Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to training aid

(2003/C 72/04)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XT 01/02.

Member State: Italy.

Region: Objective 1 regions: Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia, Sicily.

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Aid to businesses for implementing a training programme linked to a programme of fixed investments assisted under Law No 488/92 or a programme of precompetitive development and industrialisation of research results eligible for assistance under Laws Nos 46/82 and 488/92 respectively.

Legal basis: - Decisione C(2000) 2342 dell'8 agosto 2000,

- Circolari attuative del ministero delle Attività produttive n. 1167509 e n. 1167510 del 28.11.2001 - Misura 2.1: Pacchetto integrato di agevolazioni - a) PIA Innovazione e b) PIA Formazione - previste dal Programma operativo nazionale "Sviluppo imprenditoriale locale" - QCS Obiettivo 1 (2000-2006) pubblicate sulla Gazzetta ufficiale n. 292 (Supplemento ordinario n. 271) del 17.12.2001.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 18 million.

Maximum aid intensity: Contribution to expenses covering 45 % and 35 % of eligible costs in the case of SMEs and large firms respectively, with a maximum of EUR 250000.

Date of implementation: 28 November 2001.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 28 November 2001-31 December 2006.

Objective of aid: The aim of the scheme is to provide incentives for the specific training of newly hired employees and/or upgrading, updating or focusing the skills of existing employees of the recipient firm in the following fields linked to its investment programme:

(a) Information and communication technologies,

(b) Research and development,

(c) Internationalisation of the company,

(d) Inter-enterprise cooperation,

(e) Introduction of new products or production processes,

(f) Improvement of existing products and/or processes,

(g) Technological innovation,

(h) Business management,

(i) Process logic and quality certification,

(j) Environmental protection and improvement.

Economic sector(s) concerned: The extractive or manufacturing industries covered by Sections C and D of the ISTAT '91 Classification of economic activities or, within the limits laid down by Decree No 527 of 20 October 1995 of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Craft Trades, as amended and supplemented, the activities relating to the production and distribution of electricity, steam and hot water and construction covered by Sections E and F of the ISTAT Classification.

The provision of services connected with the development of the above production activities.

There are restrictions or exclusions for the sectors governed by Community rules (steel, shipbuilding, synthetic fibres, motor vehicles, food, drinks and tobacco).

Name and address of the granting authority: Ministero delle attività produttive - DGCII Via del Giorgione, 2 B I - 00147 Roma.

Aid No: XT 44/02.

Member State: Spain.

Region: Catalonia.

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Grants for training members and employees of cooperatives and worker-owned businesses.

Legal basis: Orden de 12 de abril de 2001, por la que se aprueban las bases reguladoras de las subvenciones del Instituto para la Promoción y la Formación Cooperativas a la formación de socios y trabajadores de las cooperativas, y también a los socios y trabajadores de las sociedades laborales, y se abre la convocatoria para el 2001 (DOGC n° 3408 de 13.6.2001).

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 12020,24. The Commission will be informed if this amount is increased.

Maximum aid intensity: The intensities allowed for specific training, i.e. normally 25 % for large enterprises and 35 % for small and medium-sized enterprises, plus any percentage increases available under Article 4 of the Order for disadvantaged workers and according to the geographic location of the business.

Date of implementation: Starting from 14 June 2001, the calendar year corresponding to the budget year under which the grant is awarded, i.e. from 1 January to 31 December.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2001-2006, as provided for in Article 8 of the Order.

Objective of aid: The aim is to help finance specialised entrepreneurial training for persons most directly involved in cooperatives and worker-owned businesses and for federations representing them, on condition that the courses attended clearly benefit the businesses for which they work or which they represent.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Businesses in the non-profit sector.

Name and address of the granting authority: Sr. Josep M. Carol i Andreu, Instituto para la Promoción y la Formación de Cooperativas C/ Casp, 15 E - 08010 Barcelona

Other information: Any amendment of the legal basis will be immediately incorporated in the scheme and implemented.

Pursuant to Article 5 of the Order, aid granted under the scheme to a single project will not exceed EUR 1 million.

