9.10.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/1

Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(Text with EEA relevance, except for products falling under Annex I to the Treaty)

2012/C 304/01

Date of adoption of the decision

7.9.2012

Reference number of State Aid

SA.35234 (12/N)

Member State

Czech Republic

Region

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Podpora ozdravování polních a speciálních plodin – biologická ochrana rostlin jako náhrada chemické ochrany

Legal basis

—	Zákon č. 252/1997 Sb., o zemědělství (Act No 252/1997 Coll. on agriculture)

—	Zásady vydané Ministerstvem zemědělství, kterými se stanovují podmínky pro poskytování dotací (Guidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture laying down conditions for granting subsidies)

Type of measure

Scheme

—

Objective

Agri-environmental commitments

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: CZK 35 million

Annual budget: CZK 7 million

Intensity

100 %

Duration (period)

1.10.2012-30.9.2017

Economic sectors

Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities

Name and address of the granting authority

Ministerstvo zemědělství

Těšnov 17

117 05 Praha 1

ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

9.10.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/2

Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(Text with EEA relevance)

2012/C 304/02

Date of adoption of the decision

12.6.2012

Reference number of State Aid

SA.34301 (12/N)

Member State

Italy

Region

Oristano

—

Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)

Declaratoria della eccezionalità della moria ittica che ha interessato lo Stagno di Santa Giusta nel periodo 16-24 luglio 2010

Legal basis

«Disposizioni in materia di pesca» L.R. 14.4.2006 n. 3 — «Criteri e modalità per l’attuazione e la gestione del Fondo di solidarietà regionale della pesca (articolo 11, Legge Regionale 14 aprile 2006, n. 3, escluso comma 4)» decreto n. 002070/DecA/85 dell’11 agosto 2009 — «Declaratoria della eccezionalità della moria ittica che ha interessato lo stagno di Santa Giusta nel periodo 16-24 luglio 2010» 2077/DecA/99 del 25.11.2011

Type of measure

Scheme

Società cooperativa pescatori Santa Giusta

Objective

Compensation of damages caused by natural disaster, Adverse weather conditions, Natural disasters or exceptional occurrences

Form of aid

Direct grant

Budget

Overall budget: EUR 0,07 million

Annual budget: EUR 0,07 million

Intensity

80 %

Duration (period)

1.2.2012-31.12.2012

Economic sectors

Fishing and aquaculture

Name and address of the granting authority

Regione Autonoma della Sardegna

Assessorato dell'Agricoltura e riforma agro-pastorale

Via Pessagno 4

09126 Cagliari CA

ITALIA

Other information

—

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/elojade/isef/index.cfm

9.10.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/5

Euro exchange rates (1)

8 October 2012

2012/C 304/06

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,2958
JPY	Japanese yen	101,45
DKK	Danish krone	7,4569
GBP	Pound sterling	0,80840
SEK	Swedish krona	8,6057
CHF	Swiss franc	1,2110
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	7,4020
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	24,900
HUF	Hungarian forint	283,75
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,6962
PLN	Polish zloty	4,0780
RON	Romanian leu	4,5723
TRY	Turkish lira	2,3494
AUD	Australian dollar	1,2721
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,2683
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,0476
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,5854
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,5951
KRW	South Korean won	1 442,02
ZAR	South African rand	11,5770
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	8,1498
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,4800
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	12 438,19
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	3,9813
PHP	Philippine peso	53,748
RUB	Russian rouble	40,3506
THB	Thai baht	39,785
BRL	Brazilian real	2,6348
MXN	Mexican peso	16,6357
INR	Indian rupee	68,1840

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

9.10.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/6

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6541 — Glencore/Xstrata)

(Text with EEA relevance)

2012/C 304/07

On 2 October 2012, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Glencore International Plc (‘Glencore’, incorporated in Jersey and headquartered in Switzerland) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of the undertaking Xstrata Plc (‘Xstrata’, Switzerland) by way of purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—

Glencore produces and trades a wide range of commodities and raw materials. Glencore's business is organised around three segments: (i) metals and minerals — e.g. aluminium, alumina, zinc, copper, lead, ferroalloys, nickel, cobalt, and iron ore; (ii) energy products — e.g. crude oil, oil products, coal and coke; (iii) agricultural products — e.g. wheat, maize, barley, edible oils, oilseeds, cotton and sugar,

—	Xstrata is a natural resources group, which comprises five major businesses: (i) an alloys business, comprising ferrochrome and vanadium operations and a platinum group metals business; (ii) a coal business; (iii) a copper business; (iv) a nickel business; (v) a zinc-lead business.

