EN Official Journal of the European Union C 196/14

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 EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2007/C 196/08)

XA number: XA 78/07

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Regeling LNV-subsidies (omschrijving steun: Gebruik adviesdiensten voor landbouwers).

Legal basis:

— Regeling LNV-subsidies: artikel 1:2, artikel 1:3; artikel 1:20; artikel 2:1; artikel 2:8

— Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid scheme is funded from the top-up (EUR 4,35 million) for sheet 114 of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the costs of the consultancy services, up to a maximum of EUR 1 500 per year per farm. The farmer is eligible for aid once every three years.

Date of implementation: The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Subsidies Scheme comes into force on 1 April 2007. No payments will be made before the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme has been approved.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Ends 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: The aid scheme applies to consultancy services that are not continuous or recurrent (as is the case for routine tax consultancy, regular legal services or advertising).

Eligible consultancy services must at least relate to the following:

the statutory management requirements and the good agricultural and environmental conditions set out in Articles 4 and 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and in Annexes III and IV thereto,

occupational safety standards based on Community legislation.

In addition, consultancy services may also relate to subjects connected with the development of the farm, such as:

The aid scheme complies with Articles 15(2)(c), (3) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural holdings that produce products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit Postbus 20401 2500 EK Den Haag Nederland

Internet address: ww.minlnv.nl/loket

Other information: —

XA number: XA 79/07

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: The provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Provinciale subsidieverordeningen (omschrijving steun: Instandhouding en opwaardering van het landelijk erfgoed, onderdeel instandhouding van traditionele landschappen en gebouwen).

Legal basis:

— Artikel 11, derde lid, Wet inrichting landelijk gebied

— Provinciewet: artikel 105, artikel 145, artikel 158.

Provinciale subsidieverordeningen:

— Drenthe: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening Inrichting Landelijk Gebied

— Gelderland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling vitaal Gelderland 2007

— Groningen: artikel 9 van de Uitvoeringsregeling subsidies inrichting landelijk gebied 2006

— Flevoland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling inrichting landelijk gebied Flevoland

— Friesland: artikel 2 van de Kadersubsidieverordening Inrichting Landelijk Gebied provincie Fryslân 2007

— Noord-Brabant: artikel 2 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk Gebied 2007

— Noord-Holland: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied Noord-Holland 2007

— Overijssel: artikel 6.10 en 8.3 van het Uitvoeringsbesluit subsidies Overijssel

— Utrecht: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied provincie Utrecht 2006

— Zeeland: artikel 2 van de PMJP Subsidieregeling Inrichting Landelijk Gebied Zeeland

— Zuid-Holland: artikel 7.8 van de Algemene subsidieverordening Zuid-Holland

— Zuid-Limburg: artikel 2 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied Limburg.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid scheme is funded from the top-up (EUR 2,32 million) for sheet 323 of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: 40 % of the expenditure referred to in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, up to a maximum of EUR 200 000 over three financial years.

Date of implementation: No payments will be made before the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme has been approved.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Ends 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: Aid is granted under Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The eligible costs are those relating to investment in conservation. The aim is to preserve and upgrade rural heritage through the conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings on farmland.

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural holdings that produce products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty.

Name and address of the granting authority: The provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg)

Internet address: http://www.regiebureau-pop.nl/nl/info/4/57/provinciale-subsidieverordeningen/

Other information: Under Article 11(3) of the WILG (Rural Development Act), the provincial councils of the various provinces must adopt (Provincial) Subsidy Ordinances on measures that are eligible for EAFRD part-financing under Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005. In accordance with Article 11(3) of the WILG, these Subsidy Ordinances must be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Before this can happen, the European Commission must first approve the Dutch Rural Development Programme. Therefore, the (sections of the) Provincial Subsidy Ordinances that implement the Dutch Rural Development Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period still have to be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

XA number: XA 80/07

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: The provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Provinciale subsidieverordeningen (omschrijving steun: Niet productieve investeringen, onderdeel verplaatsing van bedrijven gelegen in hydrologische bufferzones).

Legal basis:

— Artikel 11, derde lid, Wet inrichting landelijk gebied

— Provinciewet: artikel 105, artikel 145, artikel 158.

