No L 61/52 Official Journal of the European Communities 13. 3. 93 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 12 January 1993 concerning an AIMA national programme on aid which Italy plans to grant for the private storage of carrots (only the Italian text is authentic) (93/154/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in - particular the first para- graph of Article 93 (2) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1035/72 of 18 May 1972 on the common organization of the market in fruit and vegetables ('), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1754/92(%), and in particular Article 31 thereof, After giving notice to the parties concerned, in accord- ance with Article 93 (2) of the Treaty, to submit their comments (%), Whereas : I By letter of 20 December 1991, recorded as received on 28 January 1992, the Permanent Representation of Italy to the European Communities notified the Commission, pursuant to Article 93 (3) of the Treaty, of a national programme concerning aid for the private storage of catrots established by AIMA (Italian intervention agency). The programme was based on a decision of the CIPE (Comitato Interministeriale per la Programmazione Economica) of 4 December 1990, which, in its last two paragraphs, specified that the programme could be imple- () OJ No L 118, 20. 5. 1972, p. 1. () OJ No L 180, 1. 7. 1992, p. 23. () OJ No C 160, 26. 6. 1992, p. 2. mented only after notification to the European Commis- sion and verification of its compatibility with Community rules. The measure involves the granting, for a period of four months, of aid totalling’ Lit 2,46 billion for the conserva- tion of a maximum overall quantity of 45000 tonnes of carrots. The Italian Government justified the measures on the grounds of the difficulties affecting the market in carrots. v II By letter No SG(92) D/5210 of 14 April 1992, the Commission informed the Italian Government that it had decided to initiate the procedure provided for in Article 93 (2) of the Treaty in respect of this aid scheme. In the same letter the Commission informed the Italian authorities that it considered the aid to be an operating aid incompatible with the Commission’s standing ‘philo- sophy regarding the application of Articles 92, 93 and 94 of the Treaty ; a measure of this sort has the direct effect of artificially reducing cost prices and improving the conditions under which the producers concerned produce and dispose of their products as compared with other producers in other Member States who do not qualify for comparable aid. The measure in question is therefore capable of distorting competition and affecting trade between the Member States and meets the criteria laid down in Article 92 (1) of the Treaty without qualifying under the exceptions provided for in Article 92 (2) and (3).