3.	On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by e-mail to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6541 — Glencore/Xstrata, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

9.10.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/7

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.6677 — MOL/KMG EP/JV)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2012/C 304/08

On 3 October 2012, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc (‘MOL’, Hungary) and JSC KazMunaiGas Exploration Production (‘KMG EP’, Kazakhstan) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of a newly constituted joint venture (JV) in Kazakhstan, by way of a purchase of shares.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—	for MOL: oil and gas related activities,

—	for KMG EP: oil and gas related activities,

—	for JV: exploration and development of oil and gas in Kazakhstan.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.6677 — MOL/KMG EP/JV, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

(2) OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32 (‘Notice on a simplified procedure’).

9.10.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 304/8

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2012/C 304/09

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months of the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘VINAGRE DE MONTILLA-MORILES’

EC No: ES-PDO-0005-0726-03.11.2008

PGI ( ) PDO ( X )

1. Name:

‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’

2. Member State or Third Country:

Spain

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.8.

Other products of Annex I to the Treaty (spices, etc.)

3.2. Description of product to which the name in point 1 applies:

‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ is wine vinegar obtained by the acetous fermentation of certified ‘Montilla-Moriles’ PDO wine, with the addition, where appropriate, of certified must of that wine, followed by ageing.

The following types of ‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ are produced:

Aged vinegars

Vinegar covered by the PDO that has undergone a specific ageing process for a specific period and available in the following categories:

— ‘Añada’ (vintage): subject to ‘static’ ageing (i.e. in the same cask) for three years or more.

Vinegars aged using the ‘dynamic’‘criaderas y solera’ system fall into the following categories, depending on the ageing period:

— ‘Crianza’: aged in the wood for at least six months,

— ‘Reserva’: aged in the wood for at least two years,

— ‘Gran Reserva’: aged in the wood for at least 10 years.

Sweet vinegars

The following types are produced, depending on the variety of must added, in all of the above categories:

—	‘Vinagre al Pedro Ximénez’ (‘Pedro Ximénez’ vinegar): to which must of raisined grapes of the ‘Pedro Ximénez’ variety are added during the maturing process,

—	‘Vinagre al Moscatel’ (muscatel vinegar): to which must of grapes or raisined grapes of the muscatel variety are added during the maturing process.

The protected vinegars have the following analytical characteristics:

—	the residual alcohol content must not exceed 3 % by volume,

—	the total acetic acid content must be at least 60 g/l,

—	the soluble dry extract must be at least 1,30 g/l and percentage point of acetic acid,

—	the ash content must be between 2 g/l and 7 g/l, except for sweet vinegars which must have between 3 g/l and 14 g/l,

—	the acetoin content must be at least 100 mg/l,

—	for ‘Pedro Ximénez’ and muscatel sweet vinegars, the reducing sugar content must be at least 70 g/l.

The protected vinegars have the following organoleptic characteristics:

Aged vinegars

Colour: clean and bright colour, ranging from amber to intense mahogany, almost jet.

Nose: soft acetic acid aromas with notes of oak wood, fragrance of esters, especially of ethyl acetate, and spicy, roasted and empyreumatic notes.

Taste: soft, balanced flavour, glyceric with high persistence.

‘Vinagre dulce al Pedro Ximénez’ (sweet ‘Pedro Ximénez’ vinegar)

Colour: syrupy, clean and bright, with colour ranging from intense mahogany to jet, with light, violet highlights.

