6.5.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 111/22

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

(2008/C 111/08)

Aid No: XA 7054/07

Member State: Italy

Region: Umbria

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid award: Progetti integrati di filiera a favore delle PMI attive nel settore della produzione, trasformazione e commercializzazione dei prodotti di cui all'allegato I del trattato. Criteri per la concessione degli aiuti

Legal basis: Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 1798 del 12 novembre 2007 avente per oggetto «Modifiche ed integrazioni alla DGR 1449/2007 concernente: progetti integrati di filiera a favore delle PMI attive nel settore della produzione, trasformazione e commercializzazione dei prodotti di cui all'allegato I del trattato, criteri per la concessione degli aiuti».

This aid scheme must be regarded as a modification of the preceding exempted aid scheme registered by the Commission, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, under XA 02/05. It will be launched with a specific call for applications setting out the terms and conditions for submitting applications. The call will be published only after the Commission has confirmed, in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001, receipt of this summary information sheet and its publication on the Commission's website.

For all aid categories relating to the production of products listed in Annex I to the Treaty, it should be pointed out that the legal basis, which is the above-mentioned exempted aid scheme XA 02/05, is revised to take account of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Consequently, pursuant to Article 20 of the above-mentioned Regulation, we will send the Commission, jointly with this summary information, the summary information which constitutes the legal prerequisite for launching the exempted aid scheme in that sector

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 5,45 million broken down as follows:

EUR 5 million primarily for enterprises in the area of Lake Trasimeno in the province of Perugia (Magione, Panicale, C. del Lago, Tuoro, Passignano, Città della Pieve, Piegaro, Paciano),

EUR 450 000 as a first allocation and according to the schedule established in the 2007-2013 RDP for Umbria, which the European Commission is currently examining for approval, for aid to integrated agri-food projects in the remaining part of the region

Maximum aid intensity:

For primary production, the aid is granted in the form of capital contributions for the following maximum amounts:

—

40 % of expenditure for the following interventions/operations:

(a)

construction or improvement of immovable property and purchase of agricultural land for up to 10 % of the total costs borne by each implementing party; immovable property may also be purchased, if essential to attain the aims of the project, for a maximum eligible expenditure of EUR 516 per usable square metre;

(b)	expenditure for the introduction of company quality systems in compliance with the ISO 9000 standard,

—	20 % of the expenditure borne to purchase machinery and equipment, including computer equipment,

—	12 % for overheads related to the expenditure described in points (a) and (b), including the purchase of patents and licences.

The above rates shall be increased by 10 percentage points if the intervention/operation takes place in mountainous or less-favoured areas as established in the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme for Umbria pursuant to Articles 50 and 94 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 and by a further 10 points if it is carried out by young farmers.

The maximum amount of aid granted to an individual enterprise must not exceed EUR 400 000 over any period of three financial years or EUR 500 000 if the enterprise is situated in a mountainous or less-favoured area as established in the 2007-2013 Rural Development Plan for Umbria pursuant to Articles 50 and 94 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

The primary production sector also includes any investment in the agricultural holding needed to prepare animal or vegetable products for the first sale. The term ‘first sale’ means the sale effected by a primary producer to retailers or processors, including any operation needed to prepare the product for this first sale, and the sale to the final consumer provided it takes place in premises that are not separate from other premises used for the primary activity.

The following expenditure is not eligible:

—	the purchase of production rights, animals and annual plants,

—	drainage works, irrigation equipment and irrigation works,

—	the planting of annual plants,

—	simple replacement investments,

—	investments for the manufacture and marketing of products which imitate or substitute for milk and milk products.

For processing and marketing, the aid is granted in the form of capital contributions up to 40 % of expenditure for the following interventions/operations:

(a)	the construction or improvement of immovable property; immovable property may also be purchased, if essential to attain the aims of the project, for a maximum eligible expenditure of EUR 516 per usable square metre;

(b)	expenditure for the introduction of company quality systems in compliance with the ISO 9000 standard;

(c)	the purchase of machinery, equipment, including computer equipment, and technological installations;

(d)	up to 12 % of overheads related to the expenditure described in points (a), (b) and (c), including the purchase of patents and licences.

