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

(2007/C 77/07)

XA Number: XA 7001/07

Member State: Belgium

Region (indicate the name of the region if the aid is granted by a subcentral authority): Flemish Region

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid (indicate the name of the aid scheme or, in the case of individual aid, the name of the beneficiary): Aid to inspection bodies for organic production

Legal basis (indicate the precise national legal reference for the aid scheme or for the individual aid): Titel: Koninklijk Besluit van 17 april 1992 inzake de biologische productiemethode en aanduidingen dienaangaande op landbouwproducten en levensmiddelen, artikel 8bis; gewijzigd bij het KB van 10 juli 1998 en 3 september 2000 (B.s. 20-05-2000).

Referentie: Belgisch staatsblad 20-05-2000, dossier nr. 1992-04-17/32.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company (amounts are to be given in euros or, if applicable, national currency): EUR 60 000 for 1 year (renewable annually)

Maximum aid intensity (indicate the maximum aid intensity or the maximum aid amount per eligible item): Taking into account the fact that there are a total of 233 Flemish organic farmers:

Date of implementation (indicate the date from which aid may be granted under the scheme or when the individual aid is granted): Aid may be granted in the course of 2007 and, at the earliest, 15 days after submission of an application.

Aid can be granted by means of an implementation decree. These decrees are drawn up annually. A draft implementation decree has yet to be drawn up, and will include a ‘standstill clause’.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award (indicate the date (year and month) until which aid may be granted under the scheme or, in the case of individual aid and if appropriate, the expected date (year and month) of the last instalment to be paid): Expiry date: 31 December 2007

Objective of aid (it is understood that the primary objective is aid to SMEs) (indicate the further (secondary) objectives pursued and indicate which one of Articles 4 to 17 is used and the eligible costs covered by the scheme or individual aid): To support small and medium-sized enterprises and sectoral development.

More specifically, ‘aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products’ on the basis of Article 14 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.

Sector(s) concerned (indicate the subsectors by mentioning the type of animal production (e.g. pig/poultry) or type of plant production (e.g. apple/tomato) concerned): Organic farming

Name and address of the granting authority:

Other information: Belgisch Staatsblad/Moniteur Belge website:

http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/welcome.pl

http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/doc/rech_n.htm

Jules Van Liefferinge

Secretary-General