31990Y0220(01)

Notification of an aid scheme of minor importance (90/C 40/02)

The Commission has decided to modify its decision of 19 December 1984 regarding the evaluation of aids of minor importance as follows: In principle the Commission will not object to aid schemes of minor importance notified pursuant to Article 93 (3) EEC meeting the following criteria:New aid schemes, excluding industrial sectors covered by specific Community policy statements (1) as well as aids in the agricultural (as defined in Annex II of EEC Treaty), fishery, transport and coal sectors, where:- the beneficiary enterprise does not employ more than 150 people, has an annual turnover of not more than ECU 15 million,and-where the aid intensity does not exceed 7,5 %,or-when the aid is designed to lead to job creation, it amounts to not more than ECU 3 000 per job created,or-when, in the absence of specific investment or job creation objectives the total volume of aid a beneficiary may receive is not more than ECU 200 000.The first criterion must be satisfied in all cases and at least one of the following three criteria must be satisfied as well. All the above figures are before any calculations for tax effects, i.e. gross.Member States must ensure that the beneficiary does not receive more aid than allowed by the above criteria for the same project through repeated notification of aid schemes meeting these criteria or such schemes being added to any other aids under general, regional or sectoral aid schemes.Such aids may be paid on a national, regional or local basis.All aids to exports in intra-Community trade or operating aids are excluded from the procedure.Existing aid schemes, which the Commission has previously approved, where there is a proposed:- prolongation over time without increase in budgetary resources,-increase in budget available up to 20 % of original sum but no prolongation,-prolongation over time with budget increases up to 20 % of original sum,-where the Member State operating the scheme proposes modifications tightening the criteria of application.A simplified form for notification to be used for both new and existing schemes is set out below. The Commission will decide on proposals within 20 working days. (1) Presently steel, shipbuilding, synthetic fibres and motor vehicles.