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

(2003/C 196/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XT 43/02

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: England

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Employer Training Pilot 2002 to 2004

Legal basis: Employment Act 1973, Sections 2(1) and 2(2) as substantiated by Section 25 of the Employment and Training Act 1998 and the Industrial Development Act 1982, Section 11; Industrial Development Act 1982, Section 7; Learning and Skills Council Act 2000

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: This programme will provide funding of some GBP 34000000 (EUR 54400000) over a period of 3 years commencing 1 September 2002 and ending 31 March 2004. The estimated annual funding profile is as follows:

- 2002-2003: GBP 13,0 million (EUR 20,8 million)

- 2003-2004: GBP 20,5 million (EUR 32,8 million)

- 2004-2005: GBP 0,5 million (EUR 0,8 million)

Maximum aid intensity: In the case of aid schemes and individual training exempted under this scheme, the intensity rates specified in Article 4(2) to (7) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 will be adhered to, i.e. 50 % for a large company, 70 % for an SME + 5 % for assisted-areas status and 10 % if the beneficiaries meet the definition of disadvantaged workers. Under this block exemption, the maximum amount available to any one company will be no more than GBP 100000 (EUR 163000 based on an exchange rate of GBP 1 = EUR 1,60 as at 17 June 2002) within the three-year period to which this notification relates and, in any case, will comply with Article 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 68/2001

Date of implementation: 1 September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Three year

Objective of aid: The scheme is focused exclusively on low-skilled and poorly qualified employees. The objective of the scheme is to use training to reduce individual employee vulnerability to unemployment and to persuade employers, particularly small employers, of the value of investing in the skills of their workforce. The scheme is a pilot scheme which will be evaluated with the intention of rolling out a national strategy available to all employers in a future phase building on the lessons learnt in this pilot.

The training will be in the form of nationally recognised qualifications such as National Vocational Qualifications or other vocationally specific qualifications as defined by the appropriate Sector Skills Council where an NVQ framework is not currently available

Economic sector(s) concerned: In line with Section 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) 68/2001, Section 3, the scope of this training block exemption will cover all sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Learning and Skills Council Cheylesmore House

Quinton Road

Coventry CV1 2WT United Kingdom

Other information: Contact Officer: David Greer Direct line (44-2476) 70 33 27

Mobile (44-7789) 65 11 36

Aid No: XT 77/02

Member State: Germany

Region: Bavaria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Mudra e.V. I; gardening and landscape gardening, service project

Legal basis: Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999; EPPD zu Ziel 3; Ergänzendes Programmplanungsdokument Ziel 3; Bayerische Haushaltsordnung (BayHO)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total eligible costs: EUR 293482

ESF: EUR 92032

Maximum aid intensity: 70 %

Date of implementation: 16 July 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: October 2002

Objective of aid: This is a general training measure for former drug addicts with a view to placement on the general labour market. Training is provided in gardening/landscaping and in services. The level of skills and integration potential are enhanced by work experience placements. The measure will help to provide transferable skills which will significantly improve the placement potential of the participants. The aid is for an SME as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 68/2001

Economic sector(s) concerned: Other services

Name and address of the granting authority: Regierung von Mittelfranken Integrationsamt D - 91511 Ansbach

Aid No: XT 79/02

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: All of England (and Gibraltar) excluding the Objective 1 areas of Cornwall, Merseyside and South Yorkshire

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Objective 3 Operational Programme for England and Gibraltar 2000 to 2006

Legal basis: - Learning and Skills Act 2000

- Employment Act 1973, Section 2(1) and 2(2), substantiated by Section 25 of the Employment and Training Act 1998

- Sections 5 and 6, Regional Development Agencies Act 1998

- Section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1993

- Further and Higher Education Act 1992

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total expenditure over a five-year period: GBP 615,543 million

Annual expenditure:

2002: GBP 36,950 million

2003: GBP 152,338 million

2004: GBP 139,274 million

2005: GBP 142,076 million

2006: GBP 144,907 million

Maximum aid intensity: - 25 % in the case of large enterprises for specific training

- 35 % in the case of SMEs for specific training

- 50 % in the case of large enterprises for general training

- 70 % in the case of SMEs for general training

All aid intensities may be increased by 5 percentage points in assisted areas.

Where aid is provided to a disadvantaged worker as defined in Article 2(g), the aid intensity can be increased by 10 percentage points.

No one undertaking will receive aid exceeding EUR 1000000

Date of implementation: 1 October 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: The Objective 3 programme is a broad-based training and development programme which aims to improve the employability of unemployed people including disadvantaged workers, to promote lifelong learning for those in and out of employment, to improve the skills base and adaptability of the employed labour force and to reduce the level of disadvantage faced by women in the labour market. Training aid covered by this exemption covers those measures in the programme that provide aid to employees and enterprises.

General training

The majority of training supported through Objective 3 is general in nature. It is applicable not only to an employee's present or future position in the enterprise being assisted because the provision of qualifications provides transferable skills that substantially improve the employability of the employee concerned. Where training leads to the award of National Vocational Qualifications and Key Skills Qualifications, training will be considered to be general in nature.

Specific training

Where training provided through Objective 3 is applicable principally to the employee's present or future position in the assisted enterprise and provides qualifications that are not transferable, the maximum aid intensities for specific training will apply

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Department for Work and Pensions ESF Division

Moorfoot

Sheffield S1 4PQ United Kingdom Tel. (44-114) 267 73 06

Other information: Contact: Steve Briggs Tel. (44-114) 267 73 06