EN Official Journal of the European Union C 185/2

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

(2005/C 185/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 4/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Title of aid scheme: Aid for productive investment by SMEs in the fashion business

Legal basis:

— Delibera Giunta regionale n. 1206 del 4 novembre 2002‘Risoluzione del Consiglio regionale n. 18/2002. Approvazione dello schema per la definizione del progetto pilota integrato per il sistema moda’.

— Decisione Giunta regionale n. 13 dell'11 luglio 2001‘Direttive per l'attuazione dei regimi di aiuto’.

— Decreto Giunta regionale n. 6818 del 21 novembre 2002 Bando per l'accesso al regime di aiuto Misura 1.1 ‘Aiuti agli investimenti produttivi e ambientali delle PMI’ del PRSE 2001.

— Decreto Giunta regionale n. 6876 del 3 dicembre 2002 Bando per l'accesso al regime di aiuto Misura 1.2 ‘Aiuti agli investimenti di imprese artigiane’ del PRSE 2001-2005.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 25 000 000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity for the individual firm, expressed in gross grant equivalent (gge), may not exceed 15 % of the total investment cost in the case of small enterprises or 7,5 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises. Where the areas covered by the scheme qualify for exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty, the aid ceiling is 18 % gge for small enterprises and 14 % gge for medium-sized enterprises.

Date of implementation: January 2003. Date on which the Commission received the notification.

Duration of scheme: Period 2003-05.

Objective of aid: To assist and to facilitate access to credit for SMEs in the fashion business investing in tangible and intangible assets.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Firms classified as falling mainly under the following codes in the 1991 Italian Statistical Office (ISTAT) classification:

DB — Manufacture of textiles and textile products

DC — Manufacture of leather and leather products

DN 36.2 — Manufacture of jewellery and related articles

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Toscana Via di Novoli, 26 I-50127 Firenze

Aid No: XS 38/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Title of aid scheme: Regional Programme of ERDF Innovative Actions ‘FreNeSys’ — Action 2 ‘e-Cooperative business’ — Measure 2.6 ‘support for demonstration projects’

Legal basis:

Delibera Giunta regionale n. 4236 del 6.12.2002

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 700 000

Maximum aid intensity:

A. Gross intensity of aid for investment in equipment shall not exceed:

— 15 % in the case of small businesses;

— 7,5 % in the case of medium-sized businesses.

For businesses which have their head office and/or plant in areas exempted under Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty as identified in Decision C(2000) No 2752 final, corrigendum of 20 September 2000, the aid intensity shall not exceed 8 % nge + 10 % gge for small businesses and 8 % nge + 6 % gge for medium-sized businesses.

B. Gross intensity of aid for services provided by external consultants shall not exceed:

— 50 % for SMEs.

Date of implementation: 19 February 2003.

Duration of scheme: Until 30 June 2004.

Objective of aid: To support the competitiveness of regional firms by creating or developing telematic networks for the promotion of e-business. The projects, carried out by groupings of firms and other bodies, will be publicised as examples of good practice.

Economic sector(s) concerned:

(a) Industrial or craft businesses active in mining, processing or manufacturing goods and construction;

(b) businesses providing services, identified as among those which can have positive effect on the development of all the above production activities;

(c) businesses active in tourism and in retail and wholesale trade.

This does not concern sectors not covered by Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 and the transport sector. The sectoral ceilings laid down by specific Community regulations or directives shall apply.

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Autonoma Friuli-Venezia Giulia Direzione regionale degli Affari europei Via Trento, 2 I-34132 Trieste e-mail: Affari.europei@regione.fvg.it; s.promo@regione.fvg.it

Other information: The measure is carried out in collaboration with the four regional chambers of commerce, industry, agriculture and craft (Gorizia, Udine, Pordenone, Trieste), responsible for the administrative procedures.

Aid No: XS 106/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Wales & the Valleys

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Carmarthenshire County Council Strategic Towns & Villages Initiative, including: Rural Conversion Grant

Legal basis: Local Government Act 2000, Part 2 (Promotion of wellbeing, subsection 4)

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company (Rural Conversion Grant Funds (RCG)):

2003/04: GBP 415 000

2004/05: GBP 715 000

Total: GBP 1,13 million

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of costs of tangible and intangible investment (Article 87(3)(a) area — 35 % + 15 % for SMEs). In some cases, investment aid will be calculated based on job creation. No SME will receive more than GBP 20 000 per job created.

