commiss decis decemb aid grant french govern dispos asset mfl group machin français lourd produc heavi duti machin tool french text authent eec commiss european commun regard treati establish european econom commun subparagraph articl thereof notic accord articl interest parti submit comment regard comment result inform publish french press letter date februari french author request notifi commiss step public author favour compani mfl group repeat remind french author repli commiss request reason found doubt compat treati alleg state measur commiss decid initi formal investig procedur pursuant articl eec treati respect commiss account strong competit prevail machin tool produc commun aid measur grant specif produc involv high risk distort competit decis commun french govern letter decemb give notic submit comment member state inform letter date final notic interest parti mean public notic offici journal european commun ii detail public measur furnish french author letter date march complet letter date june juli commiss request march french author decid contribut recoveri plan product facil mfl asset sold produc receivership proceed initi novemb mfl hold compani creat merger pre exist machin tool produc product subsidiari forest line berthiez saint étienn group structur complet trade compani usa mfl goldsworthi format mfl respond object machin tool programm govern back programm implement franc purpos reorgan support restructur nation industri difficulti underli basic idea regroup small machin tool concern difficulti larg group face foreign competit programm french govern invest ff million ecu million form profit share loan subsidi repay advanc fund activ social restructur train research develop commerci measur modern product equip note aid involv machin tool programm commiss decid close investig procedur rais object programm execut view contribut develop commun industri strateg import creation mfl french govern interven sopari state own compani particip compani industri restructur take major sharehold time french industri group recruit partner usinor sacilor renault alsthom peugeot schneider snecma dassault aéroespatial gener nation group present common characterist final user mfl product rang mfl conceiv special supplier machin tool strateg sector mfl product break purchas sector aeronaut armament energi automobil mechan end product subsidiari mfl profil forest line fl industri plant situat albert somm capdenac lot basic special mill machin worker turnov ff million ff million loss ordinari activ fl regist ff million loss ordinari activ berthiez saint étienn bse industri plant situat saint étienn loir special flexibl machin centr heavi wind machin rectifi worker turnov ff million ff million loss ordinari actitivi bse regist ff million loss ordinari activ figur show creation signific state support machin tool programm estim ff million aid mfl oper great difficulti troublesom situat common french compani aid programm result recess sector imposs compet foreign produc consequ bankrupt japanes european group mfl situat unten novemb legal state suspens payment french commerci court subsidiari hand judici administr temporari state purpos assess financi situat recoveri possibl context french author initi contact find investor back mfl contact succeed group interest take control mfl subsidiari eventu liquid recoveri mfl activ plan form liquid dispos asset favour bid present potenti purchas forest line fl januari commerci court pari decid accept sole purchas bid submit subsidiari french group brisard ff million turnov worker offer ff million asset relat fl oper exclus receiv addit brisard agre workforc purpos undertak creat brisard machin outil bmo brisard formal agre put ff million privat fix financ bmo complet ff million investor form medium long term credit final march french govern decid contribut compani recoveri ff million form repay advanc repaid year sixth account period asset dispos cash flow turnov ratio exceed time addit french author decid financ extraordinari social plan worker bmo extraordinari measur cost state ff million made scope applic fne fond nation de emploi gener aid scheme applic franc event redund addit sum worker receiv supplementari sever payment employ premium train extraordinari payment earli retir berthiez saint étienn bse dispos mfl product subsidiari place step failur attempt march commerci court saint étienn respons receivership bse decid accept joint purchas bid submit french group smit lievr belgian compani pegard offer ff million acquisit asset relat bse oper exclus receiv time agre workforc dispos plan provid creation compani berthiez product bp owner contribut ff million ff million addition provid privat investor form medium long term credit final french govern decid contribut recoveri plan bp ff million grant form repay advanc bear repay condit award bmo repaid year sixth account period asset dispos cash flow turnov ratio exceed time addit parallel dispos french govern decid financ social plan benefit worker made redund cost amount ff million object plan fl effort made owner fail relaunch compani actdiv octob compel place compani hand judici administr receivership proceed commerci court saint étienn examin feasibl prospect bp possbl dispos privat investor interest purchas compani basi novemb court accept initi bid receiv potenti purchas note bid practic equival acquisit price social term opt dispos asset take liabil court record bid accept ensur soundest financi posit outset form fix financ circumst prefer bid submit brisard group control asset mfl subsidiari brisard offer acquisit price ff million goodwil stock receiv bp commit creation compani keep workforc part municip saint étienn acquir land build bse ff million sign rental contract compani case french govern grant advanc compani result dispos berthiez sa notwithstand view addit redund french govern decid financ extraordinari social plan ff million favour worker characterist implement fl bse final mention framework consult interest parti govern member state submit observ observ commun french author letter septemb give notic submit comment month period answer receiv iii examin public measur support compani mfl commiss verifi extent measur aid element light articl eec treati sight french author interven favour mfl wai financ extraordinari social plan favour worker made redund grant advanc recoveri plan compani result dispos mfl