commiss decis march aid grant french govern steel group french text authent eec commiss european commun regard treati establish european econom commun paragraph articl thereof parti concern opportun submit comment accord articl regard comment letter date septemb perman represent french govern notifi commiss articl commiss decis ecsc govern fund invest larg steel group note fund busi come ecsc treati detail commiss inform french govern letter novemb part fund provid invest busi consid eec treati french govern proceed provid fund notifi articl eec treati commiss unabl assess transfer compat eec treati provis state aid detail purpos fund potenti distort competit commiss decid open articl procedur transfer total ff million gave french govern notic letter date decemb submit observ member state invit comment interest parti letter octob supplement letter novemb french govern commiss inform amount addit fund intend ecsc busi steel group financi year addit fund top ff million cover articl procedur ff million inform suppli fund judg articl eec treati applic transfer french govern confirm letter march place distort competit commiss decid extend articl procedur letter date januari gave french govern notic submit observ member state invit comment march interest parti march preliminari scrutini fund articl procedur open commiss found ff million fact busi come ecsc treati sum fell consid decis ecsc ecsc deduct abovement ff million fund commun subsidiari steel group remain consid eec procedur open decemb januari total ff million total compris individu case group case case fund compani steel construct sector engin industri engag design manufactur drill platform oil industri steel aluminium façad wall curtain wall ff million case fund wire draw busi ff million case fund acquisit pipe tubemak facil steel group case ff million fund oper tubemak compani case ff million pipe cold roll section produc case ff million case fund acquisit special steel stockhold intern trade compani steel group ff million loss steel stockhold trade compani ff million ff million case fund sheet metalwork firm ff million case fund oper involv sum ff million steel group acquir increas stake steel busi cover loss busi special steel stockhold ff million industri fasten ff million railwai wagon ff million mechan handl equip ff million pipe tube ff million scrap metal deal ff million machin tool ff million primari process ff million sheet metalwork assembl ff million engin ff million cold roll ff million case fund construct compani involv construct project commun countri case ff million engin compani case ff million case fund forg foundri busi ff million case fund oper connect acquisit compani produc stainless steel nickel cobalt alloi roll product wire forg ff million case fund local industri invest subsidiari set attract industri steel area ff million case dealt separ decis fund provid prior author commiss disregard french govern oblig articl eec treati commiss consid illeg ii french govern submit observ articl procedur letter date april march argu provid fund form capit state own steel group financ directli subsidiari busi ness fall ecsc steel sector state fulfil respons sharehold fund involv aid articl affect normal rule competit commun part pai financi invest state own steel group exist busi involv invest risk capit part enabl steel group discharg respons parent compani lossmak subsidiari financ subsidiari undertak ration measur wire draw sector fund engag unfair competit subsidiari engin construct carri busi commun member state trade associ individu compani made represent commiss procedur iii financi transfer consider fall categori intend fund acquisit steel group busi difficulti mainstream ecsc steel busi extend rang activ notic member state govern provis capit compani commiss reiter principl invest public dividend capit compani circumst invest forthcom privat investor oper normal market condit state aid ad case financi posit compani structur volum debt preclud normal return invest reason period time inadequ cash flow compani unabl rais fund requir invest programm capit market present case steel group receiv govern fund acquir financi sound commun busi increas stake busi time fund provid financi posit criteria fund consid aid major intend lossmak commun subsidiari steel group busi write loss increas capit case rescu independ compani distress take steel group case commun compani ultim beneficiari fund fund busi long record loss section iv consid aid reason fund form recapit compani iv regard case section ff million construct compani fund provid connect wind compani compani run extrem heavi loss major construct project result poor cost inadequ risk assess parent compani decid wind govern furnish fund complet current contract provid contract enter fund compani win contract competit commun construct firm harm commun construct firm futur compani longer trade fund case aid fall articl eec treati case busi compani carri commun countri industri recess compani respect govern fund cover decis provid carri busi commun industri signific intra commun trade competit industri commun vari degre difficulti difficulti due fall commun consumpt slow growth world demand product case increas import penetr commun market countri result overcapac grown industri depress price squeez margin prevent modern situat mark wire draw sector product simpl drawn wire commun main produc countri germani franc unit kingdom belgium declin million million tonn notwithstand stabil output level increas special produc higher ad product industri dog problem recent lost competit caus rise import greater increas export period similarli steel construct sector engin industri half output export commun affect turn fall commun demand collaps middl eastern market competit countri japan korea market result export sector commun fell million million tonn reflect drop product main produc countri germani unit kingdom franc million tonn million tonn put firm extrem precari posit substanti intra commun trade wire product product forg foundri steel construct sector tonn million tonn wire product made commun year trade member state homogen statist difficult obtain steel construct sector divers product involv consider intra commun trade level vari type product result fierc competit commun firm oper sector mean support firm sector