L 150/50 Official Journal of the European Communities 23.6.2000 COMMISSION DECISION of 25 November 1999 on aid to firms in Venice and Chioggia by way of relief from social security contributions under Laws Nos 30/1997 and 2061995 (notified under document number C(1999)4268) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/394/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 Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 of 22 March 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC Treaty (') and in particular Article 14 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 (1) By letter dated 10 June 1997, the Italian authorities communicated the text of Article 27 of Decree-Law No 669 of 31 December 1996, converted into Law No 30 of 28 February 1997 containing provisions on the reduction of and exemption from social security contributions. This was done pursuant to Article 5 of Commission Decision 95/455/EC on the arrangements for reducing the social security contributions paid by firms in the Mezzogiorno (). That Article requires the Italian Government to notify the Commission of the measures adopted for implementing the plan for the progressive dismantling, laid down by the same Decision, of the scheme for the reduction of social security contributions benefiting firms in Sicily, Calabria, Sardinia, Basilicata, Apulia, Molise and Abruzzi. (2)  Examination of the provisions shows that, apart from implementing the said dismantling plan, they extend the scope of the relief from social security contributions to the cities of Venice and Chioggia. The Commission asked for further information by letter dated 1 July () OJ L 83,27.3.1999, p. 1. () 0J C 51, 18.2.1998, p. 9. () OJ L 265, 8.11.1995, p. 23. 1997. Since no reply was received, a reminder was sent by letter dated 28 August 1997. Since the Italian authorities failed to provide further information, the Commission notified Italy by letter dated 17 December 1997 of its decision to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) (formerly Article 93(2) of the EC Treaty regarding the aid provided for by Article 27 of Law No 30/1997 and Article 5a of Decree-Law No 96 of 29 March 1995, converted into Law No 206/1995 to which the said Article refers. These provisions extend to Venice and Chioggia the scope of the reduction of and exemption from social security contributions for the Mezzogiorno. In the course of the proceedings an interested party, the Comitato Venezia vuole vivere (Venice wants to live committee — hereinafter ‘the Committee’) submitted comments by letter dated 17 March 1998, in the form of a memorandum and a study carried out by COSES (Consorzio per la ricerca e la formazione — Association for research and training) on the particular difficulties faced by firms operating in the lagoon of Venice and not experienced by companies based on the mainland. The comments were forwarded to Italy. By letter dated 23 January 1999 the Italian authorities notified their comments regarding: (a) National Institute of Social Insurance (INPS) tables listing the types of reduction in social security contributions granted, the number and size of the recipient firms, the number of employees involved and amounts broken down by sector and year, (b) their position regarding the nature of the measures and the compatibility of the aid which is the subject of the proceedings, (c) their position regarding the recovery of any aid considered incompatible.