2008/283/EC: Commission Decision of 13 November 2007 amending Decision 2003/757/EC on the aid scheme implemented by Belgium for coordination centres established in Belgium (notified under document number C(2007) 5416) (Text with EEA relevance)

The following text is hereby added to Article 2 of Decision 2003/757/EC: ‘The coordination centres with an application for renewal pending on the date on which the present Decision is notified or with an authorisation which expires at the same time as or shortly after such notification, i.e. between the date of notification and 31 December 2005, may continue to benefit from the scheme for coordination centres until 31 December 2005. Renewal of the authorisation for the said coordination centres is hereby authorised until 31 December 2005 at the latest.’

The four coordination centres in Belgium with an authorisation that has been renewed for an indefinite period on the basis of the order of the President of the Court of Justice of the European Communities of 26 June 2003 deferring implementation of Decision 2003/757/EC may benefit from the scheme for coordination centres until the end of the normal taxable period running on 22 June 2006.

The Law of 27 December 2006 is incompatible with the common market in so far as its provisions are designed to extend by way of new decisions to renew authorisations the scheme for coordination centres beyond 31 December 2005. Accordingly, the Commission calls on Belgium to desist from implementing the relevant provisions of the Law of 27 December 2006.

Article 1 shall apply with effect from 18 February 2003.

Belgium shall inform the Commission within two months of the date of publication of this Decision of the measures taken to comply with it.

This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium