Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2004/C 93/07)

Date of adoption of the decision: 12.2.2004 + CORR. 15.3.2004

Member State: Italy

Aid No: N 824/D/2000

Title: Article 129(1), (a), (c), (d) and (f) of Law 388/2000

Objective: Article 129(1)(a): These measures are designed to fund structural assistance and prevention measures in regions in which the spread of the disease has led to compulsory slaughter by order of the health authorities and in adjacent protection and surveillance zones, and activities conducted by the regions affected by the disease to inform farmers of practical methods of containing the spread of infection.

Article 129(1)(c): These measures are designed to fund structural assistance, prevention measures and compensation for poultry and game bird farms in regions affected by avian influenza.

Article 129(1)(d): To compensate farmers for the costs incurred in grubbing up and replanting as a result of the introduction of compulsory measures to control, prevent and eradicate grapefine flavescence dorée.

Article 129(1)(f): To compensate farmers for the consts incurred as a result of the introduction of compulsory measures to control, prevent and eradicate the disease

Legal basis: Articolo 129, comma 1), lettere a), c), d) e f) della Legge 388/2000 e decreti del Ministero delle Politiche agricole e forestali del 9 aprile 2001 e del 29 marzo 2002, n. 100652

Budget: EUR 72303965

Aid intensity or amount: Where the RDP of the region concerned provides for the same aid measure, the budget received by the region will be used to increase public resources for carrying out the partfinanced measures. Those regions whose RDP does not provide for the same measures will apply the rules laid down in the MIPAF decree of 9 March 2001, as amended by the decree of 22 March 2002. These intensities and amounts vary depending on the measure

Duration: Three years (2000 to 2003)

Other information: The measure provided for in Article 129(1)(a) as implemented on the basis of Article 1(1)(b)(3) of the MIPAF decree of 9 April 2001, as amended by the MIPAF decree of 29 March 2002, does not constitute state aid within meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm /secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 16.3.2004

Member State: Italy (Valle d'Aosta)

Aid No: N 186/03

Title: Aid for damage caused by natural disasters

Objective: To introduce a framework for aid to offset the damage caused by natural disasters and comparable events

Legal basis: Modifica dell'aiuto di Stato relativo alla misura III.1, azione III.1.2 - calamità naturali e danni da fauna selvatica - del Piano di sviluppo rurale della Valle d'Aosta e la procedura di attuazione dell'azione stessa

Budget: EUR 1000000 up to 2006

Aid intensity or amount: 50 % of eligible expenditure

Duration: Until 2006

Other information: The implementing measures will be individually notified to the Commission

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm /secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 15.3.2004

Member State: Ireland

Aid No: N 416/03

Title: Aid for Improvement of Animal Welfare Standard (Pigs)

Objective: The scheme is an amendement of an existing scheme for investment support, which was approved by the Commission on 26 January 2001 (Aid N 164/A/2000 Scheme 1).

The maximum of 200 income units will be removed and the maximum investment limit increased from EUR 57140 to EUR 300000 (with a corresponding maximum grant of EUR 120000). A minimum level of investment of EUR 10000 will be introduced for building works. The minimum limit of 30 Income Units (of which at least 20 must come from farming) is replaced by a requirement that an applicant must have a minimum of 60 Income Units from pig production on his holding

Legal basis: The scheme is implemented by administrative provision under Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for Rural Development. The scheme constitutes a sub-measure under two Regional Operational Programmes - (I) Border, Midland and Western, (II) Southern and Eastern Region

Budget: The scheme is funded from exchequer sources and its original indicative allocation of EUR 13,747 million remains the same as indicatd in Aid N 164/A/2000. The proposed amendment to the scheme's investment ceiling will not have an impact on the level of exchequer funding available to the scheme

Aid intensity or amount: 40 %

Duration: From Commission approval until 2006

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm /secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 16.3.2004

Member State: Denmark

Aid No: N 767/02

Title: Control of Newcastle disease

Objective: The purpose of the scheme is to compensate poultry producers that have suffered losses because of the ban on export of live poultry and haching eggs, or because of zone restrictions imposed in connection with the outbreak of Newcastle disease in Denmark in the summer of 2002. The losses due to zone restrictions derive from the fact that either the seller or the buyer is in a protection zone, and hence eggs or animals could not be transported, but had to be slaughtered/destroyed

Legal basis: - Lov om administration af De Europæiske Fællesskabers forordninger om markedsordninger for landbrugsprodukter, jf. lovbekendtgørelse nr. 818 af 3. november 1999, som ændret ved lov nr. 334 af 16. maj 2001.

- Bekendtgørelse nr. 675 af 2. juli 2001 om produktionsafgiften på æg og slagtning og eksport af fjerkræ. Afgifterne vil blive forhøjet for at kunne finansiere den nye godtgørelses- og forsikringsordning.

- Cirkulære om produktions- og promilleafgiftsfonde for landbrug og havebrug (21. december 1998).

- Revisionsvejledning om produktions- og promilleafgiftsfonde for landbrug og havebrug (21. december 1998).

- Lov nr. 351 af 2. juni 1999 om dyresygdomme.

- Bekendtgørelse nr. 921 af 10. november 1994 om særligt smitsomme sygdomme hos fjerkræ og andre opdrættede fugle.

- Bekendtgørelse nr. 869 af 7. september 2000 om oprettelse og drift af bedrifter med opdræt af høns til produktion af konsumæg.

- Bekendtgørelse nr. 124 af 5. marts 1996 om oprettelse og drift af rugerier og rugeægproducenter med opdræt af høns, kalkuner, gæs og ænder.

- Bekendtgørelse nr. 125 af 5. marts 1996 om produktion af perlehøns, vagtler, duer, strudsefugle, fasaner og agerhøns, der opdrættes på bedrifter, som ønsker at foretage kollektive køb i EU.

- Rådets direktiv 92/66/EØF om EF-foranstaltninger til bekæmpelse af Newcastle disease

Budget: The expenditure will amount to maximum 15 Mio DKK

Aid intensity or amount: 90 %

Duration: The scheme covers the outbreak of Newcastle disease in Denmark in the summer of 2002. Export restrictions were in place from 26 July 2002 to 1 January 2003, and this is also the duration of the aid scheme

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm /secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids