EN Official Journal of the European Union C 93/16

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

2010/C 93/10

Aid No: XA 309/09

Member State: Austria

Region: Bundesland Burgenland

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Richtlinie der Burgenländischen Landesregierung über die Gewährung von Beihilfen für die Teilnahme an Messen und Ausstellungen außerhalb Österreichs

Legal basis: Bgld. Landwirtschaftsförderungsgesetz, LGBl. Nr. 59/1987

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The average funding requirement in Burgenland is expected to be EUR 150 000 annually.

Maximum aid intensity: A grant of up to 50 % of the costs of participating in fairs and exhibitions accessible to the public will be awarded.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The aid will be granted at the earliest from the time of publication on the Internet of the summary information on the aid scheme. Validity until 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: Applicable provision: Article 15(2)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006.

The aim of this aid measure is to present the agriculture of Burgenland at fairs, exhibitions, presentations and events accessible to the public within the European Union (with the exception of Austria), in order to promote it all over Europe.

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture (A 01)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Amt der Burgenländischen Landesregierung (Office of the Government of Burgenland) Abteilung 4a- Agrar- und Veterinärwesen Europaplatz 1 7000 Eisenstadt ÖSTERREICH

Website: http://www.burgenland.at/media/file/1402_Richtlinie_Messefoerderung.pdf

Other information: This scheme falls under Article 15(2)(d) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 and meets its requirements in full.

The aid is reserved for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The aid replaces State Aid No 22/2002.

Aid No: XA 310/09

Member State: Austria

Region: Burgenland

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Richtlinie für die Gewährung eines Zuschusses zu den Versicherungsprämien für Sturmschäden für Gewächshäuser in der Landwirtschaft

Legal basis: Bgld. Landwirtschaftsförderungsgesetz, LGBl. Nr. 59/1987

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The annual funding requirement in Burgenland is expected to be EUR 0,09 million.

Maximum aid intensity: A contribution of up to 30 % of the storm damage insurance premiums paid.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The aid will be granted from the time the summary information on the aid scheme is published on the Internet. Duration: until 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: Applicable provision: Article 12(2)(b) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006.

The objectives of this aid scheme are:

to prevent economic loss for primary agricultural production caused by adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters and other weather conditions that lead to losses,

to stimulate the uptake of insurance against insurable risks in agriculture,

to increase the economic stability of businesses through comprehensive risk insurance,

to preserve agricultural production in Burgenland.

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture/horticulture (A 01.12)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Amt der Burgenländischen Landesregierung Abteilung 4a- Agrar- und Veterinärwesen Europaplatz 1 7000 Eisenstadt ÖSTERREICH

Website: http://www.burgenland.at/media/file/1398_Richtlinie_Sturmschaeden.pdf

Other information: This scheme falls under Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 and meets its requirements in full. In particular, the aid does not constitute a barrier to the operation of the internal market for insurance services. The granting authority guarantees that the aid is not limited to insurance provided by a single insurance company or group of companies, or subject to the condition that the insurance contract be taken out with a company established in Austria.

Aid No: XA 12/10

Member State: France

Region: Champagne-Ardenne

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aides de la Région Champagne-Ardenne à des actions collectives de développement de la génétique ovine (aides à l’adhésion au contrôle de performances, soutiens à l’évaluation des agnelles et à l’évaluation des béliers)

Legal basis:

— Article L 1511-2 du Code Général des Collectivités Territoriales,

— contrat de filière ovine Champagne-Ardenne 2009-2011, signé le 17 juin 2009 entre la profession agricole, l’Etat et la région Champagne-Ardenne,

— délibération du Conseil régional de Champagne-Ardenne des 14 et 15 décembre 2009.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 185 000 (indicative maximum amount)

Maximum aid intensity: 70 %

The region will provide aid of a maximum of 50 % of the cost of animal recording for a period of four years (capped at EUR 800 for each year of participation).

The region will provide aid of a maximum of 70 % of the cost of evaluating the female lambs purchased by the farmer, namely EUR 57 for each qualified female lamb produced through selective breeding or EUR 40 for each replacement breeding lamb produced on a farm where performance testing is being carried out.

The region will provide aid of a maximum of 70 % of the cost of evaluating rams purchased by the farmer, namely a maximum of EUR 105 per ram.

Date of implementation: After publication of the identification number of the exemption request on the site 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 project is covered by Articles 15 and 16 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 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.

In line with the objectives of the sheep sector set out in the Champagne-Ardenne sheep farming contract for 2009-2011, concluded in June 2009 between the farming sector and the national and regional authorities, the Champagne-Ardenne Region intends to offer regional aid for genetic development on sheep farms in Champagne-Ardenne, in order to improve livestock quality and thus ensure the sustainability of the sector.

Genetics is one of the technical means of modernising sheep farms and enhancing their competitiveness: improving the reproductive qualities of breeding livestock and producing lambs that meet consumer expectations in terms of carcass quality.

The aid will be offered to all sheep farmers who sign a genetic development contract and whose holdings are no larger than an SME within the meaning of Community rules and are not undertakings in difficulty within the meaning of Community rules, and who:

are no more than 65 years of age (or agricultural companies 50 % of whose shares are held by natural persons who are no more than 65 years of age and are members of AMEXA (the agricultural sickness insurance scheme) as farmers),

receive at least 50 ewe premiums,

comply with the health rules in force,

are committed to sustainable agricultural practices.

The aims are as follows:

to encourage farmer participation in animal recording, which is a system that should provide monitoring and technical advice for optimising farm management.

This tool enables farmers to evaluate the performance of their livestock, participate in the collective genetic development programme and provide certified ewes.

Increasing the number of holdings participating in performance testing will have the beneficial effect of developing the genetic pool by expanding the selection base for breeding.

The farmer undertakes to participate in animal recording for a period of five years (formule Elevage (milk value) or formule Complète (milk value + growth index). The Organisme de Contrôle de Performances (OCP) undertakes to perform technical monitoring and use the results thereof,

to increase the genetic level of the Champagne-Ardenne holdings through the acquisition of female lambs and rams of a higher genetic quality (animals with certified genetic value).

To stimulate the demand for genetics services, farmers will be encouraged to use certified breeding livestock by being provided with genetics assistance.

Sector(s) concerned: All sheep farmers (SMEs)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Région Champagne-Ardenne Hôtel de Région 5 rue de Jéricho 51037 Chalons en Champagne Cedex FRANCE

Website: http://www.cr-champagne-ardenne.fr/getFile.aspx?FILEID=4066

Other information: —

Aid No: XA 2/10

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Sofinanciranje zavarovalnih premij za zavarovanje kmetijske proizvodnje za leto 2010

Legal basis: Uredba o sofinanciranju zavarovalnih premij za zavarovanje kmetijske proizvodnje in ribištva za leto 2010.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 12 344 855 in 2010.

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of eligible costs.

Date of implementation: From the date on which the registration number of the exemption for the aid scheme is published on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2010.

Objective of aid: To support SMEs.

The aid scheme applies Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Eligible costs are the costs of insurance premiums for policies providing cover against losses caused by adverse climatic events (hail, fire, lightning, spring frost, frosts, floods and storms) or losses caused by animal diseases.

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Republika Slovenija Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in prehrano Dunajska 22 SI-1000 Ljubljana SLOVENIJA

Website: http://www.pisrs.si/predpis.aspx?p_rD=r03&p_predpis=URED5123

Other information: The purpose of paying a proportion of the costs of insurance premiums is to encourage agricultural producers to insure their production against potential losses due to adverse climatic events and disease in animals, whilst taking responsibility for reducing risk in the area of plant production and livestock farming.