EN Official Journal of the European Union C 274/6

Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2008/C 274/03)

Aid No: XA 250/08

Member State: Spain

Region: Catalonia

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Ayudas para programas de auditoria y asesoramiento de las explotaciones de ovino y caprino

Legal basis: Orden AAR/…/2008, de …, por la que se aprueban las bases reguladoras de las ayudas para programas de auditoria y asesoramiento de las explotaciones de ovino y caprino, y se convocan las correspondientes al año 2008

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 260 000 per marketing year in 2008 and 2009

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is variable, subject to a limit of 100 %

Date of implementation: The Order will enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Cataluña (DOGC).

The Order will be published in the DOGC on the date of publication on the website of DG AGRI of the registration number of the exemption request provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Publication is expected in June 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2009

Objective of aid: Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector under Article 15(2)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The Order introduces an aid scheme for audit and consultancy programmes for sheep and goat farms defined as small or medium-sized enterprises in accordance with Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, with the aim of improving the production, technical-economic and health conditions on the farms involved in those programmes.

This aid is to be used to subsidise the fees of the groups, cooperatives, professional organisations and natural and legal persons who provide consultancy or audit services to producers, so that the latter receive aid in kind. No direct cash payments will be made to the producers.

Subsidised consultancy services will be available to all sheep and goat producers.

Services provided by a producer group or professional organisation must not be restricted to members

Sector(s) concerned: Sheep and goat sectors

Name and address of granting authority:

Departamento de Agricultura, Alimentación y Acción Rural Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 612-614 E-08007 Barcelona

Website: http://www20.gencat.cat/docs/DAR/02 %20DAR_Serveis %20i %20tramits/DAR_01 %20Ajuts %20i %20subvencions/DAR_05 %20Ajus %20pendents %20publicacio/Documents/Fitxers %20estatics/t08154055.pdf

Other information: —

Aid No: XA 251/08

Member State: Spain

Region: Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias

Title of aid scheme: Subvenciones destinadas a la financiación de los Servicios de Asesoramiento Técnico en Materia de Control Integrado de Plagas en los Cultivos Agrícolas

Legal basis: Proyecto de Orden de la Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentación, por la que se convocan las subvenciones destinadas a la financiación de los Servicios de Asesoramiento Técnico en Materia de Control Integrado de plagas en los Cultivos Agrícolas

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: One million two hundred and fifty-three thousand euro (EUR 1 253 000)

Maximum aid intensity: Under Article 3 of the above draft Order, the aid referred to in the Article 1 may cover up to 100 % of the salaries of the technical staff recruited, up to a maximum of EUR 15 000 per person

Date of implementation: From the date of publication on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the registration number of the request for exemption provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2008 or before that date if the appropriation allocated to fund the aid (EUR 1 253 000) is used up

Objective of aid: Aid for the provision of technical assistance in the agricultural sector, to cover the cost of consultancy services provided by third parties. Article 15(2)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

(a) using the most appropriate means of plant protection, including plant-health products, with the aim of achieving high-quality harvests while ensuring the utmost respect for the environment and minimising and rationalising treatment costs;

(b) providing know-how on integrated pest control, with particular emphasis on biological control;

(c) applying the new Community food safety and hygiene standards to plant health and the sustainable use of pesticides;

(d) implementing all measures designed to improve the health and safety of workers involved in plant health and, in particular, the safety of plant-health product applicatorsp;

(e) carrying out studies or trials on ‘pilot’ holdings for the introduction of new pest-control technologies;

(f) establishing health programmes for the holdings using the service, setting out all the procedures for pest control, health and safety and product quality.

The aid may cover up to 100 % of the salaries of the technical staff recruited, up to a maximum of EUR 15 000 per person.

Membership of beneficiary organisations must not be a condition for access to the service and the contribution of non-members towards administrative costs must be limited to the proportional costs of providing the service

Sector(s) concerned: In accordance with Rule 2(1) of the draft Order, the aid will be paid direct to natural and legal persons, local authorities in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands or any other body specified in Article 11(3) of Law No 38/2003 of 17 November laying down general rules on aid that provide the technical consultancy services provided for in Article 1(2) of the draft Order to small and medium-sized holdings engaged in agricultural production, which, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, will be deemed to be the final beneficiaries of the aid, provided that, in accordance with Article 15 of that Regulation, the aid is obtained in kind by means of the subsidised services and they fulfil the conditions laid down in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 (OJ L 10, 13.1.2001)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentación (Dirección General de Agricultura) Edificio Usos Múltiples II Avda. José Manuel Guimerá, 8, 3a planta E-38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Website: http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/agricultura/otros/reglamento_CE_pymes.htm

Other information: —

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 2 June 2008.

Ildefonso Socorro Quevedo

Director General de Asuntos Económicos con la Unión Europea

Aid No: XA 252/08

Member State: Spain

Region: Galicia

Title of aid scheme: Ayudas para la compra de ganado bovino, ovino y caprino que tenga por objeto la reposición de las reses como consecuencia del sacrificio obligatorio en ejecución de los programas de control y erradicación de enfermedades de los animales

Legal basis: Orden … de …, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras de las ayudas para la compra de ganado bovino, ovino y caprino que tenga por objeto la reposición de las reses como consecuencia del sacrificio obligatorio en ejecución de los programas de control y erradicación de enfermedades de los animales

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 440 000

Maximum aid intensity: The difference between the compensation and the purchase price

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: The rules at present in force expressly recognise the right of owners to compensation for losses caused by the slaughter of livestock but the methods currently used to assess the value of livestock do not result in compensation sufficient to cover the actual financial loss suffered.

