No L 117/22 Official Journal of the European Communities 13. 5. 93 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 9 December 1992 on Italian Decree-Law No 14 of 21 January 1992 relating, inter alia, to the overall refinancing of the aid measures provided for by Law No 64 of 1 March 1986 on special aid to the Mezzogiorno (Only the Italian text is authentic) (93/254/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular the first subpara- graph of Article 93 (2) thereof, ' Having given notice to the parties concerned to submit - their comments pursuant to Article 93, Whereas : (1) By letter dated 24 January 1992 the Commission, having seen press reports according. to which various aid measures had been taken, inter alia, on 2 the refinancing of the aid scheme set up by Law No 64 of 1 March 1986 on special aid to the Mezzogiorno, asked the Italian authorities whether they could confirm such information. The aid to enterprises provided for by Law No 64 of 1 March 1986 had been declared compatible with the common market, subject to certain conditions, by Commission Decision 88/318/EEC taken pursuant to Article 93 of the EEC Treaty on 2 March 1988 (!). The volume of finance earmarked for the scheme was Lit 120 000 billion (ECU 72 billion), plus tax concessions. The aid scheme was to end on 31 December 1993. () OJ No L 143, 10. 6. 1988, p. 37. In reply, the Italian authorities sent the Commis- sion the text of Decree-Law No 14 of 21 January 1992 (Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No 16/3, 21 January 1992), which contains the following provisions : ‘ — Article 1 provides for the refinancing of the reduction in social security contributions provided for by the Law on the Mezzogiorno, — Article 2 provides for the State defrayal of social security contributions, involving a further reduction in social security contributions for firms in the Mezzogiorno, — Article 6 provides for the overall refinancing of the aid measures envisaged in the Law on the Mezzogiorno. By letter of 25 June 1992 (%) the Commission informed the Italian Government that it had decided to initiate proceedings pursuant to Article 93 (2) of the EEC Treaty in respect of the three abovementioned provisions, which it deemed incompatible with the common market within the meaning of Article 92 of the Treaty and ineligible for any of the derogations provided for therein. The Italian Government was invited to- submit its comments within one month of notification of the letter, while the other Member States and interested third parties were also invited, by means of a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Commaunities, to submit their comments. () OJ No C 240, 19. 9. 1992, p. 7.