EN Official Journal of the European Union C 97/12

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

(2008/C 97/05)

Aid No: XA 144/07

Member State: Italy

Region: Marche

Title of aid scheme:

«Fondo per lo sviluppo della meccanizzazione in agricoltura per la concessione di prestiti a tasso agevolato per l'acquisto di macchine e attrezzature di cui all'articolo 12 della legge 27 ottobre 1966, n. 910».

The beneficiaries of the aid scheme are SMEs that do not find themselves in financial difficulty and falling into the following categories:

1. individual or associated professional farmers whose holdings are located in the region of Marche and receiving management subsidies;

2. individual or associated farmers whose holdings are located in the region of Marche

Legal basis: Legge 910/1966 — art. 12 — che ha istituito il «Fondo per lo sviluppo della meccanizzazione agricola» finalizzato alla concessione di prestiti a tasso agevolato per l'acquisto di macchine ed attrezzature agricole che opera secondo il regolamento di attuazione approvato con D.P.R. 19 ottobre 1977, n. 1106 e secondo apposite convenzioni stipulate con gli istituti di credito.

Schema di deliberazione della Giunta regionale delle Marche n. … del … con oggetto: «Linee di indirizzo e criteri per la concessione di prestiti a tasso agevolato a valere sul Fondo per lo sviluppo della meccanizzazione in agricoltura di cui all'articolo 12 della legge 27 ottobre 1966, n. 910»

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Financial assistance will be granted with the overall fund advances referred to in Law No 910/1966 allocated to the Region of Marche. Loans, which may be granted as one yearly payment or spread over the 2007-2013 period, may in no case exceed EUR 6 million

Maximum aid intensity: Interest relief, that must be capitalised in accordance with Article 2(6) of the exemption regulation, may in no case exceed 50 % of eligible investments in less favoured areas and 40 % in other areas. These figures may be increased to 60 % and 50 % respectively for young farmers within a five-year period after setting-up

Date of implementation: The aid scheme will be implemented after the Commission has confirmed to have received this summary information. Payments will be made after the aid has been granted

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid must be granted not later than 31 December 2013

Objective of aid:

1. Investments in agricultural holdings.

2. The relevant Articles for the implementation of the aid scheme are Articles 4 and 2(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

3. Only expenditure not lower than EUR 20 000 and not higher than EUR 130 000 is eligible if incurred to purchase technologically advanced machinery and equipment commensurate with the holding's real needs after aid has been granted and if it is properly and economically used in the agricultural holding.

In conformity with the current legislation on safety at the workplace, investments must have one of the following objectives:

— reduction of production costs,

— improvement and re-deployment of production,

— improvement of quality,

— protecting and improving the environment, hygiene conditions or animal welfare.

The following shall not be eligible:

— investments for the purchase of machinery and equipment used to produce, process or market agricultural and livestock products,

— ‘replacement investments’, i.e. investments only aimed at replacing machinery, or parts thereof, with new and state-of-the-art machinery,

— investments for the construction of irrigation equipments and work, unless they enable water consumption to be cut by at least 25 % in comparison with previous consumption,

— investments lower than EUR 20 000 or exceeding EUR 130 000

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Marche

Website: www.agri.marche.it

Other information: Article 12 of Law No 910/1966 established the ‘Fund for the development of agricultural mechanisation’ for the granting of low-interest loans to purchase agricultural machinery and equipment, which is governed by the implementing regulation adopted by Decree of the President of the Republic No 1106 of 19 October 1977 and by special agreements signed with credit institutions.

