12 November 1998 and 18 January 1999. On 20 July 1998 the Commission sent Germany copies of its decisions in cases NN 68/90 and NN 114/91. Lastly, two meetings of experts were held, one on 29 September 1998 and the other on 29 January 1999. (2) By letter dated 3 March 1999 the Commission informed Germany of its decision to initiate the procedure described in Article 6(5) of the sixth steel aid code in respect of the aid granted by Germany under the Zonal Border Development Act (Zonenrandforderungsgesetz), or (ZonenRFG) to Salzgitter AG, Preussag Stahl AG (PSAG) and the group's ECSC subsidiaries, various companies now combined under the name SAG — Stahl und Technologie. () O] L 338, 28.12.1996, p. 42. () O] C 113, 24.4.1999.