Nose: intense aromas of raisined grapes, with a grape-stalk fragrance recalling ‘Pedro Ximénez’ sweet wine that balances the acetic-acid, ethyl-acetate and oak-wood aromas.

Taste: well-balanced, bitter-sweet flavour, with high persistence in the mouth.

‘Vinagres dulces al Moscatel’ (muscatel sweet vinegar)

Colour: syrupy, clean and bright, with mahogany colours of varying intensity.

Nose: intense aromas of muscatel grapes, which balance the acetic-acid, ethyl-acetate and oak-wood aromas.

Taste: well-balanced, bitter-sweet flavour, with high persistence in the mouth. Aromas of the variety that gives these vinegars their name are reinforced retronasally.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

‘Vinagres de Montilla-Moriles’ are obtained exclusively from certified ‘Montilla-Moriles’ PDO wines, with or without the addition of grape must with fermentation arrested by the addition of alcohol. The must has to be from grapes or raisined grapes, as the case may be, of the ‘Pedro Ximénez’ and muscatel varieties certified as ‘Montilla-Moriles’ PDO.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Not applicable.

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

The production of the wine and the must, acetification and maturing of the vinegar are carried out in the identified geographical area.

Acetification involves the transformation of the alcoholic content of the wine into acetic acid through the action of acetic acid bacteria. Two methods are used to produce ‘Montilla-Moriles’ vinegars:

1.	in ‘bodegas de elaboración de vinagre’ (vinegar-production cellars) using industrial production methods or submerged fermentation;

2.	in ‘bodegas de envejecimiento y crianza de vinagre’ (vinegar-ageing and maturing cellars) using the traditional method or surface fermentation.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

The bottling of vinegars covered by the ‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ PDO must take place exclusively in cellars entered in the register held by the Regulatory Board or included in the corresponding list of packers of protected products or, failing this, in installations that have been authorised by the Regulatory Board. Vinegar may be dispatched and placed into circulation by registered producers in containers made of glass or other materials that do not affect its quality or reputation.

The vinegar may be made available to the final consumer only in glass or ceramic packaging or packaging made of other inert materials for food use that do not modify the physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the product.

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

Labels must bear the words ‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ and specify the type of vinegar concerned.

All the packaging used to market the vinegar must have quality seals or numbered seals issued by the Regulatory Board or, where appropriate, numbered labels or secondary labels, provided that the mechanism concerned cannot be used again once broken.

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The geographical area includes the whole of the municipalities of Montilla, Moriles, Doña Mencía, Montalbán, Monturque, Puente Genil and Nueva Carteya and part of the municipalities of Aguilar de la Frontera, Baena, Cabra, Castro del Río, Espejo, Fernán Núñez, La Rambla, Lucena, Montemayor, Córdoba and Santaella. The geographical area of the PDO is the same as the area for maturing ‘Montilla-Moriles’ PDO.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

1 — The raw material

‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ PDO vinegars are produced exclusively from certified ‘Montilla-Moriles’ PDO wines and musts. These wines have an alcoholic content of at least 15 % vol.

The vinegar is matured in casks of American oak, known locally as ‘botas’, which have previously been seasoned with ‘Montilla-Moriles’ PDO wines. The liqueur wines they have contained over many years have impregnated the casks with their characteristics. New casks are never used.

2 — Human factors

Wine vinegar has traditionally been produced as a by-product in the ‘Montilla-Moriles’ area and aged using the same maturing systems, which requires the expertise and knowledge of the maturing of liqueur wines acquired by the area’s winemakers and handed down from generation to generation.

3 — The cellars

The ageing cellars are located in open areas on high ground and their orientation ensures the minimum hours of sunlight necessary and maximum humidity. This design creates a perfect microclimate at floor-level in the cellars, thanks to the combination of several elements, such as gabled roofs, walls almost one metre thick to provide insulation, very high ceilings supported by pillars and arches and high windows that prevent direct light falling on the oak casks.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The specific character of ‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ is provided by its range of colours, between amber and intense mahogany, its aromatic complexity, combining notes of wine and wood with alcohol highlights, and high persistence in the mouth. It contains very high levels of acetoin and a significant concentration of soluble dry extract and ash.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

The alcoholic content of 15 % vol. or more of the wine used as the raw material gives typical wine and alcohol notes.