Therefore, aid is required to facilitate the replacement of livestock that has been slaughtered compulsorily where compensation for compulsory slaughter is not sufficient to cover the purchase of new animals similar to those slaughtered and precludes actual replacement.

The scheme is in keeping with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, which states that aid to compensate farmers for losses caused by animal diseases is compatible with the common market

Sector(s) concerned: Livestock production

Name and address of the granting authority: Xunta de Galicia. Consellería de Medio Rural

Dirección General de Producción Industrias y Calidad Agroalimentaria

Website: http://mediorural.xunta.es/externos/borrador_orde_reposicion_2008.pdf

Other information: E-mail address:

dxpica.mediorural@xunta.es

Maria.soledad.castro.diaz@xunta.es

The Regional Minister

pp (Order of 12 August 2005)

O Secretario Xeral

Alberte Souto Souto

Aid No: XA 253/08

Member State: Italy

Region: Piemonte

Title of aid scheme: Programma di meccanizzazione agricola

Legal basis: Articolo 10 della legge regionale 23 maggio 2008, n. 12

Planned annual expenditure under the scheme: EUR 4 000 000.

In order to respect the ceiling imposed by the stability pact, annual expenditure has been reduced as follows: EUR 2 000 000 for 2008, EUR 3 000 000 for 2009 and EUR 3 000 000 for 2010

Maximum aid intensity: Contribution to interest payments on five-year loans, granted as a discount, the equivalent of which in capital grants may not exceed 40 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation: As from the publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2010, the year of the last payment instalment provided by the 2008-2010 multi-annual budget for funding this programme

Objective of aid: In application of Article 4(4)(b) of the Regulation, to provide a contribution to interest payments on five-year loans to purchase agricultural machinery and equipment, to attain the following objectives:

to reduce production costs,

to improve and convert production,

to improve quality,

to preserve and improve the natural environment, or improve hygiene conditions or animal welfare standards

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural production sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Piemonte Direzione Agricoltura Corso Stati Uniti, 21 I-10129 Torino

Website: http://arianna.consiglioregionale.piemonte.it/ariaint/TESTO?LAYOUT=PRESENTAZIONE&TIPODOC=LEGGI&LEGGE=12&LEGGEANNO=2008

Other information: The Piedmontese provinces will be responsible for conducting inquiries and checking purchases. Regional financial resources will be employed and disbursed by the Agricultural Directorate of the Piedmontese Region Assessorato Agricoltura, Tutela della Fauna e della Flora (Office for Agriculture and the Protection of Flora and Fauna)

Aid No: XA 254/08

Member State: France

Regions: Département du Puy-de-Dôme

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Lutte contre certaines maladies contagieuses animales et autres actions sanitaires spécifiques

Legal basis:

— Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,

— articles L 1511-1 et suivants et articles L 3231-1 et suivants du code général des collectivités territoriales

— délibération du 14 décembre 2007 et projet de délibération du 29 avril 2008 du Conseil général du Puy-de-Dôme

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 500 000

Maximum aid intensity: In compliance with the limits set in Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, i.e. 100 %

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the registration number of the exemption request on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: The aid is based on Article 10(1) and (4) to (8) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. It helps support the department's epidemiological surveillance and environmental-protection-related tasks (mandatory activities). Introducing this agricultural policy will help guarantee better public health by improving the health of cattle, sheep, goat, pig and bee populations through screening for illnesses:

screening for causes of abortions in ruminants (only for illnesses included in the OIE list or in the Annex to Decision 90/424/EEC),

analyses in connection with a mucosal disease control plan,

analyses in connection with an anti-paratuberculosis plan,

analyses in connection with screening for brucellosis in small ruminants,

analyses in connection with screening for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis,

aid for purchasing anti-varroa-mite products, and the carrying out of sporadic health analyses on apiaries,

autopsy, bacteriological analysis, decerebration analysis,

collection of veterinary waste (increasing the security of the recycling loop for infectious waste produced by livestock farmers in the course of their professional activity).

No aid will be paid to the farmers themselves. It will instead be given to the organisations that will be given responsibility for carrying out the aforementioned subsidised operations. It will be ensured that farmers will benefit from these subsidies only if their farm complies with the Community criteria for small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Subject to this caveat, the aid will be granted in the form of subsidised services available to all livestock farmers regardless of whether they belong to a producers' organisation or another structure

Sector(s) concerned: The cattle, sheep, goat and pig breeding sectors and the beekeeping sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

Conseil général du Puy-de-Dôme 24, rue Saint Esprit F-63033 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex 1

Website: http://deliberations.cg63.fr/NetelibInternetDocs/ConseilGeneral/2008/04/29/Deliberation/T010M.pdf

http://deliberations.cg63.fr/NetelibInternetDocs/ConseilGeneral/2008/04/29/Annexestandardword/F010M.pdf