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

(2004/C 84/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 84/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: England and Scotland

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Work - Life Balance Challenge Fund

Legal basis: - Appropriation Act 2002

- Appropriation Act 2003 (to be published)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: - 2003 Calendar year: GBP 300000

- 2004 Calendar year: GBP 700000

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

Date of implementation: 1 September 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 30 September 2004

Objective of aid: The scheme will provide consultancy support to SMEs as defined in Annex I to the SME Block Exemption Regulation. In particular, consultants will be working with companies to incorporate work-life balance strategies into the workplace. The overall aim is to improve the workplace by introducing elements such as flexible working, improved training, a change in culture and better policy for managers and staff. Consultants will work closely with each individual company initially, addressing the issues of concern followed by a strategy to address the work-life balance issue and begin the process of incorporating the objective arising out of the Challenge Fund

Economic sector(s) concerned: All eligible industry sectors, without prejudice to special rules concerning state aid in certain sections - Art. 1 (2) of the SME Block Exemption Regulation (excluding agriculture and food processing)

Name and address of the granting authority: Ruth Henrywood

Assistant Director

Department of Trade and Industry Work-life Balance Team

UG 142

1 Victoria Street London SW1H 0ET United Kingdom

Aid No: XS 86/03

Member State: Belgium

Region: Brussels Capital Region

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Regional incentives for general investment in very small, small or medium-sized enterprises

Legal basis: Projet d'ordonnance relative aux incitants régionaux pour les investissements généraux en faveur des très petites, petites ou moyennes entreprises

Ontwerpordonnantie betreffende regionale steunmaatregelen voor algemene investeringen ten gunste van micro-, kleine en middelgrote ondernemingen

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

>TABLE>

Maximum aid intensity: - 15 % in the case of very small and small enterprises;

- 7,5 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises.

(maximum 25 % in the case of investment carried out in Article 87(3)(c) regions)

Date of implementation: Scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2004

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: 1. Employment objectives:

- Creation of jobs during the two years preceding or following the investment;

- Hiring of local labour;

- Hiring of low-skilled labour;

- Hiring of a first employee.

2. Economic policy objectives:

- Creation of new businesses;

- Involvement in a neighbourhood contract;

- Strategic sectors.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Manufacturing, the distributive trades and services. Certain sub-sectors may, however, be excluded

Name and address of the granting authority: Ministère de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale Administration de l'économie et de l'emploi

Service de l'expansion économique

Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, 20 B - 1035 Brussels

Aid No: XS 96/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Apulia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Measures to promote innovative business structures and processes

Legal basis: - legge 27.10.1994, n. 598, articolo 11 come modificati ed integrati da:

- legge 8.8.1995, n. 341, articolo 3;

- legge 23.12.1999, n. 488, articolo 54;

- legge 5.3.2001, n. 57, articolo 15;

- decreto del ministro dell'Industria, del commercio e dell'artigianato del 18.9.1997;

- decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 112, articolo 19;

- decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 123;

- delibera di giunta della Regione Puglia del 5 ottobre 2001, n. 1377

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

>TABLE>

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity for Apulia on the European regional aid map (35 % nge + 15 % gge)

Date of implementation: November 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid, in the form of interest subsidies and grants, 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;

- computer programs and patents involving new product and production process technologies;

- consultancy services.

Economic sector(s) concerned: The aid is to be given to SMEs; the following industries are excluded:

- iron and steel;

- shipbuilding;

- fisheries;

- transport;

- farming;

- production, processing or marketing of the products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty (see Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 70/2000);

- export-related activities (see Article 1(2) of Regulation (EC) No 70/2000);

- manufacture of synthetic and artificial fibres

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Puglia (sede legale)