Brussels, 19/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the Commission decided to open a detailed inquiry into the current restructuring of the Polish steel company Huta Czestochowa SA, Poland's second largest steel producer. The probe will essentially serve to verify whether the restructuring of Huta Czestochowa, which has financial difficulties, is really being done without State aid (the Commission has doubts about this) and to determine the nature of any aid there might be. The treaty for Poland's accession to the EU bans the granting of restructuring aid to the Polish companies, except for those which are explicitly mentioned in a special protocol annexed to the Treaty. Huta Czestochowa was not included among the potential beneficiaries noted in the treaty, given that the Polish government had initially foreseen its liquidation. The Commission also doubts whether the restructuring of the company meets the private creditor test. "The current restructuring plan raises the impression that the winding up of the company was avoided by convincing the commercial creditors to agree to a restructuring plan. It appears that State, although in the possession of pledges on the steel assets, did not request liquidation but agreed to write off parts of its debt", the Commission states in a press release. The inquiry opened on Wednesday will not, however, take a direct interest in the Polish state's sale of part of its assets in the company. This aspect would only be studied if the sale of assets entails the transfer of State aid between Polish steel producers, which is also banned by the Accession Treaty.