Parliamentary question - E-3497/2009Parliamentary question
E-3497/2009

Unauthorised state aid in the privatisation of OKD

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3497/09
by Jana Bobošíková (NI)
to the Commission

In its answer of 18 February 2009 to Written Question E‑7005/08 of 7 January 2009, the European Commission states, with respect to possible unauthorised state aid, that it is ready to examine any new facts that may come to light in the case of the privatisation of OKD. I therefore consider it useful to inform the Commission that in April 2009 two completely new facts emerged concerning the privatisation of OKD.

1. The contracting parties have disclosed parts of the contract on the privatisation of OKD from 2004 that were not hitherto in the public domain, particularly regarding the terms for the acquisition and subsequent management of the apartments and the section relating to the consistency of this contract with EC law.

2. A new expert evaluation of this immovable property has been drawn up which clearly shows that, in addition to basic differences between the fixed selling price and the market price, the 2004 figures did not include non-residential premises in the real estate and land in the Moravia-Silesia region. Nor did the evaluation include any housing units in Kladno in the Central Bohemia region (1 200 apartments). This evaluation can be obtained from the competent Czech authorities.

I therefore ask again, did the privatisation of the Czech Republic’s stake in the company OKD give rise to unlawful state aid and exceed the maximum level of aid, thereby infringing Article 87 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1998/2006[1] and Commission Regulation (EC) No 69/2001[2]?

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010