In the region of Marche the credit institutions under contract are Banca Antonveneta Padova, Banca Popolare di Ancona, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, ICCREA SpA di Roma and Banca di Roma

The director

Vincenzo Cimino

Aid No: XA 298/07

Member State: Spain

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Subvenciones destinadas a las asociaciones y organizaciones de criadores de razas ganaderas puras, para el fomento de las razas autóctonas en peligro de extinción

Legal basis: Proyecto de Real Decreto no … /2007, por el que se establecen las bases reguladoras de las subvenciones destinadas al fomento de las razas autóctonas en peligro de extinción (pendiente de publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado). Esta modificación se realiza para adaptar la normativa anteriormente aplicable (Real Decreto no 997/1999, de 11 de junio, sobre fomento de las razas autóctonas españolas de protección especial en peligro de extinción, Ayuda N 705/98), al cambio normativo en materia de ayudas estatales al sector agrario con el nuevo Reglamento (CE) no 1857/2006 de la Comisión de 15 de diciembre de 2006, sobre la aplicación de los artículos 87 y 88 del Tratado CE a las ayudas estatales para las pequeñas y medianas empresas dedicadas a la producción de productos agrícolas y por el que se modifica el Reglamento (CE) no 70/2001.

Asimismo, se amplían las ayudas para comprender también los gastos administrativos de la creación y mantenimiento de Libros Genealógicos, para incluir los gastos de educación y formación en materia zootécnica y de organización de concursos, subastas, exposiciones nacionales e internacionales y ferias, y los costes ocasionados por la participación en tales actividades, y para adaptar la normativa al nuevo Reglamento de la Ley de Subvenciones, aprobado por Real Decreto no 887/2006, de 21 de julio, motivo por el cual se han introducido pequeños retoques en la misma

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 3 400 000 in respect of 2008 and similar amounts for subsequent years in line with the sums and limits laid down

Maximum aid intensity: Grant amounts, taken alone or together with one or more other aid payment or grant from any other administration, public body or natural or legal person, may not exceed the following limits, as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

In addition, the amount of aid from the general State budget may not exceed EUR 60 000 per breed per year

Date of implementation: From 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013, except for the setting-up of frozen germ plasm, semen and embryo banks or reserves of live animals, which will be eligible until 31 December 2011. The aid will be subject to annual renewal

Objective of the aid: Grants to SMEs (organisations and associations of breeders of endangered pure indigenous breeds) to promote endangered indigenous breeds. The grants come under the following provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

Sector(s) concerned: Breeders of all endangered indigenous livestock breeds

Name and address of granting authority:

Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación 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 attached to or subordinate to them, be they national or international, and other, private, natural or legal persons. However, grant amounts, taken alone or together with one or more other aid payment or grant from any other administration, public body or natural or legal person, may not exceed the above limits or in any event the limits laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 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

Aid No: XA 304/07

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Municipality of Tišina

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Tišina 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju pomoči za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Tišina

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

2007: EUR 12 519

2008: EUR 12 900

2009: EUR 13 300

2010: EUR 13 700

2011: EUR 14 100

2012: EUR 14 500

2013: EUR 14 900

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— the amount of municipal co-financing is the difference between the amount of co-financing of insurance premiums from the national budget and up to 50 % of eligible costs of an insurance premium for insuring crops and fruit and insuring livestock against disease.

2. Aid for land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of actual legal and administrative costs incurred

Date of implementation: October 2007 (The aid will not be granted until a summary has been published on the European Commission's website.)

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

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

Reference to Articles in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and eligible costs: Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting aid for the conservation and development of agriculture and rural areas in the municipality of Tišina includes measures constituting State aid in accordance with the following Articles 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 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

Article 12: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums,

Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Občina Tišina Tišina 4 SLO-9251 Tišina

Website: http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=200793&dhid=91980

Other information: The measure for the payment of insurance premiums to insure crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost, hail, lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 relating to the measures to be adopted by the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and monitoring of aid)

Signature of person responsible

Jožef POREDOŠ

Mayor

Aid No: XA 306/07

Member State: Italy

Region: Emilia-Romagna (Camera di Commercio di Bologna)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid award: Regolamento camerale per l'assegnazione alle imprese della provincia di Bologna di contributi in conto abbattimento interessi

Legal basis: Regolamento della Camera di Commercio di Bologna approvato con deliberazione del Consiglio camerale n. 16 del 24 luglio 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The maximum annual amount for primary agricultural production is EUR 150 000

Maximum aid intensity: 10 % of the eligible costs. The average contribution is 5 % of the eligible costs

Date of implementation: Upon submission of applications, following the notification of ceilings to the guarantee bodies, but not before 17 September 2007

Duration of scheme: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: The Bologna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft Trades and Agriculture, aware of the difficulties faced by local small and medium-sized enterprises in accessing credit, provides outright grants in the form of a single payment calculated as a proportion of the total discounted interest due on medium to long-term bank loans, with the aim of extending the average duration of loans and consolidating the enterprises' finances.