The following expenditure is not eligible:

—	investments for the phases following the first processing phase unless the first processing of a product listed in Annex I to the Treaty is carried out at the enterprise,

—	investments at retail level,

—	investments for processing or marketing products from non-EU countries.

For each enterprise, maximum eligible expenditure is limited to 40 % of the turnover of the last budget approved as of the date of submission of the application, or to ten times the share capital subscribed as of the same date.

In any case, for enterprises processing and marketing agricultural products listed in Annex I to the Treaty, expenditure may only be eligible for support if in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

For integrated management relating to quality, environmental protection, public health, animal and plant health, animal welfare and safety at work, the aid is granted in the form of capital contributions for the following amounts:

—

up to 100 % of the costs borne by individual or associated producers, and up to EUR 30 000 for each enterprise, for the following interventions:

(a)	expenditure relating to checks carried out in connection with the issuing of the first certification required for quality products recognised at Community level (DOC, DOCG, PDO, IGT, PGI, TSG, and organic products),

—

up to 50 % of the expenditure borne, up to EUR 100 000, for each enterprise for the following interventions:

(b)	expenditure for the introduction of environmental quality systems in compliance with the ISO 14000 or EMAS standard,

—

up to 80 % of the expenditure borne, up to EUR 100 000, for each enterprise for the following:

(c)	expenditure for the introduction of certification systems in the food chain,

—

up to 70 % of expenditure borne by individual or associated enterprises, and up to EUR 200 000, for interventions relating to marketing support services, i.e.:

(d)	publications, such as catalogues or websites, presenting factual information on the sector product provided the information is neutral and that all the operators in the sector have equal opportunities to be represented in the publications;

(e)	organising and participating in competitions, trade fairs, shows and forums for knowledge-sharing among businesses, provided it is for the following: participation fees, travel costs, publication costs, the rent of exhibition stands, symbolic prizes up to EUR 250 per prize and per winner;

(f)

quality products recognised at Community level (DOC, DOCG, PDO, IGT, PGI, TSG, and organic products):

(i)	the dissemination of scientific knowledge;

(ii)	factual information on the quality systems and nutritional benefits of these products and their use provided that the references to the origin correspond exactly to those references which have been registered by the Community.

Aid for technical support services does not involve direct payments to farmers except in the cases provided for in Article 14(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme:

Objective of aid: Support to SMEs involved in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products under Annex I to the EC Treaty (except forestry, bioenergy and fishery products) aimed at stepping up competition in the main agri-food sectors in Umbria by introducing product and process innovations and integrated management as to quality, safety and environmental protection and support services for marketing agricultural products, mostly quality products.

For the production sector, the legal basis for the exemption of this aid scheme is provided by Articles 4, 14 and 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

For the processing and marketing sector, the legal basis for the exemption of this aid scheme is provided by Articles 4 and 5 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

Eligible costs covered by the aid scheme are indicated under ‘Maximum aid intensity’ above

Sector(s) concerned: The sectors concerned by the aid scheme are the production, processing and marketing of products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty (except forestry, bioenergy and fishery products).

For all initiatives planned under this aid scheme, evidence must be given of the existence of normal market outlets. Investments to increase production capacity in sectors with specific limitations under common market organisations are not eligible unless justified by the purchase of the corresponding production quotas

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Umbria — Direzione regionale Agricoltura e foreste, aree protette, valorizzazione dei sistemi naturalistici e paesaggistici, beni ed attività culturali, sport e spettacolo

Centro direzionale Fontivegge

I-06100 Perugia

Website: www.regione.umbria.it

select ‘aree tematiche’,

select ‘agricoltura e foreste’ on the left,

under ‘ultime notizie’, select ‘D.G.R. del’,

select ‘clicca qui’

E-mail: fgarofalo@regione.umbria.it

Other information: Aid for the production of agricultural products listed in Annex I to the Treaty is implemented as exempted aid pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. As a consequence, in accordance with Article 20 of the above-mentioned Regulation, the summary information on exempted aid for this sector is being forwarded to the Commission jointly with this summary information