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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

(2006/C 111/02)

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Italy (Sicily)

Aid No: NN 56/2004

Title: Refinancing of the measures provided for by Article 2 of Sicilian Regional Law No 37/94

Objective: Assumption by the public authorities of obligations deriving from securities supplied to agricultural cooperatives by their members when those cooperatives are in a situation of established insolvency

Legal basis: Legge regionale 18 novembre 2005, n. 14: «Interventi in materia di cooperative agricole»

Budget: EUR 28 164 000

Aid intensity or amount: 100 %

Duration: 3 years.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: The Netherlands

Aid No: N 33/2005

Title: Green Fund Midden-Delfland

Objective: The aim of the Green Fund Midden-Delfland is to maintain an open agricultural landscape with a high environmental and cultural value

Legal basis: 

Budget: EUR 400 000 per year

Duration: Contracts with individual farmers for their environmental and landscape services will last 5 to 10 years

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: France

Aid No: N 61/2006

Title: Aid for traceability of cereals. Extension of aid N 86/2005

Objective: To guarantee the quality of French cereal production

Legal basis: Articles L 621-1 et suivants du Code rural.

Budget: 2006: EUR 1 300 000,

2007: EUR 1 300 000, subject to the budget allocation

Aid intensity or amount: According to eligible costs: 15 %, 30 %

Duration: Two years, subject to the budget allocation for the second year

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Sweden

Aid No: N 68/2006

Title: Aid for replanting of trees in storm-felled forest

Objective: Aid to compensate for the losses due to a natural disaster. On 8 and 9 of January 2005 the storm ‘Gudrun’ hit Southern Sweden. The average gale force was 33 m/s, exceeding hurricane level and reaching at times 43 m/s. Electricity and telephone lines were cut, streets blocked and millions of trees fell. It has been estimated that the lives of about 20 persons were lost due to the storm. In addition to the financial losses caused by the storm to living trees the forest owners have to finance the cost of replanting the areas. The Swedish authorities have in fact limited the aid to those forest owners who have to replant their storm-felled forests as provided by § 5.1 of the Swedish Forest Care Act (Skogsvårdslagen). The Swedish authorities have presented four aid scenarios based on different replanting options. The aid amount depends on the option chosen by the forest owner for each area he reforests. Option 1 consists of planting needle trees or needle-tree dominated mixed forest. The estimated costs are SEK 12 900 per ha and the aid SEK 3 000 per ha. Options 2-4 consist of planting leaf trees or natural regeneration with protective fences. The costs and the corresponding aid amounts (in brackets) aid rate are for option 2: SEK 30 000 (SEK 20 000), option 3: SEK 33 200 (SEK 23 000) and option 4: SEK 18 300 (SEK 8 000)

Legal basis: Förordning om bidrag till anläggning av skog på områden med stormfälld skog

(a national provision, not yet published)

Budget: Ca SEK 450 million (ca EUR 48,4 million)

Aid intensity or amount: Variable

Duration: One-off.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Italy (Veneto)

Aid No: N 75/2006

Title: Assistance in farming areas affected by natural disasters (hail on 22 July 2005, and strong winds and hail from 14 to 20 August 2005 in the province of Verona)

Objective: Compensation for damage to agricultural production as a result of bad weather (hail on 22 July 2005, and strong winds and hail from 14 to 20 August 2005 in the province of Verona)

Legal basis: Decreto legislativo n. 102/2004 («Nuova disciplina del Fondo di solidarietà nazionale»)

Budget: To be financed from the budget approved under aid NN 54/A/04

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 %

Duration: Measure applying an aid scheme approved by the Commission

Other details: Measure applying the scheme approved by the Commission under State aid NN 54/A/2004 (Commission letter C(2005) 1622 final, dated 7 June 2005).

