Summary information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products.

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/C 293/02)

Aid No: XA 86/06

Member State: Spain

Region: Navarre

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aid for 2006 towards investment by bodies, as part of a partnership arrangement, in agricultural holdings for the purpose of purchasing machinery

Legal basis: Orden foral del consejero de agricultura, ganaderia y alimentacion, por la que se aprueba la convocatoria y las bases reguladoras de ayudas a las inversiones en explotaciones agrarias para la compra de maquinaria realizadas por entidades en régimen asociativo, para el año 2006

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 350 001 for the 2006 financial year

Maximum aid intensity: Aid of up to 35 % of the value of the investment for acquiring new machinery

Aid of up to 30 % of the value of the investment for acquiring used goods

Date of implementation: September 2006

Duration of aid scheme or individual aid award: December 2006

Objective of aid: 1) To increase the efficiency of farming operations via the use of high-capacity agricultural machinery. 2) To enhance the use of machinery which, as applicable, has new-design engines or engines with greater fuel efficiency. 3) To ensure that reliable, high-technology machinery is introduced which is suitable for meeting the requirements of modern agriculture. Article 4: investment in agricultural holdings. Eligible costs: those relating to the purchase of agricultural machinery.

Sector(s) concerned: Crop production

Name and address of the granting authority:

Web address: www.navarra.es

Other information: Pamplona, 11 August 2006

Aid number: XA 84/06

Member State: France

Region: Department of Seine-Maritime

Title of aid scheme: Aid for pilot sites for barn hay solar drying installations

Legal basis:

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 250 000

Maximum aid intensity: 40 % of eligible investments

Date of implementation: From receipt of the acknowledgement of receipt from the European Commission

Duration of scheme: Three years starting from the setting up of the scheme

Objectives of aid: In order to better meet its sustainable development objectives, the Conseil général aims to increase the utilisation of grass by means of a pilot scheme for the solar drying of barn hay. To this end, it intends to finance pilot projects to constitute a reference network to verify the technical and economic benefits of such installations.

These projects will be based around the use of solar energy, which appears to be the most attractive technology from an economic and environmental point of view since it entails a sustainable use of resources.

Given the risk of rain in Seine-Maritime in the days following the harvesting of fodder, barn drying is greatly preferable to open air drying.

Under these projects, after cutting, the grass will be placed in drying installations, where solar energy-heated hot air will be blown from the bottom of the installations over the grass, using roof-mounted equipment. After several hours, the hay attains the degree of dryness that is best for storage (whereas grass that does not undergo this kind of treatment remains moist, producing poor quality hay with a high level of cellulose).

The environmental benefit of the project is enhanced by the fact that such investments encourage regrassing, which makes it possible to reduce run-off and the resulting investments required to combat this problem.

Sector(s) concerned: Grass production

Name and address of the granting authority:

Address of website: http://www.seinemaritime.net, rubrique ‘guide des aides’

The description, the draft of which is enclosed, will be uploaded once this exemption form is registered by the European Commission and the scheme is validated by the department's standing committee.

XA Number: XA 85/06

Member State: Austria

Region: Styria

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Special guidelines on the granting of a contribution towards insurance premiums for cover against storm damage to greenhouses used for agricultural purposes

Legal basis: Sonderrichtlinie für die Gewährung eines Zuschusses zu den Versicherungsprämien zum Schutz vor Sturmschäden an Gewächshäusern in der Landwirtschaft

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total annual costs not exceeding EUR100 000; average aid per enterprise will be EUR 400.

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the insurance premium.

Date of implementation: After notification of the aid under the block exemption regulation.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Duration is limited to the period of validity of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 (date of submission of application). If the period of validity of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 is extended, the duration of the scheme will be extended by the same amount.

Objective of aid: Aid in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

In order to ensure the continuance and development of efficient agriculture in Styria, the Province of Styria is granting contributions for insurance against the risk of agricultural production losses due to storm damage to greenhouses.

In accordance with these principles, the contribution towards insurance premiums for cover against storm damage to greenhouses is intended in particular to cover the risks of agricultural production losses due to storm damage, including risks to livelihood resulting from major damage. The contributions towards insurance premium costs are intended to provide farmers with an incentive to take out such insurance cover against natural disasters.

Sector(s) concerned: Crop growing, fruit growing

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: www.verwaltung.steiermark.at