The investment must pursue the following objectives in particular:

The scheme constitutes a form of support for investment in farms under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

For enterprises engaged in primary agricultural production, the following costs are eligible:

Costs relating to leasing contracts other than those listed in (b), such as tax, lessor's margins, interest, refinancing costs, overheads and insurance, are not eligible.

Simple replacement investments are not eligible. Aid may not be granted for the manufacture of products which imitate, or can be substituted for, milk or milk products. Purchases may not be made before the aid application is approved by the guarantee bodies. Applications shall be considered to be approved on the date of the decision of the guarantee body

Sector(s) concerned: All sectors involved in primary agricultural production (land cultivation, livestock farming and forestry).

The scheme also provides for support to other sectors to which Regulation (EC) No 1998/2006 on de minimis aid applies

Name and address of the authority granting the aid:

Camera di Commercio I.A.A. di Bologna Piazza Mercanzia, 4 I-40125 Bologna

Website: http://www.bo.camcom.it/intranet/ALTRI-SERV/DIRITTO-AN/Consorzi-F/index.htm

Other information: This aid scheme replaces State aid scheme N 108/04

Bologna, 30 July 2007.

President of the Bologna Chamber of Commerce

Gian Carlo SANGALLI

Aid No: XA 317/07

Member State: Slovenia

Region: Municipality of Markovci

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Podpore programom razvoja kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Markovci 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju državnih pomoči za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Markovci

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

2007: EUR 20 864

2008: EUR 20 864

2009: EUR 30 000

2010: EUR 30 000

2011: EUR 32 000

2012: EUR 32 000

2013: EUR 33 000

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in less-favoured areas,

— up to 40 % of eligible costs in other areas,

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in other areas in the case of investments made by young farmers within five years of setting up, where the investment is contained in a business plan.

Support is granted in respect of investment in the restoration of farm features and the purchase of equipment to be used for agricultural production, and for investment in permanent crops, farmland improvement and pasture management.

2. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— municipality support in line with the Decree on co-financing of insurance premiums for agricultural production for the current year brings the balance of aid to up to 50 % of eligible costs incurred on insurance premiums.

3. Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products:

The aid is to be granted in the form of subsidised services and must not involve direct payments of money to producers. Co-financing is up to 100 % of eligible costs.

4. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs concerning education and training of farmers, consultancy services, the organisation of forums, competitions, exhibitions and fairs, publications, catalogues and websites, and of the cost of replacement services. The aid is to be granted in the form of subsidised services and must not involve direct payments of money to producers

Date of implementation: October 2007 (The aid will not be granted until the summary is published on the European Commission's website.)

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

Objective of aid: To support SMEs

Reference to Articles of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and eligible costs: The Draft Rules on granting State aid for the preservation and development of agriculture and rural areas in the municipality of Markovci includes measures constituting State aid in accordance with the following Articles of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 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 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

Article 4: Investment in agricultural holdings,

Article 12: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums,

Article 14: Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products,

Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector

Sector concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Občina Markovci Markovci 43 SLO-2281 Markovci

Website: http://www.lex-localis.info/KatalogInformacij/VsebinaDokumenta.aspx?SectionID=77231107-a74d-4d47-8944-2c6523d8e344

Other information: The measure concerning the payment of insurance premiums to insure crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic events which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost, hail, lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 concerning the measures to be adopted by the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and monitoring of aid)

Signature of responsible person

Franc KEKEC

Mayor of the municipality of Markovci