Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises

(2002/C 42/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS/03/2001

Member State: Germany

Region: Land of Lower Saxony, district of Diepholz

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Strengthening the local economy by promoting productive investment by SMEs in Diepholz

Legal basis: § 108 der Niedersächsischen Landkreisordnung (NLO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt S. 365) i. V. mit § 65 der Niedersächsischen Gemeindeordnung (NGO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt S. 382)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 2001: EUR 0,6 million

2002: EUR 0,6 million

2003: EUR 0,4 million

2004: EUR 0,4 million

2005: EUR 0,4 million

Maximum aid intensity: The aid amounts:

- in the case of small enterprises, to up to 15 %

- and in the case of medium-sized enterprises, to up to 7,5 %

of eligible investment expenditure

The rules on the combination of aid are complied with

Date of implementation: 1 June 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: From 1 June 2001 to 31 December 2005

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to promote the competitiveness and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises in the district of Diepholz, to encourage the creation of new jobs and help safeguard existing ones and thereby to bring about structural improvements

Rescue and restructuring aid to firms in difficulty (within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty (OJ C 288, 9.10.1999)) is not covered by the measure

Aid may be granted for the following types of investment project:

- setting-up of an establishment

- extension of an establishment

- basic rationalisation of an establishment where this is needed to maintain it as a going concern and to safeguard jobs there

The aid is granted in addition to existing regional aid measures (joint Federal Government/Länder programme for improving regional economic structures)

It is a precondition for the grant of aid that:

- in the case of business start-ups, at least five permanent jobs be created and filled

- in the case of extension projects, the number of permanent jobs be increased by at least 20 %

The assets for which aid is granted must remain in the assisted establishment for at least five years after the investment project is completed unless they are replaced by assets of the same or a higher value. The assisted investments are subject to a public-law requirement that they be earmarked for an appropriate purpose

The aid is granted in the form of investment grants

It is made available for the procurement or manufacture of the physical fixed assets forming part of the investment project

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs belonging to the industrial, commercial, craft and hotel sectors are entitled to apply. No aid may be granted to firms in sensitive sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Landkreis Diepholz Amt für Wirtschaftsförderung Postfach 1340 D - 49343 Diepholz

Other information: Mr Reddig/Mr Klingenberg Tel. (49-5441) 976 14 55-30 Fax (49-5441) 976 17 26 E-mail: guenter.klingenberg@diepholz.de