G/SCM/Q2/EU/35  
 
6 May 2014  
(14-2728)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures  Original: English  
 
 SUBSIDIES 
QUESTIONS POSED BY THE UNITED STATES REGARDING THE NEW 
AND FULL NOTIFICATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION1 
The following communication, dated 2 May 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States.  
_______________ 
  European Fisheries Fund 
 Questions: 
 
 Please explain whether and to what extent this program assists Member States' efforts to 
address overcapacity and overfishing in the industry. 
 
 Please explain recent or ongoing changes to the EFF. What is the expected life of this 
program? Are there any plans to reduce funding under the EFF?  
 
 A number of EU Member State notifications pr ovided information regarding support for the 
fisheries sectors, including Denmark, Ireland,  Lithuania, Spain and Sweden. Some of the 
programs reported by those countries appear to be funded by the EU's EFF while other funding appears to come directly from the Member States. Could the EU please explain 
whether the lack of any reporting regarding funding provided by Member States for the 
fisheries sectors indicates that these Member States do not provide any such funding? Alternatively, if such Member State funding for the fisheries sectors does exist, could the 
EU please explain why those Members States did not report it?  
 Denmark 
 
9.1 Restructuring of the Fishing Fleet 
 
 Denmark reported that the period of the program is 2009-2010 but also reported funding for 
the reporting period 2011-2012. What is the duration of this program?  
 France 
 Questions regarding notified programs: 
 3.1 Tax credit to promote research 
 
 Please explain whether all "Industrial, commercial and agricultural enterprises" are eligible 
for tax concessions under this program? If there are limitations regarding eligibility, please 
explain what those are, including any limitations regarding the size of eligible enterprises?  
 
 Did firms in the aerospace sector benefit from funding under this program during the 
reporting period?  
                                               
1 G/SCM/N/253/EU, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.6, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.9, G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.14, 
G/SCM/N/253/EU/Add.19.  G/SCM/Q2/EU/35 
 
- 2 - 
 
   
3.4 Fund for Enterprise Competitiveness  
 Please provide additional information regardin g the type of subsidy provided under this 
program, e.g. grant, loan, tax concession, etc. 
 
 What is the specific legal measure authorizing this program? 
 
 For the reporting period, please provide additional information regarding the projects that 
were supported under this program, including the industry sectors that benefited from funding under the program. Please also indicate if enterprises in the aerospace sector 
benefit from funding under this program. 
 3.5 OSEO Innovation Aid Scheme for Rese arch, Development and Innovation (RDI) 
 
 For the reporting period, please provide additional information regarding the projects that 
were supported under this program, including the industry sectors that benefited from 
funding under the program. Please also indicate if enterprises in the aerospace sector 
benefit from funding under this program. 
 3.6 Industrial Innovation Agency Aid for In dustrial Innovation Promotion Programmes 
(PMII) 
 
 Please provide additional information regardin g the type of subsidy provided under this 
program, e.g. grant, loan, tax concession, etc., at both the experimental development and 
industrial research stages. 
 
 What is the specific legal measure authorizing this program? 
 
 For the reporting period, please provide additional information regarding the projects that 
were supported under this program, including the industry sectors that benefited from 
funding under the program. Please also indicate if enterprises in the aerospace sector 
benefit from funding under this program. 
 
 Was this program terminated on 31 December 2012? 
 3.10 Research for innovation and the su stainable development of air transport  
 
 Please provide additional information regarding the type of projects that are funded under 
this program, including whether funding is provided to enterprises in the aerospace sector. 
 
 What is the specific legal measure authorizing this program? 
 Questions regarding programs not included in the notification: 
 Aid to Research Institutions in the Civil Aviation Sector 
 
 France notified this program in its prior WTO subsidy notifications without any indication that 
it had been terminated. Please indicate if this program is still in operation and if so, why it was not notified for the reporting period.  
 
Prime D'Aménagement du Territoire (PAT) (Decree 2007/809 of 11 May 2007)  
 
 Publically available information indicates that funding is available under this program for 
research, development and innovation, and is available throughout mainland France, 
covering 25–60% of the total costs, with higher amounts available for high-technology programs. Could France please provide addition al information regarding this program, or 
explain why it does not meet the notification requirements under the SCM Agreement?  
  G/SCM/Q2/EU/35  
 
- 3 - 
 
  Germany 
 
Questions regarding notified programs: 
 
4. Joint Task on "Improving the Regional Economic Structure" 
 
 Please explain if the budget allocations gr anted to promote commercial and industrial 
investments, as reported in the notification, represent allocations from the Bund, Länder or 
both.  
 
 What are the criteria for enterprises to qualify for assistance under this program? 
 
8. National Programme for Civil Aeronautical Research  
 
 What is the duration of this program? 
 Italy 
 Questions regarding notified programs: 
 
 For many of the notified programs Italy provided information for the years 2009 and 2010. 
Could Italy please provide this information for the reporting period, 2011 – 2012, or 
explain when this information will be provided? 
 
Questions regarding programs not included in the notification: 
 
Special Funds for Applied Research (FRA) & other government support for research and 
development 
 
 Italy notified the FRA program in a prior notification2. Publically available information 
indicates that the FRA and other government funded research and development programs3 
are in operation in Italy, including the National Aerospace Research Program (Programma 
nazionale di Ricerche Aerospaziali – PRORA).4 Please provide full information regarding the 
FRA and other research programs, such as th e PRORA that were in operation during the 
reporting period or otherwise explain wh y these programs are not subject to the 
notification requirements of the SCM Agreement. 
 
The Netherlands  
 
Questions regarding programs not included in the notification: 
 
 The Netherlands previously notified a number of additional programs that were not included 
in its' current notification.5 With the exception of one program (i.e. Program VII) in that 
prior notification, the duration reported for those programs included or went beyond 2011. 
Could the Netherlands please explain why the programs were not notified in its current 
submission? 
 
Government Funding for Research and Development 
 
 Publically available information indicates that the Netherlands provides funding for a variety 
of research and development activities that appear to be subject to the notification 
requirements of the SCM Agreement.6 These include, inter alia , the SURFnet, ICT research 
and NanoNextNL programs. Please provide full information regarding these and any other government funded research and development programs or otherwise explain why these 
programs are not subject to the notification requirements of the SCM Agreement? 
 
__________  
                                               
2 G/SCM/N/186/EEC/Add.14. 
3 https://www.researchitaly.it/en/ researching/funding/programmes/ 
4 http://hubmiur.pubblica.istruzione.it/web/ricerca/ enti-di-ricerca/elenco-enti/prora/executive-summary 
5 G/SCM/N/220/EEC/Add.19. 
6 http://www.government.nl/issues/science/national-research.