6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/1

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COMMISSION OPINION

of 22 December 2008

on the request from Ireland to accept Council Decision 2008/381/EC establishing a European Migration Network

(2009/C 1/01)

1.   INTRODUCTION

1.	On 14 May 2008, the Council adopted Decision 2008/381/EC establishing a European Migration Network (EMN). Pursuant to Article 1 of the Protocol on the position of Ireland, Ireland did not participate in adoption of the above-mentioned Decision.

2.

However, by virtue of Article 4 of the same Protocol ‘Ireland may at any time after the adoption of a measure by the Council pursuant to Title IV (ex Title IIIa) of the Treaty establishing the European Community notify its intention to the Council and to the Commission that it wishes to accept that measure. In that case, the procedure provided for in Article 11a (ex Article 5a(3)) of the Treaty establishing the European Community shall apply mutatis mutandis’.

3.	By letter, Ireland notified the Council and the Commission that it wishes to accept Decision 2008/381/EC.

4.

In accordance with Article 11a of the Treaty establishing the European Community ‘any Member State that wishes to participate in enhanced cooperation established in accordance with Article 11 shall notify its intention to the Council and to the Commission, which shall give an opinion to the Council within three months of the date of receipt of that notification. Within four months of the date of receipt of that notification, the Commission shall take a decision on it, and on such specific arrangements as it may deem necessary’.

5.	In accordance with the above-mentioned Article, the Commission gives the following opinion to the Council:

2.   OPINION

The Commission welcomes the request from Ireland to accept Decision 2008/381/EC, which is a key component of the Community asylum and migration policy, and would therefore give a positive opinion on this participation.

The Commission notes that Ireland continues to be a strong supporter of the EMN, contributing actively to its development and outputs. The Commission considers that it is important to acknowledge this commitment at the earliest possible date, as this is considered also to be in the overall interests of the EU.

As a specific arrangement, therefore, the Commission takes the view that the above-mentioned Decision should enter into force for Ireland on the day of the notification from Ireland of its acceptance.

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/3

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Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2009/C 1/02)

Date of adoption of the decision	27.10.2008
Member State	France
Aid No	N 198/08
Title	Aides à la recherche et au développement dans le secteur de la viande, des produits carnés, des ovo-produits, du lait et des produits laitiers
Objective	To encourage research and development in the meat product, egg product, milk and milk product sectors
Legal basis	Articles L 621-1 et suivants du Code rural, décision du directeur de l'office national interprofessionnel de l'élevage, approuvée par le conseil plénier
Budget	EUR 9 600 000
Aid intensity or amount	100 %
Duration	Six years, up until 31.12.2013
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/community_law/state_aids/

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/4

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Euro exchange rates (1)

5 January 2009

(2009/C 1/03)

1 euro=

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3582
JPY	Japanese yen	126,81
DKK	Danish krone	7,4488
GBP	Pound sterling	0,93580
SEK	Swedish krona	10,7075
CHF	Swiss franc	1,5060
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,3950
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	26,760
EEK	Estonian kroon	15,6466
HUF	Hungarian forint	267,13
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7070
PLN	Polish zloty	4,1360
RON	Romanian leu	4,0490
TRY	Turkish lira	2,0897
AUD	Australian dollar	1,9189
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,6475
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,5303
NZD	New Zealand dollar	2,3301
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,9987
KRW	South Korean won	1 799,52
ZAR	South African rand	12,8655
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	9,2781
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,3026
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	15 076,02
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,7503
PHP	Philippine peso	64,080
RUB	Russian rouble	39,5915
THB	Thai baht	47,462
BRL	Brazilian real	3,1619
MXN	Mexican peso	18,5292
INR	Indian rupee	65,8930

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(1)  

Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/5

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Euro exchange rates (1)

31 December 2008

(2009/C 1/04)

1 euro=

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3917
JPY	Japanese yen	126,14
DKK	Danish krone	7,4506
GBP	Pound sterling	0,95250
SEK	Swedish krona	10,8700
CHF	Swiss franc	1,4850
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,7500
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	26,875
EEK	Estonian kroon	15,6466
HUF	Hungarian forint	266,70
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7083
PLN	Polish zloty	4,1535
RON	Romanian leu	4,0225
SKK	Slovak koruna	30,126
TRY	Turkish lira	2,1488
AUD	Australian dollar	2,0274
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,6998
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,7858
NZD	New Zealand dollar	2,4191
SGD	Singapore dollar	2,0040
KRW	South Korean won	1 839,13
ZAR	South African rand	13,0667
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	9,4956
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,3555
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	15 239,12
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,8048
PHP	Philippine peso	65,930
RUB	Russian rouble	41,2830
THB	Thai baht	48,285
BRL	Brazilian real	3,2436
MXN	Mexican peso	19,2333

