Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2008/C 279/06)

Aid No: XA 329/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Scheme of Payment to Haulier companies for removing diseased animals direct to slaughter

Legal basis: The Central Fund (Permanent Provision) Act 1965

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Overall amounts of aid payable under this scheme is dependent on the level of disease which, in turn, determines the numbers of reactors disclosed and holdings restricted with Bovine TB and Brucellosis. In view of this, it is not really possible to predict the level of expenditure over the period 2007-2013. Accordingly, the figures given below for planned expenditure are based on current disease levels and expected expenditure in 2007:

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The Scheme of Payment to Haulier companies for removing diseased animals direct to slaughter is implemented on an on going basis as it is directly linked to the level of TB and Brucellosis disease in Ireland. This scheme will remain in place until these two diseases have been eradicated

Objective of aid: To ensure the rapid removal of diseased animals in order to reduce the risk of further spread of disease by providing a service to remove animals which are TB/BR reactors/contacts.

This aid is provided in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 — Aid in respect of animal and plant disease and pest infestations

Sector(s): Bovine animals

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animal_health/ERAD/ERAD_comp_scheme07.doc

Aid No: XA 392/07

Member State: Czech Republic

Region: Entire Czech Republic

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Podpora příslušnému uznanému chovatelskému sdružení na zajištění testování užitkových vlastností mladých plemenných koní ve vyšším stupni kontroly užitkovosti („Kritérium mladých koní“) a na zajištění kontroly užitkovosti a kontroly dědičnosti anglického plnokrevníka a klusáka

Legal basis: § 2 a 2d zákona č. 252/1997 Sb., o zemědělství, resp. „Zásady, kterými se stanovují podmínky pro poskytování dotací pro rok 2007“ (dále jen „Zásady 2007“).

Zákon č. 154/2000 Sb., o šlechtění, plemenitbě a evidenci hospodářských zvířat a o změně některých souvisejících zákonů (plemenářský zákon), jak vyplývá z pozdějších změn.

Zákon č. 166/1999 Sb., o veterinární péči a o změně některých souvisejících zákonů

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: CZK 9 million (to be financed from the State budget)

Maximum aid intensity: 70 % of the costs, in the case of tests performed by or on behalf of third parties to determine the genetic quality or yield of livestock

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: The primary objective is to assist small and medium-sized enterprises.

The secondary objective is to maintain and improve the genetic potential of specified livestock in accordance with Act No 154/2000 Coll. on the improvement, breeding and registration of livestock and amending certain related acts, as amended by subsequent Ministry of Agriculture regulations and decrees implementing certain provisions of that Act, and Act No 166/1999 Coll. on veterinary care and amending certain related acts, as amended.

This is in compliance with Article 16(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 (support for the livestock sector — aid at a rate of up to 70 % of the costs of tests performed by or on behalf of third parties, to determine the genetic quality or yield of livestock, with the exception of controls undertaken by the owner of the livestock and routine controls of milk quality)

Sector(s) concerned: Livestock sector/horse-breeding

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.mze.cz/UserFiles/File/17000/Publikace/Upesnn%20dotanho%20programu%202.A.%20(oprav.).pdf

Other information: —

Prague, 12 December 2007.

Miloš LUKASEK

Vrchní ředitel sekce zemědělských komodit

Ministerstvo zemědělství

Aid No: XA 393/07

Member State: Spain

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Ayuda compensatoria a los titulares de las explotaciones de ganado ovino afectadas por la lengua azul

Legal basis: Proyecto de Orden APA/…/2007, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras de una ayuda compensatoria a los titulares de las explotaciones de ganado ovino afectadas por la lengua azul como pago adicional a los pagos acoplados a los productores de ganado ovino y caprino (pendiente de publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The total planned payments to all beneficiaries from public funds will be a maximum of EUR 46 000 000. The aid is a one-off payment and will be funded from the 2007 budget, although the payment will probably be made in 2008

Maximum aid intensity: The total aid may not exceed EUR 6 for each sheep for which coupled payments were made to sheep and goat farmers during the 2007 financial year or, where no such payments were made, for each ewe more than 12 months old that remained on the holding for at least 100 days prior to 8 August 2007, except in the case of force majeure involving serotype 1 of the bluetongue virus.

The central government will pay up to a maximum of EUR 3 per animal and the Autonomous Communities affected (Andalusia, Extremadura, Madrid, Castile-La Mancha and Castile-León) may pay an additional sum from their own resources up to the ceiling cited above

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the calls for applications by the above Autonomous Communities

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: One-off compensatory payment funded from the 2007 budget, although payment may be made in 2008

Objective of aid: Aid to SMEs (sheep farmers) affected by the quarantine measures imposed following an outbreak of bluetongue in the areas of Spain listed in Annex I to Commission Decision 2005/393/EC of 23 May 2005. The aid complies with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and specifically with paragraph 2(a)(ii) thereof

Sector(s) concerned: Sheep farmers with holdings located within the restricted zone referred to in Order APA/3046/2007 of 19 October 2007 laying down special protective measures. The restricted zone was established in accordance with Article 8(1) of Directive 2000/75/EC and published on the Commission's website pursuant to Article 6(5) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://rasve.mapa.es/Publica/InformacionGeneral/Legislacion/legislacion.asp

Other information: The grants will be compatible with any others that may be granted by other public administrations, public bodies, be they national or international, attached to or subordinate to them, and other private natural or legal persons. However, grants, taken alone or together with one or more other aid payments or grants from any other administration, public body or natural or legal person, may not exceed the limit of EUR 6 per animal referred to above or the limits laid down in Article 19 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Carlos ESCRIBANO MORA

El director general de ganadería