Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to training aid

(2002/C 21/06)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XT/10/2001

Member State: Ireland

Region: All regions - Borders, Midlands and western region (BMW) and southern and eastern region (S & E)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Equality for women measure

Legal basis: The measure is located in the social inclusion and childcare subprogramme of the regional operational programmes of the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The funding is provided at subhead S 1 of vote 19 (Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform) of government financial estimates

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The total allocation for the measure over the period 2000-2006 is EUR 29,5 million of which EUR 21,7 million has been allocated to the S & E region and EUR 7,8 million to the BMW region. It is proposed to support project applications by way of grant aid

In the S & E region it is estimated that less than EUR 5 million will be allocated to initiatives involving grant aid to individual companies, equivalent to an annual expenditure of EUR 800000. In the BMW region it is estimated that less than EUR 2 million will be allocated to initiatives involving grant aid to individual companies, equivalent to an annual expenditure of EUR 300000

Maximum aid intensity: Specific training will not be provided under the measure. Training funded under the measure will be of a general nature and will be certified within the national qualifications framework

The following aid rates will apply:

- S & E - a maximum of 55 % for large firms and a maximum of 75 % for SMEs

- BMW - a maximum of 60 % for large firms and a maximum of 80 % for SMEs

Date of implementation: Aid may be granted from 1 April 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid may be granted up to 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The equality for women measure is designed to provide greater equality for women, including in the labour market. The following initiatives will be funded under the measure:

- gender proofing of personnel policies

- developing of employment family friendly policies

- up-skilling and retraining of women employees, and

- encouraging career development and entrepreneurship among women

The focus will be on tackling vertical and horizontal sex segregation in employment through raising gender awareness, equipping women with relevant labour market skills and designing gender sensitive policies

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors. Funding is available to all organisations interested in working for equality for women. Projects will be selected following a call for proposals

Name and address of the granting authority: Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform 43-49 Mespil Road Dublin 4 Ireland

Other information: It is anticipated that most of the activity funded under the measure will not impact on State aid rules including the following initiatives:

- innovative projects for disadvantaged women and women over 50 years of age

- promoting gender balance in decision-making (i.e. non-employment sphere)

- research, training and retraining of unemployed women