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(1)  

Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/6

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Euro exchange rates (1)

2 January 2009

(2009/C 1/05)

1 euro=

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3866
JPY	Japanese yen	126,64
DKK	Danish krone	7,4499
GBP	Pound sterling	0,961
SEK	Swedish krona	10,8425
CHF	Swiss franc	1,4874
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,695
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	26,825
EEK	Estonian kroon	15,6466
HUF	Hungarian forint	265,48
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7083
PLN	Polish zloty	4,1638
RON	Romanian leu	4,035
TRY	Turkish lira	2,138
AUD	Australian dollar	1,9884
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,6942
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,7472
NZD	New Zealand dollar	2,3969
SGD	Singapore dollar	2,0265
KRW	South Korean won	1 833,09
ZAR	South African rand	13,0618
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	9,4608
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,3346
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	15 391,26
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,808
PHP	Philippine peso	65,31
RUB	Russian rouble	40,7819
THB	Thai baht	48,212
BRL	Brazilian real	3,2456
MXN	Mexican peso	19,1718
INR	Indian rupee	67,125

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(1)  

Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/7

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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

(2009/C 1/06)

Aid No: XA 295/08

Member State: France

Region: Département de la Manche

Title of aid scheme: Aides aux coopératives d'utilisation en commun de matériel agricole (CUMA) pour les hangars

Legal basis:

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Articles L 1511 et suivants du code général des collectivités territoriales

Articles L 3231-2 et L 3232-17 du code général des collectivités territoriales

Délibérations du Conseil général de la Manche des 6 et 8 février 2008

Convention entre l'État et le département relative à la nouvelle ruralité du 8 décembre 2004 et avenant du 7 novembre 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 54 000 in aid (maximum)

Maximum aid intensity: 30 % of the investment, subject to an aid ceiling of EUR 45 000 per investment

Date of implementation: From the publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the site of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: To promote group investment and to lower production costs by facilitating the construction, purchase, modernisation, renovation and extension of sheds designed to house agricultural equipment purchased by cooperatives for the pooled use of agricultural equipment

Sector(s) concerned: All the CUMA (cooperatives) in the Department, regardless of which primary agricultural production sector they belong to

Name and address of the granting authority:

Monsieur le président du Conseil Général de la Manche

Direction des affaires économiques et du développement rural, Service du développement rural

Maison du département

Rond-point de la liberté

50008 Saint-Lo Cedex

FRANCE

Website: http://www.cg50.fr/economie/economie/agriculture.asp

Aid No: XA 296/08

Member State: France

Region: Département de la Manche

Title of aid scheme: Aides à l'achat de matériels à vocation environnementale par des Coopératives d'Utilisation de Matériels en Commun (CUMA)

Legal basis:

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Articles L 1511 et suivants du code général des collectivités territoriales

Articles L 3231-2 et L 3232-17 du code général des collectivités territoriales

Délibérations du Conseil général de la Manche des 6 et 8 février 2008

Convention entre l'État et le département relative à la nouvelle ruralité du 8 décembre 2004 et avenant du 7 novembre 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 400 000 in aid (maximum)

Maximum aid intensity: From 5 % to 40 % of the total eligible cost, depending on whether or not another public financing body is involved.

The general council will ensure that the rate of 40 % is never exceeded where there is a cumulation of aid

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the site of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: This scheme falls within the scope of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The aim of this scheme will be to facilitate the purchase of equipment to promote a collective rural development dynamic, in particular in relation to renewable energy sources and the improvement of environmental cultivation conditions on farms. In the context of such projects, the following equipment could be eligible: post hole diggers, post drivers, picket splitters, picket filers, roadsweepers, barbed-wire winding machines, hoes, cattle dips, flail hedge-trimmers, timber shredders and mobile livestock manure treatment units

Sector(s) concerned: All the CUMA (cooperatives) in the Department, regardless of which primary agricultural production sector they belong to

Name and address of the granting authority:

Monsieur le président du Conseil général de la Manche

Direction des affaires économiques et du développement rural

Service du développement rural

Maison du département

Rond-point de la liberté

50008 Saint-Lo cedex

FRANCE

Website: http://www.cg50.fr/economie/economie/agriculture.asp

http://www.cg50.fr/economie/economie/iso_album/080415_cuma_cg_1.pdf

Aid No: XA 330/08

Member State: Poland

Region: Whole country

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Program pomocy dla rodzin rolniczych, w których gospodarstwach rolnych powstały szkody spowodowane przez suszę lub huragan w 2008 r.

