EN Official Journal of the European Union C 117/22

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

(2008/C 117/10)

Aid No: XA 18/08

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Območje občine Hrpelje-Kozina

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Pomoči za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Hrpelje-Kozina 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju državnih pomoči za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva ter podeželja v občini Hrpelje-Kozina v obdobju 2007–2013 (II. Poglavje)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted:

2007: EUR 17 000

2008: EUR 27 000

2009: EUR 27 000

2010: EUR 27 000

2011: EUR 27 000

2012: EUR 27 000

2013: EUR 27 000

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in less-favoured areas and up to 40 % in other areas.

The purpose of the aid is investment to restore farm features and to purchase equipment to be used for agricultural production, to invest in permanent crops, to improve farmland and to manage pastures.

2. Aid for conservation of traditional buildings:

— for non-productive features, up to 100 % of actual costs,

— for productive assets on farms, up to 60 % of actual costs, or 75 % in less-favoured areas, provided that the investment does not entail any increase in the production capacity of the farm,

— additional aid may be granted at a rate of up to 100 % to cover the extra costs incurred by using traditional materials necessary to preserve the heritage features of buildings.

3. Relocation of farm buildings in the public interest:

— up to 100 % of actual costs where the relocation simply consists of the dismantling, removal and re-erection of existing facilities,

— where the relocation results in the farmer benefiting from more modern facilities, the farmer is to contribute at least 60 %, or 50 % in less-favoured areas, of the increase in the value of the facilities concerned after relocation. If the beneficiary is a young farmer, this contribution is to be at least 55 % or 45 % respectively,

— where the relocation results in an increase in production capacity, the contribution from the farmer must be at least 60 %, or 50 % in less-favoured areas, of the expenses relating to this increase. If the beneficiary is a young farmer, this contribution is to be at least 55 % or 45 % respectively.

4. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— the amount of municipal co-financing is the difference between the amount of co-financing of insurance premiums from the national budget and up to 50 % of eligible costs of insurance premiums for insuring crops and fruit and insuring livestock against disease.

5. Aid for land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of actual legal and administrative costs incurred.

6. Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products:

— up to 100 % of costs; the aid is to be provided in the form of subsidised services and does not involve direct payments of money to producers.

7. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 100 % of costs in the form of subsidized services for education and training of farmers, consultancy services, the organisation of forums, competitions, exhibitions and fairs, publications, catalogues and websites, and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. The aid is to be granted in the form of subsidised services and does not involve direct payments of money to producers

Date of implementation: December 2007 (The aid will not be granted until a summary has been published on the European Commission's website)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31.12.2013

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

Reference to Articles in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and eligible costs: Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting State aid for preserving and developing agriculture and rural areas in the municipality of Hrpelje-Kozina includes measures constituting State aid in accordance with the following Articles of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 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 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

Article 4: Investment in agricultural holdings,

Article 5: Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings,

Article 6: Relocation of farm buildings in the public interest,

Article 12: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums,

Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling,

Article 14: Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products,

Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of granting authority:

Občina Hrpelje-Kozina, Hrpelje Reška cesta 14 SLO-6240 Kozina

Website: http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=2007109&dhid=92827

Other information: The measure for the payment of insurance premiums to insure crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost, hail, lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 concerning the measures to be adopted by the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and monitoring of aid)

Zvonko BENČIČ-MIDRE

Mayor

Aid No: XA 25/08

Member State: Netherlands

Region: Provincie Noord-Brabant

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Beleidsregels inzake de subsidieverlening in het kader van het convenant Stuurgroep Landbouw Innovatie Noord-Brabant (afgekort LIB-subsidieregeling).

