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I Information

Commission

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Euro exchange rates (1)

 5 November 2004

(2004/C 272/01)

1 euro= 

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(1)

Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.3617 — BC PARTNERS/PICARD)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(2004/C 272/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

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(1)OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

(2)  Available on DG COMP website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/legislation/consultation/simplified_tru.pdf.

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.3610 — FRIENDS PROVIDENT/LOMBARD/IDH)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(2004/C 272/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

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(1)OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

(2)  Available on DG COMP website:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/legislation/consultation/simplified_tru.pdf.

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.3568 — JPMP/APOLLO GROUP/AMC)

(2004/C 272/04)

(Text with EEA relevance)

On 25 October 2004, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.3351 — ARVIN MERITOR/VOLVO (ASSETS))

(2004/C 272/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

On 1 October 2004, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.3565 — TALANX/NEUE LEBEN)

(2004/C 272/06)

(Text with EEA relevance)

On 15 October 2004, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in German and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.3496 — TNT FORWARDING HOLDING/WILSON LOGISTICS)

(2004/C 272/07)

(Text with EEA relevance)

On 2 August 2004, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.3516 — REPSOL YPF/SHELL PORTUGAL)

(2004/C 272/08)

(Text with EEA relevance)

On 13 September 2004, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

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Non-opposition to a notified concentration

(Case COMP/M.3557 — IPR/MITSUI/MEC)

(2004/C 272/09)

(Text with EEA relevance)

On 7 October 2004, the Commission decided not to oppose the above notified concentration and to declare it compatible with the common market. This decision is based on Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. The full text of the decision is available only in English and will be made public after it is cleared of any business secrets it may contain. It will be available:

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STATE AID — FRANCE

Aid C 28/04 (ex N 314B/03)

Aid C 28/04 (ex N 314B/2003) — Aid to producer organisations to compensate withdrawals and carry-overs of fishery products not eligible for EAGGF financing and to grant bank guarantees aimed at encouraging carry-over operations

(2004/C 272/10)

(Text with EEA relevance)

By letter of 9 August 2004, reproduced below in the authentic language, the Commission notified France of its decision to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty as regards the said aid.

Interested parties may submit their comments within one month of the date of publication of this summary and the letter reproduced below, to:

Comments received will be passed on to the French authorities. Interested parties may include in their submission a duly substantiated request for their identity to be treated in confidence.

SUMMARY

By letter of 20 June 2003, France notified to the Commission a draft State aid scheme comprising three parts. One part was registered under N 314A/2003 and was considered compatible with the common market by Commission decision of 29 January 2004. The other two parts were registered under N 314B/2003, then C 28/04.

The first of the latter two parts comprises payment by a public body (OFIMER) of aid to producer organisations to compensate withdrawals and carry-overs of fishery products not eligible for EAGGF financing. Under the common organisation of the market in fishery products, Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 authorises producer organisations to withdraw fishery products from the market if their price is below certain amounts (withdrawal operations). Producer organisations may also purchase products in order to resell them at a later stage (carry-over operations). For withdrawal as for carry-over, Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 stipulates that producer organisations may receive certain compensation paid under the EAGGF. That compensation is to be restricted to the withdrawal or carry-over of certain species of fish, expressly specified by Regulation (EC) No 104/2000. By means of the first part of the notified scheme, the French authorities intend to introduce a system to compensate producer organisations for withdrawal and carry-over operations. This mechanism would be financed by national public funds and would work according to the same principles and rules as that introduced by Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 for the EAGGF. However, it would cover species not eligible for such compensation under that Regulation.

In accordance with consistent case law, once the Community has adopted rules establishing a common organisation of the market in a given sector, Member States must refrain from taking any measure which would derogate from it or undermine it. Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 specifies exhaustively the conditions and recipients of compensation granted for withdrawal and carry-over. By introducing unilaterally national aid derogating from Regulation (EC) No 104/2000, the notified aid scheme interferes with the rules of the CMO for fishery products.

Also, the aid notified does not appear to be covered by the guidelines on examining State aid in the fisheries sector as regards aid which Member States may grant for measures taken by producer organisations.

