Rules for State aid to the coal industry
The Commission sets out its views on the present situation and the future of the coal industry in the ECSC and lays down rules for the granting of State aid in Commission Decision No 3632/93/ECSC of 28 December 1993. Articles in the Decision cover: The framework and general objectives of aid; aid granted by the Member States; aid for the reduction of activity; the meeting of exceptional costs; aid for research and development; environmental protection; notification, appraisal and authorization procedures; general and financial provisions. With regard to RTD, the Decision notes that it is necessary to ensure equal access by the coal industry and other sectors to aid for research and development and aid for environmental protection; it is therefore desirable to evaluate the compatibility of such aid with the guidelines established to this end. Also, the industry is characterized by ever-increasing recourse to advanced technology and therefore plays an important role in research, development and demonstration and the exploitation of the industrial potential of such technology.