Up to 50 % of consultancy costs.

Date of implementation:

Duration of the scheme or individual aid award: Until March 2005

Objective of aid: To support tangible and intangible investment costs and soft aid (consultancy) in relation to SMEs. Investment in premises will be where intervention is required to ensure appropriate provision of accommodation to enable the business to grow. The investment aid will encourage growth and development within the County and stimulate economic regeneration within urban and rural town and community centres by supporting the costs of investment in land, buildings and equipment intended to create or extend a business.

Support for consultancy costs will usually be limited to 10 % of costs. Consultancy support will include one off payments to support design and supervision of projects. The grant will not be given to activity relating to the enterprise's usual operating expenditure such as routine tax consultancy services, regular legal services or advertising.

Economic sectors: All eligible industry sectors without prejudice to special rules concerning State aid in certain sectors — Article 1(2) of the SME block exemption Regulations

Name and address of the granting authority:

Sarah L Veck Head of Economic Development Economic Development Division Carmarthenshire County Council Business Resource Centre Parc Amanwy New Road Ammanford Carmarthenshire SA18 3EP

Aid No: XS 135/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Title of aid scheme: Aid to firms in the transport sector in Brescia to set up ‘Vision 2000’ (2003/2004) business quality systems.

Legal basis: Art. 12 L. 7 agosto 1990, n. 241.

Deliberazioni camerali n. 240 del 10.12.2002 e n. 185 del 29.9.2003.

Determinazione dirigenziale n. 93/AV del 9.10.2003.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 50 000

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the costs incurred up to a maximum of EUR 2 066 for each firm.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme: From 20 October 2003 to 19 October 2004

Objective of aid: To promote the setting up of business quality systems in firms in Brescia based on the ‘Vision 2000’ standards for product and process certification.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Transport

Name and address of granting authority:

Camera di commercio industria artigianato e agricoltura di Brescia Via Orzinuovi, n. 3 I-25125 Brescia E-mail: costantino@bs.camcom.it

Aid No: XS 136/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Sardinia

Title of aid scheme: Financing of networks of services for firms in industrial districts and in local productive clusters.

Legal basis: L.R. 24.12.1998, n. 37, art. 4

Delibera di Giunta n. 21/23 del 21.7.2003

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 6 713 940,38

Maximum aid intensity: 35 % nge + 15 % gge

Date of implementation: From 11 August 2003

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2003

Objective of aid: To promote the development and competitiveness of industrial districts and local productive clusters in Sardinia by improving the networks of services to firms via the introduction of innovative productive, commercial and promotion processes and productive, technological and commercial interaction between firms operating in the same district or local productive cluster.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors excluding activities relating to the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex 1 to the Treaty.

For the cork sector only the following sectors in the EC combined nomenclature are eligible:

CN code 4502 (Natural cork, debacked or roughly squared, or in rectangular (including square) blocks, plates, sheets or strip (including sharp-edged blanks for corks or stoppers);

CN code 4503 (Articles of natural cork);

CN code 4504 (Agglomerated cork (with or without a binding substance) and articles of agglomerated cork).

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Autonoma della Sardegna Assessorato dell'Industria — Servizio Infrastrutture Viale Trento n. 69 — I-09123 Cagliari

Other information: The aid recipients are consortia and companies set up by consortia of SMEs operating in the industrial districts identified by decree No 377 of 7 August 1997 of the Assessore responsible for industry and local productive clusters identified by Delibera Giunta Regionale No 21/38 of 2 July 2002. The recipients retain their status as SMEs.

Aid No: XS 137/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Title of aid scheme: Financing for craft firms for business investment granted from the rotating fund for craft firms.