Lastly, the aid takes the form of direct payment from public funds to producer organisations, and benefits their members, without any investment in return. The aid amount depends on the value of the production concerned, and it is granted as direct compensation for fishermen's income losses resulting from normal commercial transactions. These measures therefore appear to have the characteristics of operating aid, which cannot normally be considered compatible with the guidelines on State aid in the fisheries sector.

The second part of the notified aid scheme comprises a guarantee mechanism which the public authorities intend to introduce in order to encourage carry-over operations. By means of that mechanism, the public authorities would guarantee loans ultimately intended to facilitate producer organisations' purchase and resale of fishery products under carry-over operations.

This mechanism appears to interfere with the rules on the organisation and financing of carry-over operations, as laid down by Regulation (EC) No 104/2000. The Regulation specifies the types of compensation which producer organisations may receive if they have recourse to such operations. The measure in question aims to introduce forms of financial compensation different from those specified in Regulation (EC) No 104/2000. Its compatibility with the common market therefore appears doubtful.

This aid too would be paid without any investment in return and does not seem to be covered by the fisheries State aid guidelines' specific provisions on aid to producer organisations. It would therefore constitute operating aid which could not be deemed compatible with the common market.

At this stage of the investigation, therefore, the Commission has serious doubts as to the notified scheme's compatibility with Community law and particularly with the conditions contained in the guidelines on examining State aid in the fisheries sector.

TEXT OF LETTER

1.   PROCÉDURE

2.   DESCRIPTION

2.1.   Le premier volet du régime notifié met en place un système de compensation financière des opérations de retrait du marché de certains produits de la pêche, ainsi qu'un système de primes forfaitaires destinées à financer des opérations de report, concernant les mêmes produits.

2.2.   Le second volet du régime notifié vise à rendre le recours aux opérations de report du marché par les organisations de producteurs plus attractif.

3.   APPRÉCIATION

3.1.   Premier volet du régime d'aides: compensations financières d'opérations de retraits et primes forfaitaires pour les opérations de report de certains produits de la pêche.

Existence d'une aide d'État

Compatibilité de l'aide

3.1.1.   Les produits pour lesquels des aides au retrait ou au report seraient versées sont couverts par l'organisation commune des marchés dans le secteur des produits de la pêche, en vertu de l'article 1er du règlement (CE) no 104/2000.

3.1.2.   Les autorités françaises font valoir que la base légale autorisant le versement des aides notifiées est constituée par le point 2.6, paragraphe 3, des lignes directrices pour l'examen des aides d'État dans le secteur de la pêche et de l'aquaculture, qui dispose que des aides aux organisations de producteurs sont compatibles avec le droit communautaire si elles respectent les conditions posées par l'article 15, paragraphes 2 et 3, du règlement (CE) no 2792/1999.

3.1.3.   Les autorités françaises ont indiqué que la compatibilité des mesures notifiées était également fondée sur l'article 11 du règlement (CE) no 104/2000 qui dispose que les États membres peuvent accorder des “aides additionnelles” aux organisations de producteurs pour certaines actions, dans le cadre des programmes prévus à l'article 9, et “conformément au règlement (CE) no 2792/1999, et notamment ses articles 14 et 15”.

3.1.4.   Compte tenu du fait que les aides notifiées paraissent de nature à porter atteinte à l'organisation commune des marchés des produits de la pêche et ne semblent pas pouvoir être légalement fondées sur les dispositions du règlement (CE) no 2792/1999 ou du règlement (CE) no 104/2000, il existe de sérieux doutes quant à la compatibilité du premier volet du régime N 314B/03 avec les règles du marché commun.

3.2.   Deuxième volet du régime d'aides: mécanisme de cautionnement par les pouvoirs publics d'emprunts effectués pour financer des opérations de report de certains produits de la pêche conduites par les organisations de producteurs

Existence d'une aide d'État

Compatibilité de l'aide

4.   DÉCISION

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(1)JO L 83 du 27.3.1999, p. 1.

(2)JO L 17 du 21.1.2000, p. 22.

