Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2005/C 142/03)

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: France.

Aid No: N 71/2005.

Title: Aid for the regeneration of grassland damaged by the exceptional drought of summer 2003.

Objective: To regenerate damaged grassland through aid for the purchase of seed in the Aude, Haute-Garonne and Haut-Rhin departments.

Budget: EUR 459 000 for the three departments.

Aid intensity or amount: Maximum 80 % of the cost of the seed.

Duration: One year.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: France

Aid No: N 87a/2005

Title: Aid for collective investment in physical capital for wine production.

Objective: To develop the wine industry in the Loire-Atlantique department.

Legal basis: Articles L 1511-1 et suivants du Code général des collectivités territoriales.

Budget: Overall amount: EUR 300 000.

Aid intensity or amount: 40 %.

Duration: Three years.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: The Netherlands (Friesland)

Aid No: N 98/2005

Title: Stimulation fund farm relocations.

Objective: Compensating extra costs caused by relocation.

Legal basis:

Provinciale verordening

Budget: EUR 680 670

Aid intensity or amount: Max. 40 % and 50 % in the less-favoured areas, as defined in Article 17 of the Rural Development Regulation.

Duration: 2005-2008

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Spain (Cantabria)

Aid No: N 119/2005

Title: Aid to eliminate the preceding and following carcases in the slaughter chain in the case of carcases testing positive for BSE in Cantabria

Objective: To compensate for losses suffered by the owners of the carcase immediately preceding and the two immediately following in the slaughter chain where carcases test positive in rapid BSE tests.

Legal basis: Orden 41/2004 de 27 de septiembre por la que se establece un régimen de ayudas por la destrucción de la canal inmediatamente anterior y las dos inmediatamente posteriores a la que dé positivo en las pruebas de diagnostico rápido de Encefalopatioa Espongiforme Bovina en la misma cadena de sacrificio.

Budget: EUR 25 000 per year. Overall budget: EUR 150 000.

Aid intensity or amount: Varies according to the type of aid.

Duration: Indeterminate

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Finland.

No of the aid: N 133/2005.

Title: Aid to agricultural enterprises affected by adverse weather conditions in 2004.

Objective: According to the meteorological reports prepared by the Finnish Meteorological Institute the exceptional weather conditions during summer 2004 in Finland were characterised by large amounts of rainfall much of which fell in torrential showers provoking local flooding

Aid could be granted for crop failure and for flood damage.

For crop failure compensation may be paid in cases where the demonstrated loss due to adverse weather conditions is more than 30 % of the standard harvest (normisato) of a culture in the district (normisatoalue) where the farm is situated. The compensation is limited to 90 % of the losses that exceed 30 % of the value of the standard harvest.

Aid for flood damage would be paid for damage to production buildings, growing or ripe horticultural crops, growing trees and harvested field and horticultural crops. The aid rate for damage to buildings and installation is 80 % of eligible damage whereas the aid rate is 60 % of the market value of crops and trees.

Legal basis: Toimenpide perustuu lakiin satovahinkojen korvaamisesta (1214/2000) ja lakiin tulvavahinkojen korvaamisesta (284/1983, sellaisena kuin se on muutettuna lailla 1310/1990 ja 92/1995)

Åtgärden baseras på lagen om ersättande av skördeskador (1214/2000) och lagen om ersättande av skador som förorsakats av exceptionella översvämningar (284/1983, ändrad genom lagarna 1310/1990 och 92/1995).

Budget: Ca. EUR 19,61 million

Aid intensity or amount: See above under ‘Objective’.

Duration: One-off.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 314/04

Title: Agri-Marketing Agreement in Hessen

Objective: The quality scheme for promotion and advertising (N 260/A/02) should be extended to venison.

Legal basis: Hessischer Agrarmarketing-Vertrag.

Budget: EUR 1 549 000 per year

Aid intensity or amount: 50 % for advertising measures, 100 % for participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, 100 % for training measures and consultancy

Duration: Until 31 December 2008

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Germany

No of the aid: N 339/2004.

Title: Compensation in Natura 2000 forest areas.

Objective: The authorities of Schleswig-Holstein intend to enter long-term agreements under public law with owners of forests in order to promote the preservation and development of Natura 2000 areas. The authorities of Schleswig-Holstein would pay compensation for the costs and loss of revenue resulting from these contracts. A one-time payment of EUR 1 700 could be given in order to partly compensate the average difference in revenue between leaf tree and needle tree cultures. A compensation limited to the actual costs or loss of revenue could be paid when the forest owner gives an undertaking not to cut old trees for timber in areas that are important for the preservation of species or cuts needle trees not typical for the habitat before the trees have reached their normal cutting age or establishes biotopes and wetland areas.

Legal basis:

§ 33 Bundesnaturschutzgesetz oder § 20d Landesnaturschutzgesetz in Verbindung mit §§ 121 bis 129 des Landesverwaltungsgesetz

Budget: Ca. EUR 100 000 per annum.

Aid intensity or amount: Variable.

Duration: 10 years from the date of approval by the Commission.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Italy

Aid No: N 598/2004

Title: Amendments to aid No N 758/2002.

Objective: To increase the duration of and the budget for the aid.

Legal basis: Decreto Ministeriale 7 novembre 2002‘Modalità operative del fondo riassicurativo’ nonché decreto ministeriale 7 febbraio 2003.

Budget: EUR 80 million.

Aid intensity or amount: 50 % or 80 % of premiums.

Duration: Until 2008.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/