EN Official Journal of the European Union C 166/3

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 166/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 15/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Basilicata

Title of aid scheme: Exempted aid

Legal basis:

Legge Regionale del 4 gennaio 2002 n. 4, pubblicata sul Bollettino ufficiale della Regione Basilicata dell'8 gennaio 2002.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

2002: EUR 13 000 000 2003: EUR 29 000 000 2004: EUR 29 000 000 2005: EUR 37 000 000 2006: EUR 45 000 000.

Maximum aid intensity: Aid may not exceed 75 % of the eligible expenditure.

For initial investment, the formula is that laid down in the regional aid map for Basilicata, i.e. 35 % nge + 15 % gge.

For job creation linked to the initial investment the total net intensity of the aid is 35 % nge + 15 % gge.

For bought-in services, the gross amount of the aid may not exceed 50 % of the cost of the services themselves.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme: The schemes and rules expire on 31 December 2006.

Objective of aid:

Eligible projects:

Investment projects, which must not have been launched before the application for assistance, for one of the following:

1. new production plant, or the modernisation, expansion, restructuring, conversion, reactivation or transfer of existing production plant;

2. new hospitality and tourist facilities, or the expansion, modernisation, renovation or upgrading of existing facilities.

Economic sector(s) concerned:

1. Manufacturing (all)

2. Services: a. firms providing technical services (servizi reali)

3. Building firms

4. Tourist firms.

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Basilicata Via Anzio, 44 85100 — Potenza

Aid No: XS 20/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Midlands

Title of aid scheme: West Midlands Collaborative Market Place

Legal basis: Industrial and Development Act 1982, Sections 7 and 11, and Industrial Development Act 1988, Section 8

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: The scheme will provide funding for SMEs as follows:

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity will be 50 % for consultancy costs.

No one SME will receive more than GBP 100 000 of assistance.

The funding will be in support of SMEs which meet the definition in Annex 1 of the SME Block Exemption Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2005

Objective of aid: To provide consultancy support to help engineering SMEs to take up and participate in e-business. This is required as SMEs lack the knowledge and skills to exploit e-business opportunities properly.

Economic Sectors Concerned: Other manufacturing: Engineering SMEs without prejudice to special rules, regulations and directives concerning State aid in certain sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Phil Howard Government Office for the West Midlands 77 Paradise Circus Queensway Birmingham B1 2DT 0121 212 5068

Other information:

Contact: Dave Mullins Warwick Manufacturing Group University of Warwick Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK (44) (0) 24 7652 3949

Aid No: XS 26/01

Member State: Italy

Region: The aid is granted by the central government.

The measures are applied in the areas eligible for exemption under Article 87(3)(a) (Objective 1) and Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty, Objective 2 areas, Objective 1 and Objective 2 transitional support (phasing-out) areas and disadvantaged areas referred to in the Decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Security of 14 March 1995, published in Italian Official Gazette No 138 of 15 June 1995, as amended.

Title of aid scheme: Incentives to entrepreneurship and self employment

Legal basis:

1. Decreto legislativo n. 185 del 21.4.2000 adottato in attuazione della delega conferita dall'articolo 45, comma 1, della legge 17 maggio 1999, n. 144 [limitatamente al titolo I, con esclusione dell'intero capo III e delle disposizioni dei capi I e IV relative ai progetti nel settore agricolo]

2. Regolamento di attuazione recante i criteri e le modalità di concessione delle agevolazioni previste dal titolo I del decreto legislativo

Tutte le misure previste dal decreto, che non rientrano nel campo di applicazione del regolamento di esenzione n. 70/2001, ed in particolare quelle connesse alla produzione, trasformazione o commercializzazione dei prodotti agricoli sono oggetto di separata notifica ai sensi dell'articolo 88 paragrafo 3 del trattato.

Il regime di aiuti contiene esplicito riferimento al regolamento (CE) n. 70/2001 della Commissione e tutti gli aiuti accordabili nell'ambito dello stesso soddisfano le condizioni previste dal regolamento medesimo.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 206 582 759,64 (ITL 400 billion) per year

Maximum aid intensity: Funding under the scheme may be granted to investment projects of up to:

EUR 2 582 284,50 for the production of goods and services for businesses (Chapter I);

EUR 516 456,90 for services (Chapter II);

EUR 516 456,90 for new initiatives and EUR 258 228,45 for the development and consolidation of measures already under way, for social cooperatives (Chapter IV).

Investment aid, in the form of non-reimbursable grants and subsidised loans, is granted in terms of gge (gross grant equivalent) and nge (net grant equivalent), in accordance with the ceilings laid down by the European Union.

