EN Official Journal of the European Union C 159/8

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 159/05)

Aid No: XA 109/08

Member State: France

Region: French overseas departments (FOD)

Title of aid scheme: Aides en faveur du secteur de l'élevage dans les départements d'Outre-mer (DOM)

Legal basis:

— Articles L621-1 à L621-11, articles R621-1 à R621-43 et articles R684-1 à R684-12 du Code rural

— Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

— Projet de décision du directeur de l'ODEADOM relatif à un régime d'aides en faveur du secteur de l'élevage dans les départements d'Outre-mer

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 270 000

Maximum aid intensity:

— up to 100 % for aid to cover the administrative costs of the establishment and maintenance of herd books,

— up to 70 % for aid covering the costs of tests performed to determine the genetic quality or yield of livestock,

— up to 40 % for investment aid relating to the introduction at farm level of innovative animal breeding techniques or practices

Date of implementation: On receipt of an acknowledgement of receipt from the Commission

Duration of the aid scheme: Until 31.12.2013 and until 31.12.2011 for investment aid relating to the introduction at farm level of innovative animal breeding techniques or practices

Objective and type of aid: The aid is destined for the livestock sector in the French overseas departments, and is financed from the budget of the Office de développement de l'économie agricole des départements d'Outre-mer (ODEADOM) (the overseas departments agricultural economy development office). This aid cannot be combined with any similar aid financed by the POSEI France programme.

The purpose of the aid will be:

to improve livestock genes by using innovative animal breeding techniques (embryo transfer, the introduction of innovative selection techniques or practices into holdings),

to establish, develop and maintain herd books of local breeds,

to perform tests to determine the genetic quality or yield of livestock (performance checks, dermatophilosis resistance checks, etc.).

The aid will concern the actions listed in Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sectors concerned: Ruminants sector and intensive production sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

ODEADOM 12, rue Henri Rol-Tanguy TSA 60006 F-93555 Montreuil Cedex

Website: http://www.odeadom.fr/?page_id=12#5

Aid No: XA 112/08

Member State: France

Region: French overseas departments (FOD)

Title of aid scheme: Aides aux investissements dans les exploitations agricoles des départements d'Outre-mer (DOM)

Legal basis:

— Articles L621-1 à L621-11, articles R621-1 à R621-43 et articles R684-1 à R684-12 du code rural

— Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

— Projet de décision du directeur de l'ODEADOM relatif à un régime d'aides portant sur les investissements dans les exploitations agricoles des DOM accordé conformément au règlement (CE) no 1857/2006

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 970 050

Maximum aid intensity: Up to 75 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation: On receipt of an acknowledgement of receipt from the Commission

Duration of the aid scheme: Until 31.12.2013

Objective and type of aid: The aid is intended for investment in the agricultural sector of the French overseas departments, and is financed from the budget of the Office de développement de l'économie agricole des départements d'Outre-mer (ODEADOM) (the overseas departments agricultural economy development office). This aid cannot be combined with any similar aid financed by the POSEI France programme.

The objective of this aid will be, in the fruit, vegetable and horticultural sector in the French overseas departments, to guarantee a regular supply to the local market by developing production adapted in quantity and quality and to diversify out-of-season production. It will also aim to improve the competitiveness of products for export in the perfume and aromatic plants sector.

In the livestock sector the objective of the aid will be to increase fodder crops, develop holdings' production and equipment and establish and improve production methods, improve hygiene conditions, animal welfare standards and cut production costs.

The eligible expenses may include:

The maximum amount of aid granted to one company will not exceed EUR 500 000

Sectors concerned: Fruit and vegetables (subsistence and market-garden crops, roots and tubers, fresh fruit, citrus fruit, dry fruit), semi-permanent fruit crops, viticulture, horticulture, herbs, medicinal plants, plants used for perfume extraction, stimulant plants and rice.

Ruminants (beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats) and intensive production (pigs, poultry and rabbits) sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

ODEADOM 12, rue Henri Rol-Tanguy TSA 60006 F-93555 Montreuil Cedex

Website: http://www.odeadom.fr/?page_id=12#5

Aid No: XA 113/08

Member State: Cyprus

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Σχέδιο παραχώρησης αποζημίωσης για τις ζημιές που προκλήθηκαν από άκαιρες βροχοπτώσεις σε χορτομάζα σιτηρών ή ψυχανθών κτηνοτροφικών φυτών για σανοποίηση

Legal basis: Απόφαση Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου με ημερομηνία 6.2.2008

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of aid granted to the company: The total amount of EUR 1 869 939 is expected to be fully committed within the first six months of 2008

Maximum intensity of aid: The intensity of the aid is 80 %, and 90 % in less favoured areas, of the difference between the 2007 production value (the result of multiplying the average yield in the year the damage occurred by the average selling price obtained during that year) and the value of normal production, which is obtained by multiplying the yield in the reference period (the preceding three years) by the average selling price obtained during that period

Date of implementation: The aid can be paid once the aid scheme is approved (February 2008)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will end on 30.6.2008

Objective of aid: The aid scheme is based on Article 11 of Regulation (ΕC) No 1857/2006 and provides for aid to compensate producers for loss of plants (hay) caused by an adverse climatic event which can be assimilated to a natural disaster (unseasonal rain in May 2007).

In May 2007 unseasonal rain caused damage to feed grain and legumes which had been cut for drying, before they had been baled.

The rain was recorded throughout Cyprus and lasted from 8 to 18 May 2007, with peaks on 11 May 2007 and 17 May 2007. Total rainfall in the areas where the damage occurred fluctuated between 219 % and 920 % of normal rainfall. The rains followed a period of fine weather, lasting two weeks, which is the usual haymaking period.

Damage occurred on 105 104 decares (10 510,4 hectares) of cereal crops (barley, wheat, oats and ray grass) and on 9 201 decares (920,1 hectares) of fodder legumes (vetch, peas, louvana, favetta).

Beneficiaries of the scheme are farmers (small or medium-sized holdings) who, as a result of the unseasonal rain in May 2007, suffered losses corresponding to over 30 % of average annual production of a similar crop during the preceding three years and submitted on time a ‘declaration of damage’ together with all the supporting documents required.

Data concerning the average yields and average prices during the reference period and during the year the damage occurred have been prepared by the Statistical Service of the Ministry of Finance.

Estimates of the damage have been made by staff at the District Agricultural Offices, in accordance with the rules in force

Sector(s) concerned: The scheme concerns plant production only, specifically the production of fodder grain and legumes

Name and address of granting authority:

Υπουργείο Γεωργίας, Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος Λεωφόρος Λουκή Ακρίτα CY-1412 Λευκωσία

Website: www.moa.gov.cy/da

Other information: Christodoulos Fotiou

Deputy Director

Department of Agriculture

Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment

7 February 2008

Aid No: XA 114/08

Member State: Cyprus

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Αποζημιώσεις/ενίσχυση κτηνοτρόφων για την απώλεια εισοδήματος που προκύπτει από τους κτηνιατρικούς περιορισμούς που έχουν τεθεί λόγω αφθώδους πυρετού (παράταση διάρκειας)

Legal basis: Απόφαση Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου με ημερομηνία 5.12.2007

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of aid granted to the company: The annual budget for 2008 is EUR 5 126 000

Maximum intensity of aid: The aid intensity is 100 %, with a maximum of EUR 120 000 per pig farmer and EUR 17 000 per owner of sheep/goat and cattle farming units

Date of implementation: February 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Objective of aid: The objective of the notified measure is to grant compensation for loss of income to pig, sheep/goat and cattle farmers who have been affected by restrictive measures taken by the public authorities following detection by a Community laboratory of cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus (1). Specifically, the measures taken prohibited, inter alia, the export of pigs, pigmeat, pig semen, and other types of meat. As a result, the weight of the animals and, in particular, the stocking density increased, with adverse effects on the animals' welfare. In order to remedy the situation some overweight animals had to be removed immediately and aid granted to the livestock farmers to compensate for the resultant income losses. Aid is also granted under the measure for loss of income resulting from the ban on selling the animals' heads, liver and semen. Lastly, for sheep and goat farmers, the measure provides for compensation for loss of income due to additional feeding costs incurred as a result of the ban on free grazing within the 10-kilometre surveillance zone.