asset regard financ state extraordinari social plan redund element supplementari sever payment extraordinari earli retir expens assum state repres normal expenditur compani seek cut back staff attribut compani restructur notwithstand present case maintain abovement state contribut constitut aid reliev compani expens firm oblig bear order reduc workforc purchas asset legal oblig regard worker exclud bid reason aid grant redund worker judg favour compani sens reliev expens born order reduc workforc reduct case consequ dispos made receivership system conclud present case state french author aid social plan de facto intend lessen advers consequ redund posit effect compani regard grant advanc aid element involv hand fact lend monei free interest reliev compani normal cost link financ recoveri plan hand element appear condit establish state repay advanc long repay period principl amount condit formul link futur cash flow eventu lead reimburs advanc turn end pure subsidi condit fit applic credit oper market condit contrari deliber establish french author facilit compani recoveri conclus state aid involv grant ff million advanc market condit judg facilit recoveri mfl oper legal entiti result dispos asset note aid involv advanc illeg commun law time oper french author give prior notif aid commiss accord provis articl respect recal view imper natur rule procedur provid articl import public polici direct effect court justic recogn judgment june case illeg aid issu remedi posteriori unlaw aid issu deriv failur compli rule procedur laid articl addit aid incompat common market commiss avail possibl afford court justic judgment juli case confirm judgment februari case requir member state recov recipi amount aid improperli paid iv aid turn distort competit commun produc financi assist state strengthen posit enterpris compet commun deem affect enterpris note respect machin tool industri commun suffer mid seventi larg reduct size consequ factor hand world wide econom recess push order drastic increas competit countri fact enhanc larg extent intens competit commun produc consequ aid grant produc reliev cost born reinforc posit vi vi aid competitor artifici alter respect competit situat score subsidiari mfl tradition oper foreign market competit commun produc mfl export product direct export member state machin tool tradabl good repres substanti intra commun trade nimex statist intra commun export machin tool amount ecu million franc account part import commun countri amount ecu million year articl eec treati aid meet criteria laid principl incompat common market notwithstand treati except gener rule except provid articl applic case natur assist direct attain object list part articl list aid compat common market compat treati determin context commun singl member state order ensur proper function common market regard principl embodi articl except provid articl constru narrowli aid scheme individu aid award scrutin invok commiss satisfi aid market forc insuffici guid aid recipi pattern behaviour serv object except regard except provid articl aid promot facilit develop area area mfl plant situat capdenac albert saint étienn region character abnorm low standard live underemploy mean articl establish commiss advanc grant region aid scheme basi ad hoc decis govern aid involv requisit featur aid facilit develop econom area mean articl assist grant condit invest job creation explain commiss commun principl coordin region aid scheme exempt provid articl aid question intend give effect project common interest remedi disturb economi member state concern characterist project french author invok derog articl lai exempt aid facilit develop activ aid advers affect trade condit extent contrari common interest regard mention necess aid demonstr aid object state exempt reach case issu aid involv grant advanc market condit essenti basic aim pursu french author ensur continu oper undertak dispos preserv exist job financi forecast provid french author year oper compani record profit tax amount ff million ff million bmo bsa year year period profit tax account respect global incom light financi forecast compani concern capabl support cost advanc grant normal market credit condit word regard point view object pursu french author aid question constitut complet artifici benefit justif aid justifi commun point view substanti distort competit caus artifici benefit context intens competit produc machin tool sector remark result signific aid receiv mfl modern industri equip restructur machin tool programm major futur invest requir compani result dispos order consolid competit posit ration improv manag polici state recoveri plan submit commiss recal regard compani benefit varieti circumstanti advantag hand substanti capit gain aris asset larg symbol price wind proceed mfl capit gain result format brisard machin outil estim compani ff million estim berthiez sa provid hand compani commenc oper size labour forc reduct produc expens compani decis commerci court dispos asset receivership proceed broke jurid link continu compani worker made redund result view consider commiss conclus aid grant french govern continu busi mfl carri compani aris dispos asset qualifi exempt provid articl eec treati summari aid question prove illeg commun law french govern fulfil oblig articl point commiss case requir member state recov aid grant illeg recipi examin appear aid incompat common market view fact alter intra commun trade mean articl fall exempt provid articl consequ aid question withdrawn adopt decis articl public assist compani aris dispos asset mfl brisard machin outil berthiez product form advanc amount ff million ff million term normal market term grant illeg breach articl incompat common market pursuant articl eec treati articl aid element public assist refer articl abolish effect date grant ff million advanc brisard machin outil french govern request convert normal credit market term interest repay effect date grant withdraw advanc complet measur ensur aid element wholli abolish contrari aid element ff million advanc berthiez product abolish initi beneficiari bankrupt final beneficiari berthiez sa liabil berthiez product articl french author inform commiss month notif decis measur compli therewith decis implement period nation provis interest arrear payabl state applic date decis notif articl decis address french republ brussel decemb commiss leon brittan vice presid oj oj