The reference rate is the rate set by the Commission and published in the Official Journal of the European Union, in force at the time the aid is granted.

In areas eligible for exemption under Article 87(3)(a) and (c) of the EC Treaty, aid will be granted up to the maximum intensities laid down in the Italian regional aid map for 2000-2006 (Commission Decisions of 1 March 2000 and 20 September 2000), including the supplements for SMEs, i.e.

In regions under points 1 and 2 the overall net intensity will not exceed 75 %. In regions under points 3 and 4 the overall net intensity will not exceed 30 %.

For areas not falling within the Italian regional aid map, Objective 2 areas or Objective 1 and Objective 2 transitional support (phasing-out) areas, aid will be granted in accordance with Article 4(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001, i.e.: 15 % gge for small firms.

Alternatively, recipients may ask for a grant of up to EUR 100 000 for a period of three years, in strict compliance with the Community rules on de minimis aid laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 69/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to de minimis aid.

In disadvantaged areas referred to in the Decree of the Minister of Labour and Social Security of 14 March 1995, as amended, where these are not already included in the Italian regional aid map or Objective 1 or 2 areas, transitional or otherwise, aid will be granted in accordance with the de minimis rule or, alternatively, in accordance with Article 4(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

Aid is granted on condition that the investment is maintained in the region for at least five years from the time the activity is started. The scheme also provides for monitoring to ensure that this condition is complied with. If recipients fail to comply, the procedure for cancellation and repayment of any aid already disbursed will be started immediately.

The recipient's contribution must be at least 25 % of the funding obtained.

Aid under the various measures of the scheme cannot be combined for the same eligible costs. Nor can the aid be combined with aid under any other scheme for any purpose for the same eligible costs. For the purposes of the ceilings applicable, the overall amount of aid comprises all the aid received from any scheme and for any purpose, irrespective of the source (Community, national and regional or at any rate public). The responsible authority will monitor the scheme to ensure compliance with the rules on cumulation of aid.

Date of implementation: The aid available under this scheme may be granted as from the date of entry into force of the Regulation laying down the rules for the grant of incentives to promote entrepreneurship.

Duration of scheme: The scheme will end on 31 December 2006.

Objective of aid: The aim of the scheme is to grant investment aid, up to the intensities referred to above, to achieve the following priority objectives:

The measures concern small firms, as defined in the Commission Recommendation of 3 April 1996 (OJ L 107, 30.4.1996) and 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.

Only in the case of existing social cooperatives, referred to in Article 35(3) of the draft regulation, may the measures also concern medium-sized firms, as defined in Commission Recommendation No 96/280/EC of 3 April 1996 and 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. In this case the ceilings laid down in Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 for medium-sized firms will apply.

Applications for aid must be submitted before the planned investment is begun.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Funding may be granted to projects relating to:

the production of goods in the craft or industrial sector or relating to the provision of services to firms in any sector;

the provision of services in the following sectors: exploitation of cultural assets, tourism, maintenance of civil and industrial structures, technology innovation, environmental protection, agriculture and the processing and marketing of agro-industrial products.

The provision of services in the agricultural and agro-industrial sector falls within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 since it constitutes the supply of services (e.g. quality certification, technical consultancy) to private and public clients (consortia, mountain communities, entrepreneurs, etc.) rather than activities falling within the scope of the Community guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector.

Means of transport and transport equipment are excluded from the eligible investment costs for projects relating to the provision of services falling principally within the transport sector.

The aid does not apply to the steel, shipbuilding, synthetic fibre or motor vehicle sectors.

The measures do not provide in any way for export aid or aid contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods.

Name and address of granting authority: Ministero dell'economia e delle finanze, Via XX Settembre 97, Roma.

Other information: Detailed records of the aid granted under this scheme will be kept by the Italian Government for 10 years from the date on which the aid is granted.

The Italian Government will also keep a record of the aid scheme among its detailed records of schemes exempted by Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 for 10 years from the date on which the last individual aid was granted under the scheme.

Lastly, the Italian Government will forward to the Commission an annual report on the application of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 using the periodic report form annexed to the Regulation.

Aid No: XS 81/03

Member State: Germany

Region: Lower Saxony (district of Cloppenburg)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual award: Guidelines for the promotion of productive investment by individual SMEs

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 22.8.1998 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt S. 382)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 100 000

Maximum aid intensity: Part of the rural district of Cloppenburg lies within the national regional aid map approved by the Commission.