Legal basis: Uchwała Rady Ministrów z dnia 26 sierpnia 2008 r. w sprawie ustanowienia Programu pomocy, dla rodzin rolniczych, w których gospodarstwach rolnych powstały szkody spowodowane przez suszę lub huragan w 2008 r.

and

Article 11 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)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The planned volume of national budget resources for all forms of farm aid under the scheme in 2008 may total PLN 245 million

Maximum aid intensity: The total amount of aid per holding may not exceed, in the case of damage by:

(a)	80 % of the loss of income calculated by the regional governor in accordance with Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006; or

(b)

90 % of the loss of income calculated by the regional governor in accordance with Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 for holdings located in mountain regions and other less favoured areas (LFA) as defined in the rules on support for rural development cofinanced by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development or in Natura 2000 areas and areas involved in implementation of the Water Framework Directive;

(a)	80 % of the gross aid intensity referred to in Article 11(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, calculated according to the costs actually incurred;

(b)

90 % of the gross aid intensity referred to in Article 11(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, calculated according to the costs actually incurred, in less favoured areas (LFAs) as defined in the rules on rural development support cofinanced by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development or in Natura 2000 areas and areas involved in implementation of the Water Framework Directive

Date of implementation: From 6 October 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 August 2009

Objective of aid: To help farming families to overcome temporary financial difficulties caused by crop damage resulting from drought or hurricane damage to livestock buildings, storage buildings, glasshouses and other agricultural buildings and structures and agricultural tractors, machinery and equipment, in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

	Form of aid	Bodies	Address
1.	Agricultural tax credits	Local authorities	According to location of holding
2.	Aid for interest payments on disaster loans	Agencja Restrukturyzacji i Modernizacji Rolnictwa	00-175 Warszawa al. Jana Pawła II 70
3.	Reductions and exemptions in respect of the payment of social security contributions and the settlement of related arrears in the form of the deferment of deadlines for the payment of contributions or the division of payments into easy instalments	Kasa Rolniczego Ubezpieczenia Społecznego	00-608 Warszawa al. Niepodległości 190
4.	Deferment of payments under sale and rental contracts without application of charges and interest for the duration of the deferment and reductions and exemptions in respect of charges for rental leases	Agencji Nieruchomości Rolnych	00-215 Warszawa ul. Dolańskiego 2
5.	Welfare assistance in the form of a one-off payment	Ośrodki pomocy społecznej	According to the farmer's place of residence
6.	Aid for certified seed	Agencja Rynku Rolnego	00-400 Warszawa ul. Nowy Świat 6/12

Website: www.minrol.gov.pl under ‘Pomoc dla rodzin rolniczych, w których gospodarstwach rolnych powstały szkody spowodowane przez suszę lub huragan w 2008 r.’

Other information: —

Aid No: XA 342/08

Member State: Denmark

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Projekt Opdræt

Legal basis: Lov om administration af Det Europæiske Fællesskabs forordninger om markedsordninger for landbrugsvarer m.v. (Bemyndigelsesloven), jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr. 297 af 28. april 2004.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: DKK 1 750 000

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation:

Duration of the scheme or the individual aid: Until 30 September 2009

Objectives of aid: The aim of the scheme is, by gathering, generating and disseminating information so as to ensure more uniform quality among hens to increase productivity in the laying period.

The final beneficiaries are poultry breeders and farmers producing eggs for breeding and human consumption. The scheme concerns only small and medium-sized enterprises.

The scheme comes under Article 15(2)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. It concerns expenditure on consultancy services

Sector(s) concerned: Poultry sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

Fjerkræafgiftsfonden

Axeltorv 3

1609 København V

DANMARK

Website: http://www.poultry.dk/ddf/fa.nsf/B2009T.pdf?openfileresource

Other information: —

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/10

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Call for proposals under the ‘2009 Cooperation’ work programme of the 7th EC Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities

(2009/C 1/07)

Notice is hereby given of the launch of call for proposals under the ‘2009 Cooperation’ work programme of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007 to 2013).

Proposals are invited for the following call. Call deadlines and budgets are given in the call text, which is published on the CORDIS website.

‘2009 Cooperation’ Specific Programme:

Theme: Energy

Call Identifier: FP7-ENERGY-2009-BRAZIL

This call for proposal relates to the work programme adopted by Commission Decision C(2008) 6827 of 17 November 2008.

Information on the modalities of the call, the work programme, and the guidance for applicants on how to submit proposals is available through the CORDIS website: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/calls/

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6.1.2009

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 1/s3

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NOTE TO THE READER

The institutions have decided no longer to quote in their texts the last amendment to cited acts.

Unless otherwise indicated, references to acts in the texts published here are to the version of those acts currently in force.

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