Provinciale subsidieverordeningen:

— Drenthe: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening Inrichting Landelijk Gebied

— Gelderland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling vitaal Gelderland 2007

— Groningen: artikel 9 van de Uitvoeringsregeling subsidies inrichting landelijk gebied 2006

— Flevoland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling inrichting landelijk gebied Flevoland

— Friesland: artikel 2 van de Kadersubsidieverordening Inrichting Landelijk Gebied provincie Fryslân 2007

— Noord-Brabant: artikel 2 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk Gebied 2007

— Noord-Holland: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied Noord-Holland 2007

— Overijssel: artikel 6.10 en 8.3 van het Uitvoeringsbesluit subsidies Overijssel

— Utrecht: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied provincie Utrecht 2006

— Zeeland: artikel 2 van de PMJP Subsidieregeling Inrichting Landelijk Gebied Zeeland

— Zuid-Holland: artikel 7.8 van de Algemene subsidieverordening Zuid-Holland

— Zuid-Limburg: artikel 2 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied Limburg.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid scheme is funded from the top-up (EUR 181,14 million) for sheet 216 of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: Aid granted under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 covers 10 % of the cost of purchasing new farming land (land not for construction purposes), as stated in Article 4(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, but no more than is equivalent to:

the number of hectares of farmland at the old site transferred by the farm to the Bureau Beheer Landbouwgronden (Agricultural Land Management Office) or to a third party (with a perpetual clause) multiplied by EUR 3 000 plus

6 % of the purchase price for the farming land at the new site.

Aid granted under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 covers 100 % of the costs incurred directly as a result of relocating the farm buildings, as stated in Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Date of implementation: No payments will be made before the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme has been approved.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Ends 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: The aim is to safeguard biodiversity and the conservation, restoration, development and sustainable use of natural resources. In this context, farms that are in hydrological buffer zones under Natura 2000 or the EHS (National Ecological Network) can be encouraged by the authorities to relocate, after which the farmland that lies within the hydrological buffer zones is permanently flooded. Farms sell their farmland to the Bureau Beheer Landbouwgronden, with no right of use, for the price it would fetch on the open market (representative market value), register it for a land consolidation scheme or sell it to a third party (with a perpetual clause stating that use of the land is subject to certain restrictions, namely raised water levels). The farmer then purchases new farmland elsewhere.

Aid granted under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

The aid complies with Article 4(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The eligible costs are those relating to the purchase of new farming land (land not for construction purposes) for farm relocation: 10 % of the cost of purchasing new farming land (land not for construction purposes), as stated in Article 4(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, but no more than is equivalent to:

the number of hectares of farmland at the old site transferred by the farm to the Bureau Beheer Landbouwgronden or to a third party (with a perpetual clause) multiplied by EUR 3 000 plus

6 % of the purchase price for the farming land at the new site.

Aid granted under Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

The aid complies with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Only those costs relating to the expenditure involved in relocating farm buildings are eligible. These may include:

100 % of the taxable value of the farm buildings to be vacated,

the costs of demolishing the buildings to be vacated,

legal fees,

land registry fees,

costs incurred for expert (consultancy) services (estate agents, accountants),

removal expenses.

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural holdings that produce products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty.

Name and address of the granting authority: The provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg).

Internet address: http://www.regiebureau-pop.nl/nl/info/4/57/provinciale-subsidieverordeningen/

Other information: Under Article 11(3) of the WILG (Rural Development Act), the provincial councils of the various provinces must adopt (Provincial) Subsidy Ordinances on measures that are eligible for EAFRD part-financing under Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005. In accordance with Article 11(3) of the WILG, these Subsidy Ordinances must be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Before this can happen, the European Commission must first approve the Dutch Rural Development Programme. Therefore, the (sections of the) Provincial Subsidy Ordinances that implement the Dutch Rural Development Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period still have to be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

XA number: XA 81/07

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Regeling LNV-subsidies (omschrijving steun: Activiteiten op het gebied van voorlichting en afzetbevordering).

Legal basis:

— Regeling LNV-subsidies: artikel 1:2, artikel 1:3, artikel 1:20; artikel 2:1; artikel 2:58, artikel 2:60; artikel 2:61

— Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid scheme is funded from the top-up (EUR 0,43 million) for sheet 133 of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: 70 % of the following costs:

expenditure on disseminating technical and scientific knowledge about products covered by a food quality scheme,

expenditure on organising or participating in trade fairs, exhibitions or other similar public relations events relating to products covered by a food quality scheme,

expenditure on advertising products covered by a food quality scheme through various media or at sales outlets.

Date of implementation: The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Subsidies Scheme comes into force on 1 April 2007, but has not been made available for this section.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Ends 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: Granting aid to informative and promotional measures raises consumers' awareness of certified quality systems (and their significance) and equips them better to use these as a basis for informed purchasing decisions.

The aid scheme complies with Article 15(2)(d) and (e), (3) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Sector(s) concerned: Producer groups

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit Postbus 20401 2500 EK Den Haag Nederland

Internet address: ww.minlnv.nl/loket

Other information: —

XA Number: XA 82/07

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Regeling LNV-subsidies (omschrijving steun: Deelname door landbouwers aan voedselkwaliteitsregelingen).