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 cumulation of aid are complied with.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1.6.2003 until 31.12.2006

Objective: The aid is intended to promote the competitiveness and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Objective 2 area of the rural district of Cloppenburg, to encourage the creation of new jobs and help safeguard existing ones and thereby to bring about structural improvements.

Rescue and restructuring aid for 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 if the number of long-term jobs is increased by 15 % as compared with the situation before the start of the investment;

relocation of an establishment if the number of long-term jobs is increased by 15 % as compared with the situation before the start of the investment;

acquisition of an establishment threatened with closure or which has already closed, provided that this is done on market terms.

The aid takes the form of investment grants.

All depreciable fixed assets relating to physical and intangible assets are eligible.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Those entitled to apply are SMEs in the industrial, commercial, craft, construction, transport, service and hotel and restaurant sectors whose place of business is in the district of Cloppenburg, and persons starting new businesses in these sectors who intend to establish a place of business in Cloppenburg.

The following shall not qualify for the premium:

companies engaged in farming activities with the exception of agricultural subcontractors,

lending institutions and insurance companies,

the liberal professions.

Aid may not be granted to firms in sensitive sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Landkreis Cloppenburg Eschenstraße 29 D-49644 Cloppenburg

Other information:

Ms Derben Tel.: 04471-15-272 Fax: 04471-85697 E-mail: wirtschaft@Ikalp.de

Aid No: XS 82/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Liguria

Title of aid scheme: Revolving fund for the development of SMEs, being a component in the Regional Investment Fund (FIR) referred to in Article 8 of Regional Act No 20/2002 to assist measures promoted by firms operating in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Legal basis:

— Legge regionale 7 maggio 2002, n. 20 — art. 8.

— Deliberazione del Consiglio regionale n. 44 del 7 agosto 2002.

— Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 1032 del 24 settembre 2002.

— Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 1518 del 13 dicembre 2002.

— Deliberazione della Giunta regionale n. 585 del 30 maggio 2003.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 9 million

Maximum aid intensity: Aid repayable interest-free: maximum intensity equal to 15 % gge for small enterprises and 7,5 % gge for medium-sized enterprises.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme: December 2004

Objective of aid: The fund is intended to assist measures aimed at upgrading and developing tourist facilities in Liguria by promoting investment on the part of SMEs operating in tourism.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Firms in the tourism and hospitality industry carrying on businesses of the following kinds:

hotels and motels, hotel-type tourist residences, campsites and tourist villages;

guesthouses;

bathing establishments.

Name and address of granting authority:

FILSE — Finanziaria Ligure per lo Sviluppo Economico Via Peschiera, 16 16122 Genova

Aid No: XS 84/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Lazio

Title of aid scheme: Submeasure IV.2.1, pre-investment fund

Single programming document Objective 2 2000-2006 Lazio

Legal basis:

— DOCUP Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 Lazio e Complemento di Programmazione Obiettivo 2 Lazio

— Misura IV.2 — Strumenti finanziari per l'innovazione

— Sottomisura IV.2.1 — Fondo di pre-investimento

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

Objective 2 EUR Phasing out EUR Total EUR 2001 888 131 256 486 1 144 617 2002 1 079 123 285 442 1 364 565 2003 1 098 608 235 800 1 334 408 2004 1 029 007 161 337 1 190 344 2005 1 045 712 108 937 1 154 649 2006 1 062 418 — 1 062 418 Total 6 202 999 1 048 002 7 251 001

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % gge of eligible investment, up to a ceiling of EUR 103 291,38.

Date of implementation: The aid may be granted after publication of the public notice in the Lazio Region Official Gazette (Bollettino Ufficiale della Regione Lazio, BURL).

Duration of scheme:

Objective of aid: A special pre-investment fund for Lazio Objective 2 SMEs provides financing towards the buying in of consultancy services, market research and feasibility studies.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors

Name and address of granting authority:

FILAS SpA Piazza della Libertà, 20 00192 Roma

Aid No: XS 88/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Molise

Title of aid scheme: Law 598/94: interest subsidy and direct grants to innovate structures and business processes

Legal basis:

— Legge 27.10.1994, n. 598, art. 11 come modificato ed integrato da: — Legge 8.8.1995, n. 341, art. 3; — Legge 23.12.1999, n. 488, art. 54; — Legge 05.03.2001, n. 57, art. 15;

— Decreto legislativo 31.03.98, n. 112, art. 19;

— Decreto legislativo 31.03.98, n. 123;

— Delibera di Giunta della Regione Molise del 5 giugno 2001, n. 653;

— Delibera di Giunta della Regione Molise dell'8 luglio 2002, n. 953;

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 1 million (up to 2006)

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity in the areas eligible for exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty is 20 % nge plus 10 % gge. In all the other areas which do not qualify under Article 87(3)(c) the aid intensity will be 15 % gge for small firms and 7.5 % gge for medium-sized firms.

