EN Official Journal of the European Union C 161/13

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 161/09)

Aid No: XA 120/08

Member State: Spain

Region: Castilla y León

Title of aid scheme: Ayudas a los agricultores profesionales, a las explotaciones asociativas prioritarias, y a las cooperativas agrarias para la adquisición de maquinaria y equipos destinados a la prestación de servicios a terceros en la actividad agraria; Ayudas a las inversiones colectivas

Legal basis: Orden de la Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras de la concesión de las subvenciones destinadas a la mejora de las estructuras de producción y modernización de las explotaciones agrarias.

Orden de la Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, por la que se convocan ayudas, cofinanciadas por el Fondo Europeo Agrícola de Desarrollo Rural (FEADER), para la mejora de las estructuras de producción de las explotaciones agrarias en aplicación del Reglamento (CE) no 1698/2005 del Consejo y ayudas financiadas por la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla y León, para la realización de otras inversiones en las explotaciones agrarias.

The information set out in this form refers exclusively to aid provided for in Chapter III

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The subsidy planned for the two Chapter III aid schemes in 2008 is EUR 4 500 000

Maximum aid intensity: The two Chapter III aid schemes under the first piece of legislation provide for the following maximum aid:

The definition of the terms ‘agricultural holding’, ‘priority’ and ‘professional farmer’ is to be as laid down in Law No 19/1995 of 4 July 1995 on the modernisation of agricultural holdings and Law No 45/2007 of 13 December 2007 on the sustainable development of rural areas and, where amended, in accordance with the definitions in any further national and/or Autonomous Community legislation.

The total volume of the investments approved for all beneficiaries of the joint investment may not exceed the following limits:

(a) EUR 300 000 per approved investment;

(b) EUR 1 500 per hectare of pasture or mountain pasture improved or equipped;

(c) EUR 15 000 per hectare irrigated or with improved irrigation

Date of implementation: The aid scheme will be implemented from 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme may remain in force until 31.12.2013

Objective of aid: Global objective: To improve the structures and the diversification of the rural economy by means of incentives to invest in agricultural holdings in Castile-Leon with the aim of reducing production costs.

The measure is based on Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, Investment in agricultural holdings.

Eligible investments:

The aid is intended for:

investment in machinery and new equipment, but not for the purchase of tractors or other vehicles,

in all the less-favoured areas aid is available for investment pursuing any of the following objectives:

— fodder production, including the storage, conservation and distribution of fodder,

— the improvement and equipping of pastures which are farmed jointly,

— small-scale fodder-production water supply measures compatible with protection of the environment, including small-scale irrigation works, and the construction or repair of shelters necessary for transhumance, provided it is economically justified,

in all the mountain areas aid is also available for investment pursuing any of the following objectives:

— the construction of water points, including catchments and related works,

— the construction or improvement of access roads to pastures or mountain pastures, irrespective of their exploitation regime,

— The construction or improvement of livestock housing, together with their corresponding installations and services, including for livestock on transhumance

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority: The aid is to be granted by the Dirección General de Industrialización y Modernización Agraria de la Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, and the Government of Castile-Leon will be responsible for its management

C/ Rigoberto Cortejoso, 14

E-47014 Valladolid

Website: The full text of the aid scheme is available on the website of the Castile-Leon Government at:

http://www.jcyl.es/AyudaEstado20072013

Direct links: http://www.jcyl.es/jcyl/ayudasestado/basesReguladoraSubvMejoraEstructurasAgrarias.doc

http://www.jcyl.es/jcyl/ayudasestado/ConvocatoriaAyudAgricProfesionExplotAsociativasCoopAgraInversColectiva.doc

Other information: Management of the aid will be subject to the Order and must comply with Article 19 of the Regulation as regards cumulation

Aid No: XA 122/08

Member State: The Netherlands

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Regeling LNV-subsidies

Legal basis: Artikel 2:68 van de Regeling LNV-subsidies, artikel 71a van het Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies 2008

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 5 625 000

Maximum aid intensity: 70 %

Date of implementation:

Duration of the scheme or the individual aid: Aid can be requested during the period 1 May 2008 up to and including 30 May 2008. The last payments will be made on 31 December 2008 at the latest

Objective of aid: In accordance with Article 11(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, subsidies can be granted to farmers for losses resulting from adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters. By means of this amendment of Regeling LNV-subsidies the Dutch authorities intend to make a one-off payment to small and medium-sized farms as compensation for the damage they sustained as a result of extreme frost in 2005. The amount of the compensation is calculated in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Further details of the calculation method are provided in part 2 of the explanatory memorandum to the ‘Amendment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality subsidy scheme and the Decision inviting applications for subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality 2008’, Government Gazette 38, Friday 22 February 2008, page 10

Sector(s) concerned: Fruit sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit Bezuidenhoutseweg 73 2500 EK Den Haag Nederland

Website: www.overheid.nl/op/

Explanation: on the website:

http://www.overheid.nl/op/

under part 2a, the following should be entered under ‘zinsdeel’: ‘Regeling LNV-subsidies’ or ‘Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies’. The aid Regulation is the first search result.

www.hetlnvloket.nl/portal

Explanation: on the website:

http://www.hetlnvloket.nl/portal

Click on the tab ‘subsidies’. The aid Regulation is shown in the search results

Other information: In accordance with Article 11(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 any insurance payments and costs received as a result of factors other than the adverse climatic events are deducted from the losses taken into consideration for the granting of aid.

This condition is fulfilled. At the time this frost damage occurred it was not possible to effect frost damage insurance. This insurance was only made available after approval by the European Commission (aid measure N 124/07). Other costs resulting from adverse climatic conditions are not taken into consideration in the granting of aid.

In accordance with Article 11(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, crop damage is calculated at farm level.

This condition is fulfilled. The compensation is dependent on the assessed crop damage per individual farm.

In accordance with Article 11(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, the public authorities officially assimilate the adverse climatic circumstances with a natural disaster.

The Dutch authorities have assimilated the extreme frost damage of 2005 with a natural disaster for the fruit sector. Consequently, it was decided to make a one-off compensation payment for the sector under this aid measure. For further documentation refer to Parliamentary Documents II 2005/06, 30 300, No 20.

Finally, the Dutch authorities confirm that the other conditions of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 are fulfilled