The measure is based on Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, which provides that aid of 100 % may be granted to compensate farmers for income losses due to quarantine obligations

Sector(s) concerned: Animal production (pig, sheep/goat and cattle farming)

Name and address of granting authority:

Υπουργείο Γεωργίας, Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος Λεωφόρος Λουκή Ακρίτα CY-1412 Λευκωσία

Website: www.moa.gov.cy

Other information: This measure amends aid scheme ΧΑ 398/07 entitled: ‘Αποζημιώσεις/ενίσχυση κτηνοτρόφων για την απώλεια εισοδήματος που προκύπτει από τους κτηνιατρικούς περιορισμούς που έχουν τεθεί λόγω αφθώδους πυρετού’, extending the deadline for the submission of applications from 31 January 2008 to 20 February 2008 and the deadline for completion of all actions from 29 February 2008 to 31 March 2008. The final date for approving applications will also be 31 March 2008

Sotiris Ch. Michaël

For the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment

15 February 2008

Aid No: XA 115/08

Member State: France

Region: French overseas departments (FOD)

Title of aid scheme: Aides destinées à encourager la production de produits agricoles de qualité dans les départements d'Outre-mer

Legal basis:

— Articles L621-1 à L621-11, articles R621-1 à R621-43 et articles R684-1 à R684-12 du code rural

— Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

— Projet de décision du directeur de l'ODEADOM relatif à un régime d'aides destinées à encourager la production de produits agricoles de qualité dans les départements d'Outre-mer

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 453 000

Maximum aid intensity: Up to 100 %

Date of implementation: On receipt of an acknowledgement of receipt from the Commission

Duration of the aid scheme: Until 31.12.2013

Objective and type of aid: The aid is intended to encourage the production of quality agricultural products in the French overseas departments and is financed from the budget of the Office de développement de l'économie agricole des départements d'Outre-mer (ODEADOM) (the overseas departments agricultural economy development office). The aid cannot be combined with any similar aid financed by the POSEI France programme.

The purpose of the aid will be to increase, through market research activities and training, the value of agricultural production and thereby help the entire agricultural sector to adapt to the demands of consumers. The aim is therefore to boost product quality.

This aid will be used in particular to fund actions to support the introduction of a quality assurance programme and measures to raise product visibility. The aid will aim to encourage producers to improve the quality of their products and for this to be recognised by buyers. This will increase the added value of local produce, and meeting standards and gaining certification will guarantee product quality to buyers. In the case of low-volume production facing strong external competition, these measures will open up niche markets (tourism, local market, etc.) and increase the value of these products.

This aid scheme will also fund market research activities for local sectors in order to gain sound knowledge of the local market and trends (needs, market outlets, etc.) and adapt production to the outcome of these studies in order to conquer parts of the internal market (aim of increasing supply to the local market). In addition, market research activities may be funded prior to the launch of new sectors or new processed products in order to gauge potential interest and uptake.

A prime example is the banana sector, which needs a regular update of its position on the world market in order to carry out a regular review of its strategic approach.

The aid will concern the actions listed in Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

In accordance with point 5 of this Article, aid will be granted in kind and must not involve direct payments of money to beneficiaries. In addition, the aid will be accessible to any producer in the area in question who meets the same objective conditions, in accordance with Article 14(6) of the agricultural exemption Regulation

Sectors concerned: Fruit and vegetables (subsistence and market-garden crops, roots and tubers, fresh fruit, citrus fruit, dry fruit), semi-permanent fruit crops, viticulture, horticulture, herbs, medicinal plants, plants used for perfume extraction, stimulant plants and rice.

Ruminants sector and intensive production sector.

Cane and sugar sectors.

Banana sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

ODEADOM 12, rue Henri Rol-Tanguy TSA 60006 F-93555 Montreuil Cedex

Website: http://www.odeadom.fr/?page_id=12#5

(1) See also the Commission Decision 2007/718/EC of 6 November 2007 concerning certain protection measures against foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus (OJ L 289, 7.11.2007, p. 45).