EN Official Journal of the European Union C 136/37

Summary information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003 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, processing and marketing of agricultural products

(2005/C 136/17)

Aid No: XA 8/05

Member State: Germany

Region: Lower Saxony

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Financial aid to meet the costs of TSE testing of sheep and goats, as well as for cattle not slaughtered for human consumption

Legal basis:

— Nds. Verwaltungskostengesetz (Lower Saxony administrative costs act) of 7.5.1962 (Nds. GVBl. p. 43), as last amended by Article 20 of the Act of 20.11.2001 (Nds. GVBL. p. 701)

— Gebührenordnung für die Veterinärverwaltung (veterinary fees regulation) of 22.3.1995 (Nds. GVBl. p. 63), as last amended by the Verordnung zur Änderung der Gebührenordnung für die Veterinärverwaltung (regulation amending the veterinary fees regulation) of 14.9.2004 (Nds. GVBL. p. 322)

— Erlasse zur BSE/TSE-Untersuchungsgebühr (general circulars on the BSE/TSE test fee) of 15.12.2000, 10.1.2001, 30.4.2001, 24.1.2002 — Ref. 107-42282/7-315

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total costs of around EUR 2 000 000 and around EUR 37 per animal tested, per farmer. The financial aid will be granted by waiving fees. In order to facilitate administration of such aid, it will be paid to the bodies charged with carrying out the TSE tests, in accordance with Article 15(d).

Maximum aid intensity: 100 % of TSE testing costs for the animals concerned. Each test entails costs of around EUR 37 (for cattle over 24 months old and for sheep and goats over 18 months old). At present, the European Community's financial contribution stands at EUR 6.29 per test.

Date of implementation: Immediately

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The aid will be granted until the end of statutory testing requirements for the animals concerned under Regulation (EC) No 999/2001, as amended.

Objective of aid: The animals' value is sometimes less than the costs of testing. Assuming the costs of TSE tests ensures that the farmers concerned comply with the statutory testing requirements. The aid covers the total costs of testing as specified in Article 15(d) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004. The aid will be granted under Article 15(d) in conjunction with Article 16(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

Sector(s) concerned: Livestock production. The aid is granted to the farmers concerned.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Web-Address: http://www.tierseucheninfo.niedersachsen.de/master/C8366027_N8103970_L20_D0_I1535820

Aid No: XA 17/05

Member State: France

Region: Franche-Comté region

Title of aid scheme: Technical support: experiments and demonstrations within the framework of operation Interreg ‘French-Swiss development and application of medicinal and aromatic plants’ (Phase I)

Legal basis:

— Décisions de la Commission du 16 novembre 2001 et du 8 décembre 2004 approuvant le programme d'initiative communautaire INTERREG III A entre la France et la Suisse, dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du règlement no 1260/1999 du Conseil du 21 juin 1999 portant dispositions générales sur les fonds structurels,

— Conseil Régional: Commission Permanente du 27 mai 2004,

— Articles L 1511 et suivants du Code général des collectivités territoriales permettant aux collectivités territoriales d'intervenir dans le cadre de la création ou de l'extension d'activités économiques en accordant des aides directes et indirectes aux entreprises

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 19 586.66 in aid

Maximum aid intensity: 30 %, subject to an aid ceiling of EUR 19 586.66

Date of implementation: On receiving the acknowledgement of receipt by the European Commission in 2005.

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2005 at the latest.

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to fund the following actions, which fall within the scope of Article 14 of EC Regulation 1/2004 (technical support in the agricultural sector):

definition of a demonstration protocol for the treatment of mastitis in bovine animals with aromatherapy and herbal medicine;

domestication and breeding programme for aromatic and medicinal plants (definition of a demonstration protocol for cultivation, location of sites and demonstration of cultivation, monitoring and recording);

information provision and communication (events, information centre, information activities).

