EN Official Journal of the European Union C 102/13

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 102/06)

Aid No: XA 299/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Third level non-degree courses in Equine Science at the International Equine Institute (IEI), University of Limerick (UL)

Legal basis: National Development Plan 2007-2013

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 2,411 million in respect of eligible costs incurred over the period 2007-2013

Maximum aid intensity: 100 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Objective of aid: The scheme aims to develop and deliver third level non-degree courses in Equine Science to meet the needs of the horse industry. It will include on-campus and distance learning courses to Certificate/Diploma-level as well as other information courses, seminars and educational services.

This aid is provided in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 — Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector

Sector(s) concerned: Equine

Name and address of the granting authority:

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Agriculture House Kildare Street Dublin 2 Ireland

Website: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=schemes/equine_ndp/IEI/terms.xml

Aid No: XA 300/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Depopulation Grant Scheme (Bovine TB and Brucellosis)

Legal basis: Diseases of Animals Act 1966

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Overall amounts of aid payable under this scheme is dependent on the level of disease which, in turn, determines the numbers of reactors disclosed and holdings restricted with Bovine TB and Brucellosis. In view of this, it is not possible to predict the level of expenditure over the period 2007-2013. Accordingly, the figures given below for planned expenditure are based on current disease levels and expected expenditure in 2007:

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The Depopulation scheme is implemented on an on going basis as it is directly linked to the level of TB and Brucellosis disease in Ireland. This scheme will remain in place until these two diseases have been eradicated

Objective of aid: To compensate farmers for losses arising from the disclosure and removal of animals deemed to be Tuberculosis or Brucellosis reactors. The depopulation grants provide the herdowner with an income during the restriction period.

To discourage the non-disclosure of disease.

This aid is provided in accordance with Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 — Aid in respect of animal and plant disease and pest infestations

Sector(s) concerned: Bovine animals

Name and address of the granting authority:

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Maynooth Business Park Maynooth, Co. Kildare Ireland

Website: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animal_health/ERAD/ERAD_comp_scheme07.doc

Aid No: XA 307/07

Member State: Slovak Republic

Title of aid scheme: Schéma štátnej pomoci na úhradu straty spôsobenej nepriaznivými poveternostnými udalosťami na poľnohospodárskych plodinách

Legal basis:

— § 13 nariadenia vlády Slovenskej republiky č. 369/2007 Z. z. z 8. augusta 2007 o niektorých podporných opatreniach v pôdohospodárstve,

— zákon č. 231/1999 Z. z. o štátnej pomoci v znení neskorších predpisov,

— Articles 11(1) and 2(8) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: The amount of funding earmarked for this scheme is published by the Ministry on its website: www.mpsr.sk

The amount of funding allocated under the scheme for 2007 is: SKK 100 million.

The amount of funding allocated under the scheme for one year as from 2008 is: SKK 200 million.

The total budget allocation for reimbursing annual insurance premiums over the period 2008-2013 is: SKK 1 200 million

Maximum aid: A gross amount of aid may be granted to a crop producer as follows:

Date of implementation: October 2007

Duration of aid scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of the aid: The objective of the aid is to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the crop products sector and to reduce the risk to agricultural produce arising from adverse climatic events. Adverse climatic events equivalent to natural disasters are:

Economic sectors: Primary production of the agricultural products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty

Name and address of granting authority: Granter of aid:

Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva SR

Dobrovičova ul. č. 12

SK-Bratislava 812 66

Tel. (421) 59 26 61 11

Website:

http://www.land.gov.sk/index.php?navID=153&id=412

Author of scheme:

Pôdohospodárska platobná agentúra

Dobrovičova ul. č. 12

SK-Bratislava 815 26

Tel. (421) 59 26 61 11

Website:

http://www.land.gov.sk/apa/index.php?p=DP_metpok

Further information: Aid may be granted only to small and medium-sized enterprises under the terms of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises. Aid will be granted as a lump sum in the gross amount laid down.

Approved by: Ing. Ľubomír Miček, PhD, Director-General, Rural Development Section, Ministry of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic

Aid No: XA 308/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Navarra

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Ayudas al fomento de procesos de integración cooperativa, en el marco de la reestructuración del sector de cooperativas agrarias

Legal basis: Orden foral de la consejera de desarrollo rural y medio ambiente, por la que se establecen las normas que regirán la concesión de ayudas al fomento de procesos de integración cooperativa, en el marco de la reestructuración del sector de cooperativas agrarias

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 1,187 million

Maximum aid intensity: EUR 250 000 for start-up expenditure on the constitution of producer groups.

Up to 50 % to cover the provision of technical support in the agricultural sector

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 15 November 2007 to 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: Start-up aid for the constitution of producer groups. Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Eligible costs: the acquisition of office equipment, including computer hardware and software, administrative staff costs, overheads and legal and administrative fees. Renting offices at market rates. If premises are purchased, the eligible expenditure must be limited to rental costs at market rates.

Aid on the provision of technical support in the agricultural sector. Article 15(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Eligible costs: consultancy services provided by third parties which do not constitute a continuous or periodic activity by the enterprise or relate to its usual operating expenditure: notarial costs, registration costs, licences, audits, and studies on financing the project on the amalgamation of cooperatives

Sector(s) concerned: Agricultural cooperatives

Name and address of the granting authority:

Gobierno de Navarra. Departamento de Desarrollo Rural y Medio Ambiente C/ Tudela, 20 E-31003 Pamplona

Website: http://www.cfnavarra.es/agricultura/COYUNTURA/AyudasEstado/pdfs/STNO0746 %20OF.pdf

Other information:

Dirección General de Desarrollo Rural y Medio Ambiente C/ Tudela, 20 E-31003 Pamplona Tel. (34) 848 42 29 33 E-mail: izabalzv@cfnavarra.es Gobierno de Navarra

Aid No: XA 309/07

Member State: Spain

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Subvenciones destinadas a las asociaciones y organizaciones de criadores de razas ganaderas puras, para la conservación, selección, mejora y fomento de las razas puras de ganado de producción

Legal basis: Proyecto de Orden APA/…/2007, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras de las subvenciones destinadas a las organizaciones y asociaciones de criadores para la conservación, mejora y fomento de las razas puras de ganado de producción (Draft Order APA/…/2007 laying down the basic rules on grants to organisations and associations of livestock breeders for the conservation, improvement and promotion of pure-bred productive livestock breeds) (to be published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spanish Official Gazette)). This amendment is being made to adjust the rules previously in force (APA/956/2005 of 30 March 2005 laying down the basic rules on grants to organisations and associations of livestock breeders for the conservation, selection and promotion of pure-bred livestock breeds to take account of the change in the rules brought about by the replacement of 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, on which the Spanish Order was based, by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

A number of minor adjustments have also been introduced, reflecting the fact that the Order laying down the basic rules must comply with the new provisions of the Law on grants, as approved by Royal Decree No 887/2006 of 21 July 2006

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The maximum planned public expenditure to be granted to beneficiaries as a whole is EUR 14 million a year

Maximum aid intensity: Grants, taken alone or together with one or more other aid payments or grants from any other administration, public body or natural or legal person, may not exceed EUR 1 million per breed and may not exceed the following limits:

1. the maximum eligible gross annual salary of the executive secretary is EUR 38 000; EUR 25 000 for a university graduate (long cycle), engineer, doctor or equivalent; EUR 21 000 for a university graduate (short cycle), technical engineer or equivalent and EUR 18 000 for an administrator;

2. the maximum payable for the rental of premises serving as the herd-book office is EUR 22 000;

Notwithstanding the above, the maximum amount per person and per day for board and lodgings is that corresponding to a Group 2 allowance as laid down in Royal Decree No 462/2002 of 24 May 2002 on the reimbursement of expenses incurred during the performance of duties, and the maximum travel costs are those laid down in Article 17 of that Royal Decree.

For computing equipment, the maximum is 20 % of the total amount of aid granted.

Financial costs, the cost of legal or financial advice, legal fees, registration charges and the cost of expert opinions for carrying out aided projects, specific administrative expenditure and the cost of bank guarantees are eligible for aid provided they are directly related to the activities for which a grant is awarded and are essential to those activities or the satisfactory preparation thereof

Date of implementation: From 1 November 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013, except for the eligible activities referred to in Article 4(5) (Aid to promote genetic improvement by means of investments in testing centres, breeding centres and other facilities), which can be financed only until 31 December 2011. Proposals for aid will be invited annually

Objective of aid: Grants to SMEs (national organisations and associations of breeders of pure-bred productive livestock breeds) to encourage measures for the selection, preservation and promotion of livestock breeds. These measures come under the following provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

Sector(s) concerned: Breeders of all species of productive livestock

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación (Dirección General de Ganadería) C/ Alfonso XII, 62 E-28014 Madrid

Website: http://rasve.mapa.es/Publica/InformacionGeneral/Legislacion/legislacion.asp.

Other information: The grants will be compatible with any others that may be granted by other public administrations, public bodies, be they national or international, attached to or subordinate to them, and other private, natural or legal persons, with the exception of those referred to in Royal Decree No 997/1999 of 11 June 1999 on the promotion of specially protected native breeds in danger of extinction. However, grants, taken alone or together with one or more other aid payments or grants from any other administration, public body or natural or legal person, may not exceed the limits set out above or those laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

In any event, if the expenditure actually incurred is less than that initially budgeted, or other aid is obtained which, when cumulated, exceeds the financing percentages, the decision will be amended and the aid reduced in proportion to that granted in the relevant decision and, provided funds are available, the amounts may be readjusted in line with the applications received, which will have to justify the proposed activities