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 EC 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 110/10)

Aid No: XA 383/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Navarra

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Ayudas a las inversiones, en régimen asociativo, en equipamiento informático y material de apoyo a las explotaciones agrarias

Legal basis: Orden Foral de la Consejera de Desarrollo Rural y Medio Ambiente por la que se establecen las normas reguladoras que regirán la concesión de ayudas a las inversiones, en régimen asociativo, en equipamiento informático y material de apoyo a las explotaciones agrarias

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 200 000 annually, with the exception of 2007 when there was an annual expenditure of EUR 160 000

Maximum aid intensity: Aid of up to 40 % of eligible investments in agricultural undertakings

Date of application:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 December 2007 to 31 December 2010

Objective of aid: The main objectives of the aid are the following:

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: Investment in agricultural holdings. Eligible expenses: Article 4(4)(b) Aid for the purchase of equipment, including computer software

Sector(s) concerned: The primary agricultural production sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

Internet address: http://www.cfnavarra.es/agricultura/COYUNTURA/AyudasEstado/pdfs/STNO07067%20OF.pdf

Other information:

Aid No: XA 385/07

Member State: Belgium

Region: Vlaanderen

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Vlaams Centrum voor Agro- en Visserijmarketing vzw (VLAM)

Legal basis: Decreet van 22 december 2006 houdende de uitgavenbegroting van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap voor het begrotingsjaar 2007, inzonderheid artikel 12, gewijzigd bij het decreet van 29 juni 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: A grant of EUR 120 000, broken down as follows for the three programmes:

EUR 62 000 for consultancy services provided,

EUR 11 000 for organising forums for the exchange of knowledge,

EUR 47 000 for publications

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is 100 %

Date of implementation: Aid will start on 19 December 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid amounting to EUR 120 000 will be granted for activities carried out between 19 December 2007 and 31 July 2009

Objective of aid: The non-profit organisation VLAM wishes to undertake activities to encourage producers to participate in the PDO/PGI/TSG schemes.

By running this campaign, VLAM wishes to provide encouragement and guidance to producer groups and advise them on how to compile and submit an application dossier.

VLAM intends to undertake the following activities:

The aid is granted under Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and complies with that Article:

Article 15(2)(c): concerning consultancy services provided by third parties, the fees for services which do not constitute a continuous or periodic activity nor relate to the enterprise's usual operating expenditure, such as routine tax consultancy services, regular legal services or advertising.

Article 15(2)(d): concerning the organisation of and participation in forums to share knowledge between businesses, competitions, exhibitions and fairs.

Article 15(2)(f): publications such as catalogues or websites presenting factual information about producers from a given region or producers of a given product, provided the information and presentation is neutral and that all producers concerned have equal opportunities to be represented in the publication

Sector(s) concerned: The arable and livestock sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Internet address: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/article_body.pl?numac=2007036508&caller=list&article_lang=N&row_id=1&numero=18&pub_date=2007-10-04&set3=set+character_variant+%27dutch.ftl%27&ddfm=12&dt=DECREET&language=nl&choix1=EN&choix2=EN&fromtab=+montxt&nl=n&trier=afkondiging&ddda=2006&sql=dt+%3D+%27DECREET%27+and+dd+between+date%272006-12-22%27+and+date%272006-12-22%27+&rech=18&tri=dd+AS+RANK+&ddfa=2006&dddj=22&dddm=12&ddfj=22&set1=set+stopfile+%27MON.stp%27

Other information: Without this State aid, it would not be possible to achieve the programme's objective and it would be impossible to carry out the project.

Jules VAN LIEFFERINGE

Secretary-General

Aid No: XA 386/07

Member State: France

Region: Centre

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: «Aide à la création de maisons de cultures destinées à la production agricole»

A growing shed is a building in which agricultural production is carried out. It allows production to be carried out independently of weather conditions, while facilitating harvest and guaranteeing the health of the crop. The building has thermal insulation and controlled internal temperature, humidity and air flow. A group of buildings may also be equipped with a picking line

Legal basis:

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

These amounts relate to the agricultural sector for the Centre region only

Under Article 4(4) of Regulation No 1857/2006 aid may be provided for investments to create growing sheds and in particular:

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum amount for which aid may be granted is EUR 150 000 per labour unit. A maximum of two labour units will be covered per holding. However, the limit is six labour units for holdings using labour-intensive production systems.