(3)  Règlement (CE) no 2351/2002 de la Commission du 20 décembre 2002 fixant le montant de l'aide au report et de la prime forfaitaire pour certains produits de la pêche pendant la campagne 2003 (JO L 351 du 28.12.2002, p. 27).

(4)  Règlement (CE) no 2509/2000 de la Commission du 15 novembre 2000 établissant les modalités d'application du règlement (CE) no 104/2000 du Conseil relatives à l'octroi de la compensation financière pour les retraits de certains produits de la pêche (JO L 289 du 16.11.2000, p. 11).

(5)  Règlement (CE) no 939/2001 de la Commission du 14 mai 2001 établissant les modalités d'application du règlement (CE) no 104/2000 du Conseil relatives à l'octroi de l'aide forfaitaire pour certains produits de la pêche (JO L 132 du 15.5.2001, p. 10).

(6)  Règlement (CE) no 2813/2000 de la Commission du 21 décembre 2000 établissant les modalités d'application du règlement (CE) no 104/2000 du Conseil en ce qui concerne l'octroi de l'aide au stockage privé pour certains produits de la pêche (JO L 326 du 22.12.2000, p. 30).

(7)  Règlement (CE) no 2814/2000 de la Commission du 21 décembre 2000 établissant les modalités d'application du règlement (CE) no 104/2000 du Conseil relatives à l'octroi de l'aide au report pour certains produits de la pêche (JO L 326 du 22.12.2000, p. 34).

(8)JO C 19 du 20.1.2001, p. 7.

(9)  Règlement (CE) no 2792/1999 du Conseil du 17 décembre 1999 définissant les modalités et conditions des actions structurelles de la Communauté dans le secteur de la pêche (JO L 337 du 30.12.1999, p. 10), modifié en dernier lieu par le règlement (CE) no 2369/2002 (JO L 358 du 31.12.2002, p. 49).

(10)  Arrêt de la Cour du 23 janvier 1975, P. J. van der Hulst's Zonen contre Produktschap voor Siergewassen, affaire 51-74, Rec. 1975, p. 79.

(11)  Arrêt de la Cour du 27 mars 1984, Commission des Communautés européennes contre République italienne, affaire 169/82, Rec. 1984, p. 1603.

(12)  Arrêt de la Cour du 12 décembre 2002, République française contre Commission des Communautés européennes, affaire C-456/00, Rec. 2002, p. I-11949.

(13)  Arrêt de la Cour du 19 septembre 2002, Royaume d'Espagne contre Commission des Communautés européennes, affaire C-113/00, Rec. 2002, p. I-7601.

(14)JO L 136 du 23.5.1986, p. 55.

(15)JO C 71 du 11.3.2000, p. 14.

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III Notices

Commission

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS — DG EAC No 66/04

MEDIA PLUS

Support for the development of production projects (‘media new talent’, single projects and slate funding)

(2004/C 272/11)

1.   Objectives and description

The aim of MEDIA Plus (Development) is to support the development of production projects for the European and international markets in the following genres: fiction, creative documentaries, animation and multimedia.

2.   Eligible applicants

Only independent companies whose main activity is audiovisual and/or multimedia production are eligible for support. Applicant companies must be established in one of the following countries:

Applicant companies must also provide evidence that they have the previous experience of audiovisual production required in accordance with the guidelines.

3.   Budget

The total budget earmarked for the cofinancing of projects is estimated at EUR 17 million. Financial assistance from the Commission cannot exceed 50 % of the total eligible costs (60 % for projects highlighting Europe's cultural diversity). The maximum subsidy in the case of slate funding is EUR 150 000. For single projects it varies between EUR 10 000 and 80 000 depending on the genre.

4.   Deadline

Applications must be sent to the Commission between 9 November 2004 and

5.   Detailed information

The complete guidelines together with the application forms are available on the website http://europa.eu.int/comm/avpolicy/media/index_en.html. Applications must comply with the requirements set out in the guidelines and be submitted using the form provided.

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1 November 2004 — New version of EUR-Lex!

europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/

The new site incorporates the Celex service and provides free and easy access in 20 languages to the largest documentary database on EU law.

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