2.4.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 98/49 COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 27 May 2003 on the State aid implemented by Spain for Minas de Rio Tinto SA (notified under document number C(2003) 1663) (Only the Spanish text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2004/300/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, 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 provisions cited above (') and having regard to their comments, Whereas: () ) I. PROCEDURE By letter dated 9 August 1999, the Spanish authorities notified the Commission of their intention to grant rescue aid, in the form of a State guarantee, to Minas de Rio Tinto SAL (MRT) in respect of loans made by various banks to the company worth EUR 9 015 182. By letter dated 16 February 2000, the Commission informed Spain of its decision to consider the aid compatible with the common market (3. By letter dated 27 October 2000, Spain submitted the restructuring plan for MRT for the period 2000 to 2005, dated August 2000, which included the continua- tion of the guarantee mentioned in recital 1, as well as a loan from the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) for the amount of EUR 6 010 121. 0] C 367, 21.12.2001, p. 19. O] C 94, 1.4.2000, p. 8. (4) (10) By letter dated 4 December 2000, the Commission requested Spain, pursuant to the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in diffi- culty () (rescue and restructuring guidelines), to notify the aid included in the plan. By letter dated 9 January 2001, registered the following day, the Spanish authorities notified the aid that Spain planned to implement in favour of MRT for restruc- turing purposes. By letter dated 2 February 2001, the Commission requested additional information. By letter dated 15 February 2001, the Spanish authori- ties informed the Commission that the abovementioned State guarantee approved by the Commission (see recital 2) would be in force until 31 December 2003. By letter dated 17 April 2001, registered on 25 April 2001, the Spanish authorities provided additional infor- mation in reply to the Commission's request dated 2 February 2001. By letter dated 20 June 2001, the Commission informed Spain that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of the aid. The Commission decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Commu- nities (). The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the aid. () O] C 288, 9.10.1999, p. 2. (*) See footnote 1.