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: France

Aid No: N 104/06

Title: Extension: Contracts State-Regions: Aid for the sector of perfume extraction, aromatic and medicinal plants

Objective: Prolongation of the aid for the sector of perfume extraction, aromatic and medicinal plants for 5 years with an increase of the budget

Legal basis: Code rural — partie législative, articles L 621-1 à 621-11

Budget: Increase of the budget: EUR 125 000 (EUR 25 000 per year)

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 %

Duration: Prolongation for 5 years until 2011

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Poland

Aid No: N 260/05

Title: Premium subsidies for crops and livestock insurance (Dopłaty do składek z tytułu ubezpieczeń upraw rolnych i zwierząt gospodarskich).

Objective: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums

Legal basis: Ustawa z dnia 7 lipca 2005 r. o dopłatach do ubezpieczeń upraw rolnych i zwierząt gospodarskich

Budget: Planned annual expenditure of PLN 500 million (some EUR 131,6 million)

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 40 % for crops insurance and up to 50 % for livestock insurance

Duration: Unlimited

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Portugal

Aid No: N 293/2005

Title: Aid for hydraulic investments

Objective: To compensate certain farmers engaged in the extensive rearing of cattle, sheep and goats for part of the cost of the hydraulic investments which they have had to carry out in order to guarantee water supplies for, and therefore the survival of, extensively farmed livestock in the regions worst affected by the drought and water shortages suffered by Portugal during the period from November 2004 to December 2005

Legal basis: Projecto de acto relativo à aprovação de uma linha de crédito para a realização de trabalhos hidráulicos agrícolas

Budget: EUR 2 700 000 spread over three years, with a maximum amount of EUR 1 620 000 for the first year, EUR 810 000 for the second year and EUR 270 000 for the third year

Aid intensity or amount: 6 % maximum.

Duration: Three years.

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: United Kingdom (Scotland)

Aid No: N 459/2005

Title: Scottish Strategic Timber Transport Fund (SSTTF)

Objective: To provide support for the public road infrastructure in Scotland, in particular publicly accessible forest roads

Legal basis: Forestry Act 1979

Budget: GBP 13 million (EUR 18,72 million).

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 80 %

Duration: 3 years

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Italy (Abruzzi)

Aid No: N 463/2005

Title: Assistance in farming areas affected by natural disasters (excessive snow from 25 January to 9 March 2005 in the province of Pescara)

Objective: To compensate for damage to farming structures as a result of bad weather (excessive snow from 25 January to 9 March 2005 in the province of Pescara)

Legal basis: Decreto legislativo 102/2004: «Nuova disciplina del Fondo di solidarietà nazionale»

Budget: To be financed from the budget approved under aid NN 54/A/04

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 %

Duration: Measure applying an aid scheme approved by the Commission

Other details: Measure applying the scheme approved by the Commission under State aid NN 54/A/2004 (Commission letter C(2005) 1622 final, dated 7 June 2005).

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Lithuania

Aid No: N 544/2005

Title: State aid for the cooperation development

Objective: Start-up aid for producer groups

Legal basis: 

Budget: Total: 30 000 000 LTL (approximately EUR 9 000 000)

Annual: 3 000 000 LTL (approximately EUR 900 000)

Aid intensity or amount: 100 % of the eligible expenditure in the fist year, in the second year — 80 %, in the third year — 60 %, in the fourth year — 40 % and in the fifth year — 20 %

Duration: 10 years (2006-2016)

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: Italy (Marche)

Aid No: N 546/2005

Title: Aid to assist farms affected by bovine tuberculosis and subject to the total slaughter order — Regional Law No 1085 of 19 September 2005

Objective: Aid to compensate for loss of income due to the compulsory slaughter of animals, for costs incurred in connection with the slaughter, transport and disposal of animals and the disinfection of premises, and for loss of profit in the period between slaughter and rebuilding the herd

Legal basis: Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 1085 del 19.9.2005«Lotta contro le epizoozie — Approvazione Interventi straordinari e urgenti a sostegno di imprese zootecniche colpite da tubercolosi bovina (TBC) e sottoposte a ordinanza di abbattimento totale»

Budget: EUR 1 000 000

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 % of the costs, as set out in the letter to the Member State

Duration: 5 years

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids/

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