Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2004/C 15/03)

Date of adoption of the decision: 9.12.2003

Member State: Italy (Venezia)

Aid No: N 369/2000

Title: Development of hill farming

Objective: To support investment in mountain areas

Legal basis: - Legge regionale 2/94 "Provvedimenti per il consolidamento e lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura di montagna e per la tutela e la valorizzazione dei territori montani"

- Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 3423 del 29 novembre 2002 "Modifiche ed integrazioni alla D.G.R. 28.3.2000 n. 1114 recante direttive tecnico-amministrative per il consolidamento e lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura di montagna e la tutela e la valorizzazione dei territori montani, ai sensi degli artt. 5, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16 L.R. 18.1.1994 n. 2"

- Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 2675 del 12 settembre 2003 "Modifiche ed integrazioni alle D.G.R. 28.3.2000 n. 1114 e 29.11.2002 concernente il consolidamento e lo sviluppo dell'agricoltura di montagna"

Budget: EUR 1549370

Aid intensity or amount: From 30 % to 75 % (certain measures do not constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty)

Duration: 1 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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Italy (Tuscany)

Aid No: N 389/03

Title: Promotion of agricultural resources

Objective: This aid scheme is designed to provide public funding for technical assistance, promotion and advertising of Tuscany's quality agricultural products (PDO, PGI, organic products and products from integrated agriculture)

Legal basis: - Legge regionale n. 28 del 14.4.1997, come modificata dalla legge regionale n. 35 del 20.3.2000

- Delibera della Giunta Regionale n. 758 del 28.7.2003

- Legge regionale 28 gennaio 2000 n. 6

Budget: The annual public contribution will not exceed EUR 2700000

Aid intensity or amount: - For technical support and promotion (excluding fairs): up to 100 % of eligible costs;

- For fairs and exhibitions: 50 % of eligible costs;

- For advertising measures: up to 50 % of eligible costs (up to 80 % in the case of measures to be implemented outside the EU)

Duration: Unlimited

Other information: The Italian authorities have engaged to submit a report on the implementation of the scheme, including representative samples of advertising material used

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Germany (Bavaria)

Aid No: N 432/03

Title: Promotion of insecticide-free control of bark-breeding insects

Objective: To provide an incentive for forest owners to use insecticide-free methods to control bark-breeding insects

Legal basis: Richtlinie für die Gewährung von Zuwendungen im Rahmen eines waldbaulichen Förderprogramms

Budget: EUR 1 million

Aid intensity or amount: The aid intensity varies between 33 % and 60 %

Duration: Until 31 December 2004

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Italy (Sicilia)

Aid No: N 100/03

Title: Aids to the wine sector. Establishment of wine routes. Article 10 of Regional Law 2 August 2002 n. 5

Objective: To provide aids for a series of interventions aimed at establishing wine routes in Sicily. Namely:

a) the creation of the symbol of identification of the wine route and the specific signposting;

b) the creation or the adaptation of information and reception centres on the recognised wine routes;

c) the creation of new wine museums, the setting-up and the restructuring of existing museums;

d) the adaptation to the quality requirements envisaged by Article 8 of the notified Law;

e) the creation of a regional logo and information material on the wine routes, including the making of multimedia material

Legal basis: Articolo 10 della legge regionale 2 agosto 2002 n. 5 "Istituzione delle strade e delle rotte del vino"

Budget: Euro 250000 for the first three years of implementation

Aid intensity or amount: Maximum 50 % for each measure

Duration: Undetermined

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Spain (Catalonia)

Aid No: N 137/03

Title: Aid for the promotion of the cooperative/non-profit sector

Objective: The promotion of the cooperative/non-profit sector by means of aid for technical assistance, investment and the start up of new groups

Legal basis: Proyecto de orden por la que se aprueban las bases reguladoras de las subvenciones para el fomento de la economía social en Cataluña y se establece la convocatoria para el año 2003 para la presentación de solicitudes de estas subvenciones

Budget: Varies according to the programme

Aid intensity or amount: Varies according to the programme

Duration: Four 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: 11.12.2003

Member State: United Kingdom

Aid No: N 228/03

Title: Red Meat Industry Forum

Objective: The aim of the Red Meat Industry Forum Scheme is to improve the business competitiveness and efficiency of the red meat and red meat products industry. Support will be given for benchmarking, consultancy, training, management development, a Centre of Red Meat Excellence and best practice

Legal basis: Agriculture Act 1967 as amended

Budget: GBP 6768000 (EUR 9665810)

