Brussels, 10/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission does not accept France's immobility over the Bull issue and warns that it will soon be referring the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU if the Member State does not immediately meet its obligations. On 14 November 2002, the Commission had approved payment of exceptional aid of EUR 450 million to the IT group, Bull, as a short term rescue loan. The company had already received restructuring aid in 1993-94 and could not claim further aid of this kind according to the "one time last time" principle. One essential condition for granting rescue aid, considered as a treasury advance, was that it should be reimbursed before 17 June 2003. After this date and given the inertia of national authorities, the Commission had, at the beginning of the summer, sent a formal request for information setting out its requirements once again, but France refused to comply. In its willingness to assist its key industrial groups (see Alstom file), it was sensitive to the arguments put forward by Bull CEO Pierre Bonelli, who had spoken of the risk of bankruptcy if the advance were to be repaid. During an interview with the French daily Le Figaro last week, Commissioner Mario Monti criticised the French attitude, saying its refusal to comply constitutes "serious violation of Community rules". He stressed that he would very soon be "proposing to the Commission College that the matter should be referred to the European Court of Justice so that proceedings may be launched early October". His spokesperson Tilman Lueder confirmed this information saying that "the College will decide on 1 October". Mario Monti has still to meet Francis Mer on Friday during an informal meeting of EU Finance Ministers in Stresa, Italy.