The objectives are

to make information available to farmers and the general public about products resulting from the processing of aromatic and medicinal plants and the ways they can be used in farming to treat animal diseases;

to reinforce the trend in the practices of professionals and amateurs towards a greater respect for the environment (research and experimentation). Experiments carried out on sheep and beef farms will allow this objective to be achieved and will help to make farmers aware of the different ways in which plants can be used in veterinary medicine to treat their flocks and herds;

to collect and select references, knowledge and know-how on production, processing and ways in which plants can be used for domestic and commercial use. These references will facilitate demonstration, experimentation and localisation. Preparing the information and know-how gained through the components of the project with a view to making it available to people working in this sector and to the general public. Promoting plants of the cross-border Jura massif by developing production and harvesting on a much larger scale and by assessing the socio-economic impact so reducing the production and processing costs by introducing machinery to process cultivated plants, forest by-products and plants growing in fallow land at the same time.

to reinforce the image of our regions as welcoming, natural regions that are cradles of innovation and alternative methods, to promote and draw attention to specific local features, and to promote local initiatives and partnerships related to these.

Sector(s) concerned: Farmers in Franche-Comté who are interested in this programme, whether they are interested in the industrial and medicinal plants aspect (Chapter 12 of the Combined Nomenclature) or in the live animals aspect (Chapter 1 of the Combined Nomenclature).

Name and address of the granting authority:

M. le Président du Conseil Régional de Franche-Comté Hotel de Region 4 Square Castan 25031 Besancon Cedex

Web-Address: Conseil Régional: www.cr-franche-comte.fr

(and ERDF: www.interreg3afch.org/)

Miscellaneous: The task of carrying out the programme is entrusted to the local agricultural college, ‘Edgar Faure’, in Lons le Saunier — 614 avenue Edgar Faure — 39570 Montmorot

Aid No: XA 71/04

Member State: Federal Republic of Germany

Region: North Rhine-Westphalia

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Financial aid to meet the costs of compulsory official TSE/BSE tests within the scope of the TSE/BSE monitoring programme for cattle, sheep and goats

Legal basis:

— Gebührengesetz NRW vom 23.8.1999 (GV NRW 1999 S 528)

— Verwaltungsgebührenordnung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen vom 3. Juli 2001 in der jeweils geltenden Fassung (GV. NRW 2001 S. 262) zur BSE/TSE-Untersuchungsgebühr

— Erlass zur BSE/TSE-Untersuchungsgebühr vom 8.12.2003 — Az. VI-1-42.21.09, 18.2.2004 — Az. VI-1-17.80.06 u. 42.21.00, 14.9.04 — Az. VI-1-17.80.06 u. 42.21.00

— Tierseuchengesetz vom 11.4.2001 in der jeweils geltenden Fassung (BGBl. I. S. 506) § 23 des Ausführungsgesetzes zum Tierseuchengesetz vom 4.6.63 (GV.NRW 1963 S. 203) zur Kostenträgerschaft der Kreise und kreisfreien Städte für Probennahme und -versand

— TSE-Überwachungsverordnung vom 13.12.2001 (BGBl. I. S. 4532) in der jeweils geltenden Fassung

— Beihilfebeschluss der Tierseuchenkasse für Schlachtschafe und Schlachtziegen

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

— Budget: EUR 990 000

— Amount of aid: EUR 990 000

— The financial aid will be granted by waiving fees.

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation: Immediately

Note: The delayed notification is only appearing now because there was a previous attempt to file a single aid application for the Federal Republic of Germany (Aid No 373/2003). Since this was not successful and the exemption regulation 1/2004 has come into force in the meantime, a separate request for exemption is being filed for North Rhine-Westphalia.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The duration will depend on that of the TSE/BSE monitoring programme under Regulation (EC) 999/2001, as amended.

Objective of aid: The relevant provision is Article 15(d) in conjunction with Article 16(c).

The objective of this measure is to grant State aid for TSE/BSE tests for

— where BSE is officially diagnosed in a bovine animal;

— in order to combat other epizootic diseases, with the exception of animal diseases that spread in the form of epidemics;

are tested for BSE.

— killed in the framework of a disease eradication campaign;

— slaughtered for human consumption.

Explanatory note:

The proposed aid scheme does not refer to BSE testing of bovine animals for slaughter since this aid only amounts to the actual EU part-financing per test in the framework of the Commission's annual decision on the European Community's financial contribution. The aid will be passed on by reducing the fees charged to market operators.

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture, animal production and processing/marketing (cattle, sheep, goat)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Web-Address: verbraucherschutz-nrw@munlv.nrw.de