Legal basis:

Decreto del Presidente della Regione n. 0259/Pres del 25.7.2003

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

2003: EUR 6 000 000

2004: EUR 1 246 000

2005: EUR 1 000 000

Maximum aid intensity: Up to the ceilings laid down in Community rules for aid to small and medium-sized firms and in the regional aid map:

15 % gge for small firms; 7,5 % gge for medium-sized firms;

for firms in areas qualifying for exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty: 8 % nge + 10 % gge for small firms; 8 % nge + 6 % gge for medium-sized firms.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2006, and for a possible further adjustment period of not more than six months, as provided for in Article 10 of 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.

Objective of aid: Aid to small and medium-sized craft firms engaged in production activities and the provision of production services in the form of subsidised loans for business investment in tangible and intangible assets.

Recipients: craft firms engaged in production activities and the provision of production services, their consortia and companies set up by their consortia, including cooperatives, falling within the definition of small or medium-sized firms laid down in Annex I to 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.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors, with the exception of activities relating to the production, processing or marketing of the products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty.

Name and address of granting authority:

Direzione regionale affari finanziari e patrimonio — Servizio del credito Corso Cavour, 1 — I-34100 Trieste Tel. (040) 377 22 34 Fax (040) 377 20 84 E-mail: s.credito.ts@regione.fvg.it

Direzione regionale dell'artigianato e della cooperazione — Servizio per lo sviluppo dell'artigianato Via Giulia, 75/1 — I-34100 Trieste Tel. (040) 377 48 22 Fax (040) 377 48 10 E-mail: dir.art.coop@regione.fvg.it

Other information: The scheme is in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001.

The regional authorities undertake to amend the definition of small and medium-sized firms with effect from 1 January 2005, in accordance with the Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, published in OJ L 124 of 20 May 2003.

Aid No: XS 141/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Marche

Title of aid scheme: SPD Objective 2 2000-2006 — Measure 1.1 Aid to productive and environmental investment by small and medium-sized industrial and craft firms, sub-measure 1.1.1. Aid to productive investment by small and medium-sized industrial firms, intervention b1 Law 341/95 Article 1: incentives for productive investment to set up new plant or to expand, modernise, restructure, convert, reactivate or relocate existing production plant.

Legal basis: Docup Ob. 2 2000-2006

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

Normal aid EUR 1 840 615,00 for 2001 EUR 1 939 014,00 for 2002 EUR 2 308 531,40 for 2003 Total: EUR 6 088 160,40

Transitional aid: EUR 625 682,40 for 2001 EUR 1 007 717,90 for 2002 EUR 938 681,80 for 2003 Total: EUR 2 572 082,10

Maximum aid intensity: In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 70/2001, the following rates of aid will be applied: 15 % gge for small firms and 7,5 % gge for medium-sized firms; in areas that qualify for the derogation under Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty the rate will be 18 % for small firms and 14 % for medium-sized firms, subject to the ceilings laid down by the Commission decision on the derogation for Article 87(3)(c) areas (8 % nge + 10 % gge for small firms and 8 % nge + 6 % gge for medium-sized firms).

Date of implementation: In accordance with Commission guidelines, aid will be granted for costs incurred by the final recipient from the date of publication of the call for applications.

Only expenditure incurred after the date on which the aid application was submitted is eligible.

Duration of scheme: The scheme will not run as long as the SPD 2 2000-2006 and will come to an end on 31 December 2003. As funds will be used up on a first come, first served basis, aid applications should be submitted from 29 May 2003 to 28 July 2003.

Objective of aid: The aid is intended for small and medium-sized industrial firms in Objective 2 and phasing out areas in the Marche.

Economic sector(s) concerned:

— mining and quarrying, manufacturing;

— construction, production and distribution of electricity, steam and hot water subject to the limitations imposed by Ministerial Circular No 900315 of 14 July 2001;

— telecommunications;

— production services (information technology, technology transfer and IT intermediation, technical and economic consultancy).

The scheme excludes the manufacture of steel products listed in Annex I to the ECSC Treaty, shipbuilding and ship repair, the manufacture of synthetic fibres and the processing of agricultural products. Specific restrictions are laid down for the automobile industry, in accordance with Community law.

Activities involving the production, processing or marketing of the goods listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty are excluded.

Name and address of granting authority: