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

(2009/C 56/06)

Aid No: XA 287/08

Member State: Federal Republic of Germany

Region: Freistaat Bayern

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Gewährung von Leistungen durch die Bayerische Tierseuchenkasse nach der ‘Satzung über die Leistungen der Bayerischen Tierseuchenkasse (Leistungssatzung)’

Legal basis:

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Some EUR 19,7 million (financed from livestock keepers' contributions to the Bayerische Tierseuchenkasse)

Maximum aid intensity: Up to the maximum of 100 %

Date of implementation: The aid will be granted from the date of publication of the summary description of the aid scheme on the Internet

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 January 2009-31 December 2013

Objective of aid: Aid to combat animal diseases under Article 10(1) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Under Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

Under Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

The beneficiaries are small and medium-sized enterprises within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The aid does not cover measures the cost of which are to be borne by the agricultural holdings themselves under Community law.

Aid under Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 will not be granted as direct payments to agricultural holdings but as subsidised services. The Bayerische Tierseuchenkasse will assume the costs of the services and pay the service-providers. The gross aid intensity will not exceed 100 %.

The services are essentially veterinary activities and analysis costs linked to the performance of health checks, tests and other early detection measures, vaccinations and subsidising the cost of purchasing vaccines.

Aid under Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 is calculated using the market value of the animals killed by the disease or culled by public order as part of a compulsory public prevention or eradication programme. The aid is restricted to losses resulting from animal diseases the outbreak of which has been formally recognised by the authorities. The gross aid intensity will not exceed 100 %

Sector(s) concerned: All holdings keeping cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, chickens or turkeys in Bavaria

Name and address of the granting authority:

Websites: For legal bases:

Tierseuchengesetz:

http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bundesrecht/viehseuchg/gesamt.pdf

Gesetz über den Vollzug des Tierseuchenrechts:

http://portal.versorgungskammer.de/portal/page/portal/btsk/btskrg/tierseuchengesetz-vollzug.pdf

For aid scheme:

Satzung über die Leistungen der Bayerischen Tierseuchenkasse (Leistungssatzung):

http://portal.versorgungskammer.de/portal/page/portal/btsk/btskrg/leistungssatzung2009.pdf

Other information: —

Aid No: XA 363/08

Member State: France

Region: Département de l'Aude

Title of aid scheme: aides aux coûts de réalisation de la vaccination et de dépistage virologique des animaux dans le cadre de la lutte contre la fièvre catarrhale ovine (FCO)

Legal basis: Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,

Arrêtés du ministre de l'agriculture et de la pêche du 29 août, 19, 24 septembre et 27 octobre 2008 modifiant l'arrêté du 1er avril 2008 définissant les zones réglementées relatives à la FCO,

Council Decision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field,

Délibération du 24 octobre 2008 du Conseil général de l'Aude,

Avenant à la convention bipartite départementale du 19 novembre 2007 relative aux tarifs des opérations de prophylaxie collective, fixant le tarif de rémunération des vaccinations obligatoires dans le cadre de la FCO

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 166 000 for the entire operation (vaccinations and virological screening)

Maximum aid intensity: The intervention rate is 50 % of the cost of vaccination for serotypes 1 and 8 and 50 % of the costs of virological screening

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme: November 2008 to the end of 30 April 2009

Objective of aid: In order to boost the effectiveness of the national anti-blue tongue disease programme, in addition to various measures taken to monitor and supervise the disease, the Conseil général de l'Aude wishes to assist the cattle, sheep and goat breeding industries by bearing:

50 % of the cost (excluding tax) of administering the vaccine, in addition to aid from the State and the European Union. A cross check between the State services (Departmental Directorates for Agriculture and Forestry (DDAF) and the Departmental Directorates for Veterinary Services (DDSV)) and the services of the Conseil général de l'Aude will be carried out to ensure compliance with the aid ceiling of 100 %.

However, the provision of vaccines is not eligible under this Regulation because it is paid for entirely by the State and the European Union,

50 % of the cost (excluding tax) of virological examinations, but no more than EUR 25 excluding tax per virological examination.

The aid will be granted in kind by means of subsidised services, in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: Cattle, sheep and goats

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.cg11.fr/contenu/c_communique_vaccination.asp

Aid No: XA 367/08

Member State: Federal Republic of Germany

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: ‘Nachhaltigkeit’

Legal basis: § 3 des Gesetzes über die Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 4. September 2002 (BGBl. I S. 3646), zuletzt geändert durch Artikel 174 der Verordnung vom 31. Oktober 2006 (BGBI. I S. 2407) in Verbindung mit der Programminformation Nachhaltigkeit und dem Merkblatt Beihilfen

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Soft loans are to be granted. The planned value of the loan aid is EUR 12 million