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 %

Duration: 2003 until 31 March 2006

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Spain (Navarre)

Aid No: N 338/03

Title: Aid for the relocation of farm buildings

Objective: The relocation of farm buildings in the public interest

Legal basis: Proyecto de decreto Foral por el que se establecen ayudas para el traslado de explotaciones pecuarias

Budget: EUR 1200000 per year

Aid intensity or amount: Varies according to the area

Duration: 2004, 2005 and 2006

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Austria (Wien)

Aid No: N 348/03

Title: Aid towards partial compensation for the hail damage to wine and fruit growing in 2003

Objective: Compensation for hail damage. According to the Austrian authorities on 13 May 2003 fruit cultures sustained hail damage in Wien. According to the weather data on Wien provided by the Austrian authorities, in the afternoon of 13 May 2003 hail storms of exceptional severity and partly with egg-sized hailstones caused substantial damage to cultures especially in municial districts 19, 21 and 22. Only the fruit growing undertakings in areas with more than 30 % loss of average yields will receive compensation. The income loss varies between EUR 11465,30 and 27843,60. The aid is one-off and amounts to EUR 1049,50/ha. The fruit grower must apply for the aid individually indicating the damaged areas. Furthermore he must give an engagement to carry out certain measures on the plants, their supports and the soil in order to repair the damage done by the hail

Legal basis: Richtlinie für die Gewährung eines Zuschusses zur Beseitigung von Hagelschäden an Weinbau- und Erwerbsobstkulturen in Wien zur Sicherung und Erhaltung der Kulturlandschaft

Budget: Ca. EUR 450000

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Denmark

Aid No: N 428/03

Title: Fund for Organic farming

Objective: The purpose of the Fund for Organic farming is to promote organic agricultural production by providing support for marketing, research and experimentation, product development, and consultation

Legal basis: - Lov om administration af EF-forordninger om fælles markedsordninger for landbrugsprodukter

- Vedtægter for Fonden for økologisk landbrugsproduktion

- Cirkulære om produktion og promillefonden for landbrug og gartneri

- Revisionsinstrukser om produktion og promillefonden for landbrug og gartneri

Budget: DKK 20 Million (EUR 2689800) for 2003

Aid intensity or amount: 80 % of the costs for all measures; except for marketing measures, where the aid intensity is 50 %

Duration: 2003-2009

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Italy (Tuscany)

Aid No: N 454/03

Title: Pilot project for the production, processing and marketing of hemp (cannabis sativa L.)

Objective: Pilot project to start-up the cultivation and processing of hemp (cannabis sativa) for industrial purposes. The demonstrative project aims at the creation of a complete cluster to stimulate the operators to invest in the sector

Legal basis: Legge Regionale n. 12 del 14.2.2003 "Progetto pilota relativo alla coltivazione, trasformazione e commercializzazione della canapa a scopi produttivi e ambientali"

Budget: EUR 1179750

Aid intensity or amount: - research measures: 75 % of the eligible costs;

- pilot project: 75 % of the eligible costs up to EUR 100000 per beneficiary;

- investments for the processing of hemp: 40 % of the eligible costs and general costs up to 12 % of the investment costs;

- market research: 75 % of the eligible costs up to EUR 100000 per beneficiary

Duration: Until 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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Spain (Navarre)

Aid No: NN 1/02

Title: Aid to stockfarmers (BSE)

Objective: Partial compensation for the loss of income incurred by beef farms as a result of bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Legal basis: Orden Foral de 16 de febrero de 2001 del Consejero de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación, por la que se establece para la campaña 2001, una ayuda excepcional, única a las explotaciones ganaderas certificadas como prioritarias que promuevan vacuno de carne en régimen extensivo

Budget: ESP 100918000 (EUR 606529)

Aid intensity or amount: Between ESP 5000 (EUR 30) and ESP 8000 (EUR 48) per suckler cow

Duration: One-off aid

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: 11.12.2003

Member State: Spain (Castile-Leon)

Aid No: NN 167/01

Title: Aid for the processing and marketing of agricultural products

Objective: To improve the conditions for the processing and marketing of agricultural products by means of investment aid and technical assistance

Legal basis: Orden de 3 de mayo de 2001 de la Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería de regulación y convocatoria de ayudas a la transformación y comercialización de los productos agrarios, silvícola y de alimentación en Castilla León

Budget: EUR 85248682 for 2001

Aid intensity or amount: Varies according to the aid

Duration: Not specified

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