Legal basis: Algemene subsidieverordening Provincie Noord-Brabant die de kaders geeft voor de LIB-subsidieregeling. Het betreft een verlenging van een bestaande regeling die in 2006 is gemeld (nr. XA-59/06) op grond van EG-Verordening 1/2004.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Under the agreement on the LIB Steering Group, North Brabant Province makes a total of EUR 481 460,81 available each year to small and medium-sized enterprises producing agricultural products in order to promote environmentally and socially oriented innovations in agriculture

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity (percentage of investment eligible for aid) is 40 %. For training and advising farmers, the aid intensity may be up to 100 % as provided for in Articles 14(2) and 15(3) of the Regulation. For investment aid to cover the extra costs connected with protecting or improving the environment, improving livestock holdings' hygiene conditions or animal welfare, a maximum of 60 % aid may be granted, provided that the investment goes beyond the minimum Community requirements applicable.

Not more than EUR 35 000 a year will be granted per subsidy application, subject to a maximum of EUR 100 000 for three years per project

Date of implementation: January 2008, once the Commission has published the summary information

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Until 1.1.2012

Objective of aid: The whole aid measure is aimed at lowering production costs, improving and converting production, increasing quality and/or improving the environment, hygiene and animal welfare. In particular, the LIB subsidy scheme aims to promote project-based innovations in agriculture and horticulture directed at:

— The second objective is new compared with the scheme notified in 2006. The scheme is fully in tune with the social and environmental objectives of the current European common agricultural policy. The resources earmarked for organic farming are in line with the EU's current action plan on organic farming.

— The aid benefits small-scale project-based innovations in which the ecological, social and economic aspects of agriculture and horticulture reinforce one another as much as possible.

Activities which the LIB Steering Group may support financially are:

Market research, devising or designing products to promote the production and sale of quality products as referred to in Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (Article 14(2)(a), (3) and (5) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006).

Developing and sharing knowledge among farmers and farm workers by covering the costs of organising information/training programmes and advice directed at farm innovation, and the costs of organising forums to share knowledge between businesses as referred to in Article 15(2)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, applying scientific knowledge at farm level and disseminating knowledge by means of publications (Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006).

Investing in immovable property and equipment and, for that purpose, hiring consultants and undertaking (feasibility) studies with a view to lowering production costs, improving and converting production, increasing product quality, improving animal welfare and the natural environment (Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006).

The subsidy referred to in Articles 14 and 15 of the Regulation is not granted to farmers (producers) but to the parties providing the services.

The activities must take place on sound, viable agricultural holdings and produce practical results for similar holdings.

Eligible activities:

The eligible activities are stated in Article 3 of the current LIB policy rules and Article 1(c) and (d) of the decree amending the LIB policy rules

Sector(s) concerned: All (primary) agricultural and horticultural production sectors (animal and plant production), subject to the enterprises concerned being small and medium-sized as stipulated in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Name and address of granting authority:

Gedeputeerde Staten van Noord-Brabant Brabantlaan 1 Postbus 90151 5200 MC `s-Hertogenbosch Nederland

Website: http://www.brabant.nl/Werken/Land_%20en%20tuinbouw/Landbouw%20Innovatie%20Noord%20Brabant%20LIB.aspx

Other information: To view and download the scheme, please go to the above website

Aid No: XA 26/08

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: England

Title of Aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: English Pig Health Scheme

Legal basis: Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, Sections 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 96 and 97 et Levy Board UK Order 2007, Schedule I, part 2.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The budget will cover the period from 1 April 2008 until 31 March 2013. A breakdown of the statutory levy funding for each financial year is below:

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is 75 %

Date of implementation: The scheme will be implemented on 1 April 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will start on 1 April 2008. The last date of advice will be 30 March 2013, and the scheme will close on 31 March 2013

Objective of aid: Animal health and welfare.

The objective of this scheme is to provide a subsidised service to small and medium sized pig producers which will enable the screening of pig carcasses for animal diseases. It is intended that this will enable the reduction of the level of sub-clinical disease in the English pig herd and thus improve the efficiency of the industry. This will be in line with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: The scheme applies to small and medium sized agricultural businesses active in livestock or cattle production

Name and address of the granting authority: The statutory body responsible for the scheme is:

Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

Area 5C, Millbank

C/o Nobel House

17 Smith Square

London SW1P 3JR

United Kingdom

The organisation operating the scheme is:

BPEX Ltd

C/o Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board

Area 5C, Millbank

C/o Nobel House

17 Smith Square

London SW1P 3JR

United Kingdom

Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/levy-bodies/pdf/pig-health-scheme.pdf

Other information: The scheme will be managed by BPEX Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Council.