Under Article 4(9) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, the maximum amount of aid granted to an individual enterprise must not exceed EUR 400 000 over any period of three fiscal years, or EUR 500 000 if the enterprise is situated in a less favoured area or in areas referred to in Article 36(a)(i), (ii) or (iii) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, as designated by Member States in accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of that Regulation.

Only holdings meeting the conditions laid down in Article 4(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 are eligible for aid.

The gross aid intensity increases as the total investment increases:

The Regional Council is responsible for half of the gross aid intensity. The General Councils of the Centre Region may provide additional funding for the scheme up to the authorised limits

Date of implementation: Following acknowledgement of receipt by the European Commission

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Until 31 December 2013, the date until which Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 applies

Objectives of aid: To make holdings more competitive, improve product quality and reduce production costs (extension of the aid scheme registered under XA 16/05)

Sectors concerned: All agricultural production sectors except for horticultural and market garden greenhouses receiving or having received financial assistance under schemes already notified (N 572/01 and N 523/01)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Web address: www.regioncentre.fr

Click on ‘le guide des aides’

Aid No: XA 399/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Cataluña

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Ayudas para la incentivación de la mejora de la eficiencia energética en invernaderos agrícolas y en explotaciones de porcino

Legal basis: Orden ARP/XXX/2007, de 23 de octubre, por la que se aprueban las bases reguladoras de las ayudas para la incentivación de la mejora de la eficiencia energética en invernaderos agrícolas y en explotaciones porcinas, y se convocan las correspondientes al año 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted: For 2007: EUR 478 800

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum subsidy per application will be 25 % of the eligible investment. It may be increased by:

5 % when the applicant is a young farmer,

2 % when the applicant is a woman

Date of application: October 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Objective of the aid: The objective of the aid is to assist investment in agricultural holdings for the purpose of improving energy efficiency in greenhouses used for agricultural production and in pig production (Article 4).

Investment relating to the improvement of installations, insulation and covering, heating systems, ventilation and materials is eligible, as is any improvement which involves a quantifiable saving and improvement in energy efficiency in greenhouses used for agricultural production and on pig holdings.

The eligible costs are specified in Article 4(4)(a) and (b), i.e. those relating to construction, acquisition or improvement of installations, plus those relating to the purchase or lease-purchase of equipment and machinery needed to improve efficiency in greenhouses used for agricultural purposes and in pig holdings.

Overheads linked to the above expenditure, such as architects', engineers' and consultants' fees, feasibility studies and the acquisition of patents and licences, are not eligible

Sector(s) concerned: Production of products listed in Annex I to the Treaty, except for fishery and aquaculture products covered by Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 and products falling within CN codes 4502, 4503 and 4504 (cork products)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Web address: http://www.gencat.net/darp/c/serveis/ajuts/ajut.htm

Other information: —

Aid No: XA 400/07

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Območje občine Žužemberk

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Dodeljevanje sredstev za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva v občini Žužemberk za obdobje 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju sredstev iz naslova finančnih intervencij za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva v občini Žužemberk za programsko obdobje 2007–2013 (II. Poglavje)

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

Maximum aid intensity:

1.   Investment in agricultural holdings:

The purpose of the aid is investment to purchase machinery and equipment to be used for agricultural production, to invest in permanent crops and to improve farmland.

2.   Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings:

3.   Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

4.   Aid for land reparcelling:

5.   Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products:

6.   Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

Date of implementation: October 2007 (the aid will not be granted until a summary has been published on the European Commission's website)

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

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

Reference to articles in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and eligible costs: Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting aid under financial measures for the preservation and development of agriculture in the municipality of Žužemberk for the programming period 2007-13 includes measures constituting State aid in accordance with the following articles 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 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

Article 4 of the Commission Regulation: Investment in agricultural holdings,

Article 5 of the Commission Regulation: Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings,

Article 12 of the Commission Regulation: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums,

Article 13 of the Commission Regulation: Aid for land reparcelling,

Article 14 of the Commission Regulation: Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products,

Article 15 of the Commission Regulation: Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of granting authority:

Internet address: http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=200790&dhid=91805

Other information:: The measure for the payment of insurance premiums to insure crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost, hail, lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 relating to the measures to be adopted by the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and monitoring of aid)

Franc ŠKUFCA

Mayor of the Municipality of Žužemberk