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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

(2005/C 126/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Date of adoption of the decision: 

Member State: France

Aid No: E 46/2001

Title: Exemption from tax on health insurance contracts

Objective: Social aid

Legal basis: 

article 995-15o du code général des impôts

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 decision: 

Member State: Finland

No of the aid: N 70/2004

Title: Exemption from the payment of the withholding income tax and compensation for social contributions for seafarers in the maritime transport

Objective: Safeguard employment of EEA seafarers on board of Finnish passenger vessels and preserve maritime know-how within the Community

Legal basis: 

Laki n:o 542/2004, 24. kesäkuuta 2004, ja laki n:o 62/2004, 9. heinäkuuta 2004

Budget: around EUR 50 million per year

Duration: 5 years (2005-2009)

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: Austria

Aid No: N 140/2004

Title: Programme of aid for combined transport road-rail-ship

Objective: To develop combined transport, in order to achieve a traffic shift of freight from road transport to other modes of transport. The planned measures will help to achieve the national and EU Kyoto target.

Legal basis: 

Allgemeine Rahmenrichtlinien für die Gewährung von Förderungen aus Bundesmitteln; 51. Verordnung des Bundesministers für Finanzen, Jahrgang 2004

Budget: EUR 18 million

Duration: 2003-2008

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 decision: 

Member State: Belgium

Aid No: N 142/00

Title: Aid for shipping, dredging and towing

Objective: Through exemption from the payroll tax, the Belgian authorities wish to support the development of shipping, dredging and towing at sea and meet competition from outside the European Union.

Legal basis: 

Loi du 24 décembre 1999/Wet van 24 december 1999

Budget: Aid to shipping and dredging: BEF 151 million (EUR 3,7 million) a year.

Aid to the towing sector: BEF 120 million (EUR 3 million) a year

Aid intensity or amount: Exemption from payroll tax for seamen liable to income tax in Belgium and employed on board ships bearing a certificate of registry and flying the flag of a Member State.

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: United Kingdom — Scotland

Aid No: N 307/2004

Title: Broadband in Scotland — Rural and remote areas

Objective: To support the provision of affordable broadband telecommunications services in rural and remote areas in Scotland (telecommunications sector).

Legal basis: Section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998

Budget: State intervention GBP 12-17 million

Aid intensity or amount: unknown. Subject to reverse payment mechanism.

Duration: 3 to 5 years.

Other information: The providers elected to provide the service is mandated to provide non-discriminatory open access to third party providers.

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 421/2003

Title: Aid to the French coal industry to cover the costs of closure for the year 2003

Objective: to cover the costs of the ceasing of all underground hard coal mining activities in France, taking into account the social and regional consequences

Legal basis: Council Regulation (EC) No 1407/2002 of 23 July 2002 on State aid to the coal industry

Budget: EUR 916,4 million

Duration: 2003

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: Belgium

Aid No: N 496/04

Title: Support for film and audiovisual production from the Flemish Community — Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds vzw

Objective: Cinema

Legal basis: 

Decreet van 13 april 1999 houdende machtiging van de Vlaamse Regering om toe te treden tot en om mee te werken aan de oprichting van de vzw Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds

Budget: EUR 12 000 000 + EUR 500 000 for 2004

Aid intensity or amount: Variable; always less than 50 %

Duration: Until end 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 decision: 

Member State: France

Aid No: N 593/2000

Title: Refunding the maritime part of the trading income tax (local tax)

Objective: The refunding to commercial shipowners of the maritime part of the trading income tax is intended to make French shipping more competitive against competition from outside the European Union.

Legal basis: Circulaire ministérielle du 8 mars 1990, reconduite par les circulaires des 25 octobre 1995 et 19 janvier 1999.

Budget: For 2001, FRF 100 000 000 (EUR 15,2 million); as of 1993, FRF 92 000 000 (EUR 14,02 million)

Aid intensity or amount: 100 % of the maritime part of the trading income tax paid by each recipient undertaking during the previous tax year.

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: Germany

Aid No: N 644i/2002

Title: Development of municipal economic infrastructure pursuant to Part II, Section 7 of the Framework plan under the joint Federal Government/Länder scheme for improving regional economic structures:

Objective: Improve regional airport infrastructure in order to create adequate conditions for economic activities and investments by industry.

Legal basis: 

Gemeinschaftsaufgabe (GA) ‘Verbesserung der regionalen Wirftschaftsstruktur’ vom 6 Oktober 1969 in Verbindung mit den einschlägigen Bestimmungen von Teil II Nummer 7 des jeweils geltenden Rahmenplans der GA.

Budget: Total aid under the joint scheme amount to approximately EUR 5 billion of which only a part is intended for the measure in question (estimated at EUR 10 million annually).

Duration: 2004 — 2006

Other information: Type of aid: Capital grants

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 decision: 

Member State: France

Aid No: N 766/2000

Title: Refund to shipping companies of employers' compulsory social security contributions

Objective: To make French shipping more competitive against competition from outside the European Union

Legal basis: Circulaire ministérielle du 31 mars 1999

Budget: FRF 215 million (EUR 32,7 million) a year

Aid intensity or amount: Variable, up to 100 % of the contributions paid by the company in the previous year.

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/

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