The traditional ageing systems, known as ‘criaderas y solera’ or ‘añada’ (vintage), create decisive differences in the aromatic complexity of the protected vinegars, which are manifested in their analytical and organoleptic properties, such as high acetoin, higher-alcohol and ester contents.

The temperatures in the ‘Vinagre de Montilla-Moriles’ PDO cellars allow slow oxidation of the components of the vinegar. The relative humidity affects the evaporation of the different components through the wood, mainly water, alcohol and acetic acid, and favours the concentration of the components of the vinegar.

Since the casks are never new, components are transferred from the wood fairly slowly, the transfer of tannins is reduced and vanilla aromas are more subtle. In addition, because they have for years contained wines, the pores of the casks have become slightly clogged up, making oxidative ageing slower and reducing the loss of aromas.

Tannins, quercitrin, hemicellulose and lignin pass from the wood to the vinegar, strengthening its persistence in the mouth, modifying its dry extract and its acidity and darkening its colour, producing the tones that characterise the product and imparting aromas characteristic of the wood. Various chemical compounds in the vinegar oxidise slowly, their rate of reaction depending on the porosity of the wood.

The esterification and combination of various chemical compounds is promoted; acetoin levels are very high, especially in vinegars aged using the ‘criaderas y solera’ system, and the formation of aromatic compounds is favoured, particularly ethyl acetate, the higher alcohols and their derivatives, aldehydes, esters and ethers.

Certain components, in particular water, evaporate, which leads to a significant concentration of certain components, such as ash, amino acids, acetic acid, etc. This concentration is particularly significant in sweet vinegars and so the ash and dry-extract contents are much higher than in dry vinegars.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

The full text of the product specification is available at:

http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/export/sites/default/comun/galerias/galeriaDescargas/cap/industrias-agroalimentarias/denominacion-de-origen/Pliegos/Pliego_vinagre_Montilla.pdf

or via the homepage of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal), in the section ‘Industrias Agroalimentarias’/‘Denominaciones de Calidad’. The specification is located under the name of the quality designation under ‘Vinagres’.

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

		ISSN 1977-091X doi:10.3000/1977091X.C_2012.304.eng
Official Journal of the European Union		C 304

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 55 9 October 2012

Notice No	Contents	page
	II Information
	INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2012/C 304/01	Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU — Cases where the Commission raises no objections ( 1 )	1

2012/C 304/02	Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 107 and 108 of the TFEU — Cases where the Commission raises no objections ( 2 )	2

2012/C 304/03	Decisions in the context of the monitoring of the implementation of decisions regarding restructuring and liquidation aid for financial institutions ( 2 )	3

2012/C 304/04	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.6693 — Tech Data/BEL) ( 2 )	4

2012/C 304/05	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.6599 — Comsa Rail Transport/Naviland Cargo/Grupo Logistico SESE/Target) ( 2 )	4

Date of adoption of the decision	12.9.2012
Reference number of the aid	SA.30962 (MC 6/10)
Member State	Belgium
Title (and/or name of the beneficiary)	Monitoring of Ethias — Prolongation of divestment deadline Ethias Banque — Belgium
Type of decision	New decision related to the following Commission decision: N 256/09
Content	Extension of a divestment deadline until decision by regulator on the proposed buyer
Other information	—

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	European Commission
2012/C 304/06	Euro exchange rates	5

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2012/C 304/07	Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.6541 — Glencore/Xstrata) ( 2 )	6

2012/C 304/08	Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.6677 — MOL/KMG EP/JV) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 2 )	7

	OTHER ACTS
	European Commission
2012/C 304/09	Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs	8

2012/C 304/10	Notice concerning a request under Article 30 of Directive 2004/17/EC — Extension of the period	12


	(1) Text with EEA relevance, except for products falling under Annex I to the Treaty
	(2) Text with EEA relevance