bound affect competit posit firm state market product support firm commun firm busi close part busi present case govern support compani sole purpos reconstitut work capit absorb loss run case turnov relev period reduc cost face firm support confer specif financi benefit distort threaten distort competit member state contrari articl eec treati articl eec treati aid featur principl incompat common market except provid articl inapplic present case view natur purpos aid except provid articl consider case commun context singl member state order maintain properli oper common market uphold principl enshrin articl eec treati essenti interpret articl except restrict relat aid scheme individu aid award except invok commiss satisfi activ propos grant aid serv object except claus aid aid recipi undertak activ invok except case aid activ serv object aid rate undertaken member state give industri firm undu pecuniari advantag artifici strengthen financi posit affect trade member state distort competit justif ground wider commun interest requir articl light forego aid question qualifi except provid articl regard except provid subparagraph articl aid promot econom develop area standard live abnorm low underemploy true busi receiv aid direct user product steel industri locat steel plant area suffer larg scale redund steel industri area abnorm low standard live underemploy mean subparagraph articl except provid subparagraph articl clear aid promot execut project common european interest remedi disturb economi member state except provid subparagraph articl aid facilit develop econom activ econom area aid advers affect trade condit extent contrari common interest aid concern decis grant region aid scheme french govern attempt justifi region polici ground except aid develop econom activ consid take ff million fund provid compani steel construct sector engin industri case list section support allow compani continu heavili lossmak busi wiout fund close compani special metal good industri invest drill platform metal modul offshor oil industri sharp fall demand sector industri invest caus compani turnov collaps close ff million ff million leav plant vastli underutil clear inform furnish french govern deterior compani profit equal dramat loss includ redund cost rise turnov shed larg number employe market deterior compani altern close offshor divis divis emploi exclud manag compar compani total workforc restructur expect made profit emerg aid receiv compani cover loss offshor busi put closur artifici preserv capac depress industri affect trade condit extent contrari common interest aid case inelig applic except provid articl ff million aid grant wire draw group case list section heavili lossmak busi reduct capac substanti cut workforc group inform suppli commiss undertaken restructur programm give chanc profit forese futur justifi vast amount aid provid fact major effect aid delai drastic ration requir busi surviv ration turn busi round contribut ration commun industri justif commun point view advers effect trade caus aid aid case inelig applic except provid articl aid case list section total ff million provid partli support tube produc produc weld pipe cold roll section ff million ff million partli financ acquisit pipe busi steel group ff million effect oper part prop lossmak busi part increas vertic integr french pipe tube industri effort appar made reduc oper loss compani aid provid part ration programm capabl turn busi round help shake excess capac hang european pipe tube market french govern addit measur plan give detail actual decis fact commiss aid case inelig except provid articl aid case list section total ff million provid partli cover loss reconstitut work capit steel stockhold trade busi ff million million partli pai acquisit special steel stockhold trade compani ff million oper enabl parent group maintain extend presenc steel stockhold sector inform french govern suppli accompani ration allow public fund regard commun interest elig applic except provid articl aid inelig applic except aid ff million sheet metalwork firm case list section equival annual turnov accompani commensur ration measur french govern fail submit ration programm justifi aid articl aid case inelig except true final amount public fund rang ff million ff million total ff million provid primari process engin firm case list section inform commiss receiv oper ration undertaken workforc reduct turn busi round aid inelig except provid articl conclud aid refer section total ff million inelig applic articl eec treati aid grant unlawfulli french govern breach oblig articl eec treati aid withdrawn recov vi aid case list section engin compani turnov ff million year group construct compani refer case accompani ration busi year lose monei result ration workforc cut part product factori close transfer remain facil significantli improv capac util compani report profit aid larg scale contribut chiefli remov excess capac ration develop industri elig applic except provid articl aid ff million provid forg foundri busi case list section intend cover loss reconstitut work capit firm turnov ff million face depress market french foundri industri embark ration programm reduc capac industri tonn tonn made remain facil special result oper rate industri risen loss busi concern cut ff million estim ff million turnov aid case facilit restructur develop industri recoveri elig applic except provid articl final aid case list section ff million grant restor financ compani make stainless steel nickel cobalt alloi roll product wire forg compani steel group oper accompani major restructur compani involv special profit segment market suppli exce demand suppli materi aerospac electron industri reduct workforc year initi restructur undertaken aid suffici benefit commun justifi applic except provid articl aid total ff million grant case dealt section elig except articl eec treati adopt decis articl aid total ff million list case section provid breach articl eec treati french steel group steel subsidiari grant unlawfulli aid incompat common market articl eec treati french republ withdraw recov aid articl french republ inform commiss month date notif decis measur compli therewith articl decis address french republ brussel march commiss peter sutherland member commiss oj oj oj oj bulletin european commun point