Maximum aid intensity: A maximum 20 % of eligible costs. The maximum amount of aid granted to a single enterprise may not exceed EUR 400 000 in any one period of three financial years. In the event of cumulation with other public funding in relation to the same eligible costs the thresholds stipulated in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 will be complied with

Date of implementation: In accordance with the deadline in Article 20(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, but no earlier than 17 November 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 30 June 2014

Objective of aid: Support to SMEs active in the primary production of agricultural products as referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty (with the exception of fisheries and aquaculture) by aiding investment in the primary production of agricultural products. Investment to protect and improve the natural environment or improve hygiene conditions or animal welfare. Investment to improve the quality of production (Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006). Eligible costs are (a) the construction, acquisition or improvement of immovable property; (b) the purchase or lease-purchase of machinery and equipment, including computer software up to the market value of the asset; or (c) general costs linked to expenditure under points (a) and (b), such as architects, engineers and consultation fees, feasibility studies. There are guarantees to ensure that the aid is not granted in contravention of the bans or restrictions laid down in the Council Regulations establishing the common market organisations, even where the bans and restrictions relate only to Community aid

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture, wine, horticulture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: www.rentenbank.de/landwirtschaft/nachhaltigkeit

Other information: —

Aid No: XA 383/08

Member State: Italy

Region: Veneto

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Consolidamento e sviluppo dell'agricoltura di montagna

Legal basis: Articoli 6-7-9-15-16-17 della legge regionale del 18 gennaio 1994 n. 2 «Provvedimenti per il consolidamento e lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura di montagna e la tutela e valorizzazione dei territori montani». Il testo coordinato della legge è pubblicato sul sito del Consilio Regionale del Veneto.

Deliberazione Giunta regionale veneto n. 2441 del 16 settembre 2008, «Adeguamento delle disposizioni applicative della L.R. del 18 gennaio 1994 n. 2 “Provvedimenti per il consolidamento e lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura di montagna e la tutela e valorizzazione dei territori montani” alla normativa comunitaria. Modifiche ed integrazioni alle D.G.R. 901 del 6 maggio 2008 e D.G.R. 1440 del 6 giugno 2008».

Il testo della deliberazione è pubblicato sul Bollettino ufficiale della regione Veneto n. 82 del 3 ottobre 2008 a pagina 19

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Annual expenditure as established in the Financial Law approved each year by the Regional Council. By way of indication, on average an annual financial allocation of about EUR 800 000 is planned

Maximum aid intensity: The aid scheme will only apply to mountain areas within the meaning of Article 36(a)(i) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 and as set out in the RDP Veneto 2007-2013 approved by Decision EC C(2007) 4682 of 17 October 2007.

The maximum aid intensity varies according to the different categories and complies with the ceilings established in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

investment in agricultural holdings:

conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings (Article 6 of Regional Law No 2/94). Aid intensity will be 75 % for:

The overall aid amount granted to an individual business may not exceed EUR 500 000 paid over any period of three financial years

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Objective of aid: Sector development, competitiveness, modernisation — Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Eligible costs: structural works and equipment installation aimed at improving, modernising and updating technology of farm equipment; overheads up to 5 % of eligible expenditure.

Conservation of traditional buildings — Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Eligible costs: restructuring of rural buildings

Sector(s) concerned: The scheme applies to the production of agricultural products as listed in Annex I to the Treaty and covers all the sectors of production concerned

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://web.intra.rve/sites/segr.giunta/Shared%20Documents/bur_internet.aspx

Aid No: XA 386/08

Member State: Hungary

Region: Magyarország

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: A nemzeti agrárkár-enyhítési rendszerről és a kárenyhítési hozzájárulásról szóló állami támogatási program

Legal basis:

Legal bases of aid scheme to be replaced (XA 99/07):

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The annual expenditure planned is approximately HUF 5 billion, comprising a producers' compensation resource contribution of HUF 2,5 billion and a State contribution of at least the same amount

Maximum aid intensity: The intensity of the aid may not exceed 80 % of loss in yield due to adverse climatic events, or 90 % in less favoured areas.

The loss in yields is to be reduced by the the compensation paid by insurance companies and the reduction in the costs of harvesting (the damage will lead to less crop, thus the cost of harvesting will be proportionately smaller).

The damages contribution paid by the farmer is HUF 2 000 per hectare per year on land used for growing fruit and vegetables and HUF 800 per hectare per year on other land

Date of implementation: From 1 January 2009

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Up to 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: Partial compensation of losses due to adverse climatic events, to be paid to farmers whose losses exceed 30 % of the yield of the agricultural holding.

Article 11 — Aid for losses due to adverse climatic events.

Compliance with Article 11(8) and (9) must be reached by the prescribed deadline

Sector(s) concerned: All crop-producing sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.parlament.hu/internet/plsql/ogy_irom.irom_adat?p_ckl=38&p_izon=6686

Budapest, 4 November 2008.

MÁHR András

szakállamtitkár