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

2010/C 321/03

Aid No: XA 185/10

Member State: France

Region: Département de l'Isère

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aides au pastoralisme en Isère, volet investissements

Legal basis: Articles L 1511-1 et suivants et articles L 3231-1 et suivants du code général des collectivités territoriales.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 60 000

Maximum aid intensity:

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the identification number of the exemption request on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

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

Objective of aid: This aid scheme comes under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006.

To promote natural pastoral heritage, funding is targeted to cover in particular the construction of pens to contain animals, automatic gates and cattle grids, and to install fences, drinking troughs and sorting pens (equipment specially designed for mountains).

This complement to extensive pastoral activity will promote biodiversity and the multi-purpose use of natural areas.

Furthermore, aid will be paid exclusively to:

farms whose size does not exceed that of an SME as defined in Community Law (cf. Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/2008 of 6 August 2008, OJ L 214, 9.8.2008),

farms that are enterprises active in the primary production of agricultural products,

farms that are not enterprises in difficulty within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for the rescue and restructuring of companies in difficulty (OJ C 244, 1.10.2004).

Sector(s) concerned: Pastoral groups, mountain grazing syndicates, mountain pastoral land associations (pasture areas of the Northern Alps region in Isère)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.isere.fr/include/viewFile.php?idtf=969&path=51%2FWEB_CHEMIN_969_1284372519.pdf

Other information: The proposed scheme will enable the continuation of scheme XA 299/08 with an annual budget that is better adapted to the needs of farmers in Isère.

Aid No: XA 186/10

Member State: France

Region: Département de l'Isère

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aides au pastoralisme en Isère, volet aménagement des espaces pastoraux

Legal basis: Articles L 1511-1 et suivants et articles L 3231-1 et suivants du code général des collectivités territoriales.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 180 000

Maximum aid intensity:

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the identification number of the exemption request on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

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

Objective of aid: This aid scheme comes under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006.

The objective is to promote the department’s natural heritage and mountainous landscapes through aid to improve and restore pasture areas (mountain pastures and rangelands) and conserve the fodder production potential of traditional facilities associated with animal husbandry.

The construction of huts, chalets and traditional shelters is eligible for funding.

This complement to extensive pastoral activity will promote biodiversity and the multi-purpose use of natural areas without increasing the production capacity of farms.

Furthermore, aid will be paid exclusively to:

farms whose size does not exceed that of an SME as defined in Community Law (cf. Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/2008 of 6 August 2008, OJ L 214, 9.8.2008),

farms that are enterprises active in the primary production of agricultural products,

farms that are not enterprises in difficulty within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for the rescue and restructuring of companies in difficulty (OJ C 244. 1.10.2004).

Sector(s) concerned: Pastoral groups, mountain grazing syndicates, mountain pastoral land associations (pasture areas of the Northern Alps region in Isère)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.isere.fr/include/viewFile.php?idtf=968&path=53%2FWEB_CHEMIN_968_1284372500.pdf

Other information: The proposed scheme will enable the continuation of scheme XA 300/08 with an annual budget that is better adapted to the needs of farmers in Isère.

Aid No: XA 188/10

Member State: France

Region: Région Rhône-Alpes

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aide à l’agriculture biologique en région Rhône-Alpes: accompagnement individualisé à la conversion

Legal basis: Articles L 1511-1 et suivants, article L 4211-1 du code général des collectivités territoriales

Délibération du Conseil régional Rhône-Alpes PRADR

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 200 000

Maximum aid intensity: 50 %

up to 50 % of expenditure, limited to EUR 2 700 per agricultural holding.

Date of implementation: from receipt of the acknowledgement of receipt showing the identification number of the measure and publication of the summary of the measure on the Commission website.

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

Objective of aid: In accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 the objective of the aid is to provide farmers with technical assistance to assist them in their plans to convert to organic farming.

On the one hand, this technical assistance will consist of evaluating the technical feasibility and economic viability of converting all or part of an agricultural holding to organic farming and, on the other hand, the assistance will provide advice to the agricultural holding in the process of being converted.

This personalised support must maximise the likelihood of success of the conversion by adapting the conversion procedures to best suit the agricultural holding in question.

The support proposed to the farmers will consist of two stages:

First stage before the conversion: assessment and conversion plan,

Second stage in year 1 or 2 of the conversion: follow-up upon request from the farmers.

In accordance with Article 15(3) and (4) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, no aid will be paid to farmers and any person who is eligible will be able to have access to measures implemented by collective structures without being forced to be affiliated to those structures.

Furthermore, aid will be paid exclusively to:

agricultural holdings whose size does not exceed that of an SME as defined in EU legislation (cf. Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/2008 of 6 August 2008, OJ L 214, 9.8.2008),

agricultural holdings that are enterprises active in the primary production of agricultural products,

and agricultural holdings that are not enterprises in difficulty within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty (OJ C 244. 1.10.2004).

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural holdings, in all the areas of the région Rhône-Alpes.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www.rhonealpes.fr/TPL_CODE/TPL_AIDE/PAR_TPL_IDENTIFIANT/109/18-les-aides-de-la-region.htm

Other information: —