Legal basis:

— Regeling LNV-subsidies: artikel 1:2, artikel 1:3, artikel 1:20, artikel 2:1; artikel 2:50, artikel 2:52; artikel 2:53; artikel 2:55; artikel 2:56; artikel 2:57

— Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid is financed from the top-up amount (EUR 0,43 million) under measure sheet 132 of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: 100 % of the costs referred to in Article 14(2)(d) and (e) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, with a maximum of EUR 3 000 for each year that the enterprise takes part in a food quality scheme; for each enterprise, aid is granted for a maximum period of 5 years.

Date of implementation: The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality subsidy scheme enters into force on 1 April 2007. Payments will not be made before the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme has been approved.

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Up to and including 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: The objective of the aid is to promote the production of quality agricultural products by encouraging farmers to (continue to) take part in quality systems (in this case organic farming). The eligible costs comprise the fixed costs connected with taking part in the food quality scheme, including the costs for checks connected with taking part.

The aid complies with the conditions stipulated in Article 14(2)(d) and (e) and Article 14(3) to (6) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Sector(s) concerned: All primary agricultural enterprises producing products referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit Postbus 20401 2500 EK Den Haag Nederland

Web address: ww.minlnv.nl/loket

Other information: —

XA Number: XA 83/07

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: Provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Provinciale subsidieverordeningen (omschrijving steun: De infrastructuur voor de ontwikkeling/aanpassing van landbouw, onderdeel herverkavelingsprojecten).

Legal basis:

— Artikel 11, derde lid, Wet inrichting landelijk gebied

— Provinciewet: artikel 105, artikel 145, artikel 158.

Provinciale subsidieverordeningen:

— Drenthe: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening Inrichting Landelijk Gebied

— Gelderland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling vitaal Gelderland 2007

— Groningen: artikel 9 van de Uitvoeringsregeling subsidies inrichting landelijk gebied 2006

— Flevoland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling inrichting landelijk gebied Flevoland

— Friesland: artikel 2 van de Kadersubsidieverordening Inrichting Landelijk Gebied provincie Fryslân 2007

— Noord-Brabant: artikel 2 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk Gebied 2007

— Noord-Holland: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied Noord-Holland 2007

— Overijssel: artikel 6.10 en 8.3 van het Uitvoeringsbesluit subsidies Overijssel

— Utrecht: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied provincie Utrecht 2006

— Zeeland: artikel 2 van de PMJP Subsidieregeling Inrichting Landelijk Gebied Zeeland

— Zuid-Holland: artikel 7.8 van de Algemene subsidieverordening Zuid-Holland

— Zuid-Limburg: artikel 2 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting landelijk gebied Limburg.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid is financed from the top-up amount (EUR 78 million) under measure sheet 125 of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: 40 %, or 50 % in problem areas, of the costs referred to in Articles 4(4) and 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The aid granted on the basis of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 is granted taking into account:

Article 4(8) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,

the maximum aid amount referred to in Article 4(9) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 (EUR 400 000 over three fiscal years per enterprise; EUR 500 000 over three fiscal years per enterprise in problem areas).

Date of implementation: Payments will not be made before the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme has been approved.

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Up to and including 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: The objective of the aid is to improve parcel structure in agriculture in order to reduce production costs or to preserve and improve the environment.

With regard to aid granted on the basis of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: the eligible costs comprise the costs of investment to be made by primary agricultural enterprises as referred to in Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Within the scope of Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, this concerns expenditure on inter alia:

costs for architects, engineers, consultants and feasibility studies,

costs for work to make newly-formed parcels workable,

costs for making parcels accessible by building roads or other infrastructure on the agricultural holdings,

costs for technical measures on the agricultural holdings directed at preventing negative consequences for the surroundings as a result of reparcelling,

costs for investment on the agricultural holdings in water management measures other than drainage work.

The aid complies with the conditions stipulated in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

With regard to aid granted on the basis of Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: the aid complies with the conditions stipulated in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The eligible costs comprise the costs of the exchange process (legal and administrative costs).

Sector(s) concerned: All primary agricultural enterprises producing products referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty.

Name and address of the granting authority: Provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg)

Web address: http://www.regiebureau-pop.nl/nl/info/4/57/provinciale-subsidieverordeningen/

Other information: On the basis of Article 11(3) of the Law on the structure of rural areas, provincial states of the various provinces are to lay down (Provincial) Subsidy Ordinances in relation to measures which, under Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, are eligible for part-financing from the EAFRD. Under Article 11(3) of the Law on the structure of rural areas, those subsidy ordinances have to be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. This cannot take place until after the European Commission has approved the Dutch Rural Development Programme. The (parts of the) provincial subsidy ordinances which implement the Dutch 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme therefore still have to be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.