6.5.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 110/9 COMMISSION DECISION of 28 July 1999 on State aid which Italy plans to grant to Fiat Auto SpA for its plant at Pomigliano d'Arco (Naples) (Notified under document number C(1999) 2916) (Only the Italian text is authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2000/318/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 invited the parties concerned to submit their comments in accordance with the abovementioned provisions (1), Whereas: I. PROCEDURE (1) Between October and December 1997 the Italian Government notified the Commission, pursuant to Article 88(3) of the Treaty, of six planned measures under which it proposed to grant State aid to Fiat Auto SpA (Fiat) (%), one of which concerned the plant at Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples (Campania), (Fiat Pomigliano). The Commission registered this measure on 28 October 1997 under N 727/97. Requests for further information and a number of reminders were sent to the Italian authorities to elicit the data required for a Commission decision. On 23 April 1998 a meeting was held with representatives of the Italian authorities and Fiat to clarify various points connected with the examination of the case. Finally, in a letter of 20 November 1998, the Italian authorities supplied partial replies to the questions raised by the Commission. (2) By letter of 3 March 1999 the Commission informed Italy that it had decided to initiate the procedure laid () O] C 113, 24.4.1999, p. 16. (®) Four of these measures related to motor vehicle production: Cassino-Piedimonte San Germano, Mirafiori Carrozzeria (C 5[99, ex N 728/97), Pomigliano (C 4/99, ex N 727/97) and Rivalta (C 8/99, ex N 834/97), while two concerned engine production: Termoli (C 7199, ex N 730/97) and Mirafiori Meccanica (C 9[99, ex N 838/97). down in Article 88(2) of the Treaty in respect of the proposed aid measures, allowing Italy one month to supply all the documents, information and data required to assess the compatibility of the aid with the common market. In the absence of any reply, the Commission would reach a decision on the basis of the information in its possession. (3) The decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities(®) and interested parties were invited by the Commission to submit comments. The Commission has not received any comments from interested parties. (4) Representatives of the Commission went to Mirafiori on 24 February 1999 to discuss the Fiat Pomigliano plan among other matters. On-site visits were made on 18 May 1999 to Pomigliano and on 22 June 1999 to the Fiat plants at Tichy and Biesko-Biala in Poland. II. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE AID MEASURE (5) The aid proposed by the Italian authorities would be granted to Fiat, which has plants among other places, in Italy, Poland, Turkey und South America. In 1998 Fiat produced 2,7 million vehicles of the Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia and Maserati makes. In 1997 it employed around 62 000 people in Italy, 7500 of them at Pomigliano, where Alfa Romeo cars are produced. A significant share of Fiat's sales, roughly one third, is recorded in other Member States. (6) The investment notified is at Pomigliano, in an area qualifying for assistance under Article 87(3)(a) of the Treaty, where the maximum regional aid intensity for large firms is 40% net grant equivalent (nge). The investment started in March 1995 and is to be completed (®) See footnote 1.