Further and more detailed information relating to eligibility and rules for the scheme can be found in the web link above.

Signed and dated on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK competent authority)

Duncan Kerr

Agricultural State Aid

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Area 8D, 9 Millbank

C/o Nobel House

17 Smith Square

Westminster

London SW1P 3JR

United Kingdom

Aid No: XA 30/08

Member State: Republic of Cyprus

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Σχέδιο για την Κατεδάφιση με σκοπό τη Μετεγκατάσταση Οχληρών Κτηνοτροφικών Υποστατικών

Legal basis: Απόφαση Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου της 19ης Ιουνίου 2007

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of aid granted to the company: EUR 854 300 (CYP 500 000)

Μaximum aid intensity: 50 % of the replacement value of licensed farms, 30 % of the replacement value of unlicensed farms and 5 % of the replacement value to cover part of the cost of dismantling and removing waste materials. Maximum aid EUR 341 720 (CYP 200 000) per beneficiary

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31.12.2013

Objective of aid: to relocate farm buildings in the public interest and in particular to encourage livestock farmers to voluntarily dismantle and relocate premises which have become an excessive nuisance and/or source of environmental or groundwater pollution owing to their location (Regulation (ΕC) No 1857/2006, Article 6)

Sector(s) concerned: Livestock farming

Name and address of granting authority:

Τμήμα Γεωργίας, Υπουργείου Γεωργίας, Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος Λεωφόρος Λουκή Ακρίτα 1 CY-411 Λευκωσία

Website: www.moa.gov.cy/da

Other information: The farms will be selected on the basis of set criteria relating to the public interest and the degree of environmental impact

Aid No: XA 46/08

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Občina Cankova

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Podpora programom razvoja kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Cankova 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju državnih pomoči na področju razvoja kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Cankova (II. Poglavje)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company:

2007: EUR 23 535

2008: EUR 24 250

2009: EUR 25 000

2010: EUR 25 750

2011: EUR 26 500

2012: EUR 27 250

2013: EUR 28 000

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in less-favoured areas,

— up to 40 % of eligible costs in other areas.

The purpose of the aid is investment to restore farm features and to purchase equipment to be used for agricultural production, to invest in permanent crops, to improve farmland and to manage pastures.

2. Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings:

— up to 100 % of actual costs for investment in non-productive features,

— up to 60 % of actual costs, or 75 % in less-favoured areas, for investment in productive assets on farms, provided that the investment does not entail any increase in the production capacity of the farm,

— additional aid may be granted at at rate of up to 100 % to cover the extra costs incurred by using traditional materials necessary to preserve the heritage features of buildings.

3. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— the amount of municipal co-financing is the difference between the amount of co-financing of insurance premiums from the national budget and up to 50 % of eligible costs of insurance premiums for insuring crops and fruit and for insuring livestock against disease.

4. Aid for land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of actual legal and administrative costs incurred.

5. Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products:

— up to 100 % of actual costs incurred; this is to be provided in the form of subsidised services and must not involve direct payments of money to producers.

6. Provision of technical support:

— up to 100 % of costs concerning education and training, consultancy services provided by third parties and the organization of forums, competitions, exhibitions, fairs, publications and websites. The aid is to be granted in the form of subsidised services and must not involve direct payments of money to producers

Date of implementation: January 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31.12.2013

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

Reference to Articles in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting State aid for agricultural and rural development in the municipality of Cankova includes measures constituting State aid in accordance with the following Articles of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 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 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

Article 4: Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production,

Article 5: Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings,

Article 12: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums,

Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling,

Article 14: Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products,

Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector

Name and address of granting authority:

Občina Cankova Cankova 25 SLO-9261 Cankova

Website: http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=2007124&dhid=93792

Other information: The measure for the payment of insurance premiums to insure crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost, hail, lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 relating to the measures to be adopted by the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and monitoring of aid)

Drago VOGRINČIČ

Mayor of the municipality of Cankova