Date of implementation: 7 August 2002 (no aid will be granted in any event before this summary has been notified to the Commission)

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid, in the form of interest subsidies and capital contributions, is intended to assist investment in innovative business structures and processes through the construction or development of production units and the start-up of related activities involving substantial modification of products or processes, in particular through rationalisation, restructuring or modernisation.

The following types of costs are eligible for aid:

building work;

machinery and equipment;

patented computer programs involving new product and production process technologies;

consultancy services.

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs operating in the extractive and manufacturing industries (Sections C and D in the 1991 Italian Statistical Office (ISTAT) classification of economic activities), with the exclusions and restrictions laid down in the Community rules for the steel, shipbuilding, synthetic fibres, motor vehicle and transport industries.

The scheme does not apply to activities linked to the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex I to the Treaty.

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Molise Assessorato alle Attività produttive Settore Industria Via Roma, 84 86100 Campobasso Tel. 08 74 42 95 82 — 08 74 42 98 40 Fax 08 74 42 96 33 — 08 74 42 98 54

Other information: This aid scheme does not apply to investments that reach one of the following two thresholds:

(i) in areas which do not qualify for regional aid, the gross aid intensity is at least 50 % of the aid ceiling of 15 % gge for small firms and 7,5 % for medium-sized firms;

(ii) in areas which qualify for regional aid, the net aid intensity is at least 50 % of the ceiling laid down in the regional aid map for the area concerned; or

The aid scheme does not apply to export-related activities, i.e. aid directly linked to the quantities exported, to the establishment and operation of a distribution network or to other current expenditure linked to the export activity, and aid contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods.

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

The aid is granted following a technical, economic and financial assessment aimed at checking:

the innovative and original nature of the know-how to be acquired;

the value of that know-how to innovative products and processes that increase competitiveness and encourage development;

the relevance to programme implementation of the costs listed;

the feasibility of the results projected by the proposer.

Only consultancy services that are not continuous or regular, or connected with the normal operating expenses of the firm are eligible for aid.

A further precondition for the aid grant is that the investment must be financed by a bank which has checked the firm's creditworthiness and development prospects.

Aid No: XS 120/02

Member State: France

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual award: ADEME aid scheme to promote the rational use of energy

Legal basis:

Délibérations du Conseil d'administration de l'ADEME du 12 mai 1999 et suivantes

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 10 million

Maximum aid intensity: 7,5 or 15 % (excluding regional bonuses of 5 percentage points in PAT Industrie areas and of 10 percentage points in the overseas departments)

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid amount:

Purpose of the aid: To promote investment in energy saving by SMEs

Economic sector(s) concerned: All except transport, fisheries and aquaculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie (ADEME) 27, rue Louis Vicat 75737 Paris Cedex 15, France

Aid No: XS 122/02

Member State: France

Region: France

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual award: ADEME aid scheme ‘Air-sources fixes’

Legal basis:

Délibérations du Conseil d'administration de l'ADEME du 16 novembre 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 33,53 million maximum

Maximum aid intensity: 7,5 or 15 % (excluding regional bonuses of 5 percentage points in PAT Industrie areas and of 10 percentage points in the overseas departments)

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Purpose of the aid: To promote investment by SMEs in the prevention and reduction of atmospheric emissions by fixed plant

Economic sector(s) concerned: All except fisheries and aquaculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie (ADEME) 27, rue Louis Vicat 75737 Paris Cedex 15, France

Aid No: XS 132/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Title of aid scheme: Aid for expenditure on feasibility studies and specialist consultancy on mergers

Legal basis:

Delibera di Giunta Regione Toscana n. 32 del 20.1.2003 Progetto pilota integrato moda asse 3 azione 14 ‘Aiuti alle spese per studi di fattibilità e consulenze specialistiche per fusioni e accorpamenti tra imprese’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 500 000

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of expenditure on external consultancy

Date of implementation: October 2003, when the Commission received the notification.

Duration of scheme: 2003-05

Objective of aid: Aid to SMEs for expenditure on external consultancy on mergers that is not continuous or regular and is not connected with normal operating expenditure.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Businesses whose economic activity comes under the following ISTAT codes (1991) in Section D ‘Manufacturing’:

DB, Manufacture of textiles and textile products

DC, Manufacture of leather and leather products

DN 36.2, Manufacture of jewellery and related articles

Businesses must be financially and economically sound.

Name and address of granting authority: