L61/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 8.3.2000 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 14 July 1999 on aid granted by Germany to Weida Leder GmbH (Weida), Thuringia (notified under document number C(1999) 3441) (Only the German text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/194/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 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 ('), Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) By letter dated 12 March 1996, registered as received on 21 March, Germany informed the Commission of a DEM 5 million loan to Weida Leder GmbH (Weida), Thuringia, which was intended to finance restructuring measures. By letters dated 11 April, 28 May, 3 July and 26 August 1996 and 6 March 1997, the Commission requested further information, which Germany provided by letters dated 25 July, 30 October and 7 November 1996 and 20 January and 26 May 1997. Further infor- mation was supplied in September 1997 at a meeting between the Commission and the German authorities. (2)  The aid was first registered under N 242/96. However, it emerged from the information provided by Germany that Thuringia had already made aid available to the firm () O] C 256, 14.8.1998, p. 7. in 1995/1996 before notifying the Commission thereof, in breach of Article 88(3) of the EC Treaty. The case was therefore registered on 4 March 1997 under NN 30/97. (3) By letter dated 2 March 1998, the Commission informed Germany 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 proce- dure was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities (). The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the aid. It received no such comments from interested parties. (4) By letter dated 26 June 1998, Germany informed the Commission that the firm had filed for bankruptcy on 28 May 1998. II. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE AID (5) Weida Leder GmbH (Weida) was formed from the former VEB Lederwerke Weida, which had been trans- formed into Lederwerke Weida GmbH in 1990. The main activity of the firm, located in the municipality of Weida (Thuringia), was to produce leather for the furni- ture industry. The region has high unemployment (17 %), and was classified as an Objective 1 area for the purposes of Community regional policy (areas which are underdeveloped by Community standards), so that it is (® See footnote 1.