Under Article 6, the possible accumulation of aid is to be checked by requiring the recipient to produce a statement of all grants received for the same purpose from any administration or public or private entity. The Institute for the Promotion and Creation of Cooperatives undertakes to ensure that the combined total of aid under this scheme and aid received from other sources will under no circumstances exceed the maximum intensity laid down in Regulation No 68/2001.

Aid No: XT 46/02.

Member State: Germany.

Region: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Directives of the Ministry of Labour and Construction aimed at promoting equality of opportunity between men and women (AQMV 2000 RL 5).

Legal basis: Landesprogramm "Arbeit und Qualifizierung für Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 2000", Richtlinien des Ministeriums für Arbeit und Bau zur Förderung der Chancengleichheit von Frauen und Männern vom 16.2.2000.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 2,465 million for all forms of assistance under the directives (new appropriations, including commitment authorisations for subsequent budget years).

Maximum aid intensity: Up to 90 % of eligible personnel expenditure and expenditure on fixed assets. The aid intensities depend on the type of training measure (general or specific), the type of enterprise receiving indirect assistance (large enterprise or SME) and on whether the measure benefits disadvantaged workers.

Date of implementation: 1.1.2000. Until the entry into force of the block exemption Regulation, assistance will be granted under the Community framework on training aid.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1.1.2000 to 30.4.2002.

Objective of aid: To improve equality of opportunity between men and women on the labour market and in the workplace via specific measures (see also "Other information").

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority: Versorgungsamt Rostock Herr Dr. Regner Erich-Schlesinger-Straße 35 D - 18059 Rostock

Other information: In practice, there are only a limited number of cases where the "training measure" criterion under the block exemption Regulation for training measures is met. As a rule, the assistance goes to general measures not caught by Article 87 of the EC Treaty.

Aid No: XT 60/01.

Member State: Germany.

Region: Lower Saxony and Bremen.

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Section 8 of the guidelines on cultural aid for films and media by nordmedia Fonds GmbH (nordmedia Fonds).

Legal basis: 1. Anspruch der nordmedia Fonds auf Gewährung einer Finanzhilfe (zur Förderung Dritter) aus Konzessionsabgaben nach § 9a des Niedersächsischen Gesetzes über das Lotterie- und Wettwesen vom 21. Juli 1997, zuletzt geändert durch Artikel 7 des Niedersächsischen Haushaltsbegleitgesetzes 2001 vom 15. Dezember 2000,

2. Verpflichtung des NDR zur Vergabe von Fördermitteln gemäß § 64 (3) des Niedersächsischen Landesrundfunkgesetzes vom 9. November 1993, zuletzt geändert durch Gesetz vom 15. Dezember 2000 (Nds. GVBL. Nr. 24/2000),

3. Vertrag über Vergabe von Mitteln des Landes Bremen aus dem Landesförderprogramm "Bremen in Time",

4. Vertrag über Vergabe freiwilliger Beiträge des NDR,

5. Vertrag über Vergabe freiwilliger Beiträge von Radio Bremen,

6. Vertrag über Vergabe freiwilliger Beiträge des ZDF.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 400000

Maximum aid intensity: The gross aid intensity is:

- up to 50 % for large enterprises, and

- up to 70 % of the calculated total costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the meaning of the EU definition.

If the training scheme operates for an enterprise from a category C assisted area under the joint programme "Improving Regional Economic Structure", the rate of assistance can be increased by five percentage points. Training schemes for disadvantaged workers can benefit from a (further) increase of 10 %.

The rules on the cumulation of aid are complied with.

Date of implementation: From 7.12.2001.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 7 December 2001 to 31 December 2004.

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to offer workers in the media sector the opportunity to gain additional, innovative qualifications adapted to their needs. Those entitled are enterprises (including associations and other organisations) providing training and further training with a high degree of professionalism and specific experience in the media field. Aid will be granted only to general training schemes that are not geared solely or primarily to the employee's current or future place of work. The objective is that the qualification obtained through the scheme should be broadly applicable throughout the media sector.

Rescue and restructuring aid for firms in difficulty (within the meaning of the Community guidelines on state aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty: OJ C 288, 9.10.1999) is not covered by the measure.

The aid is granted in the form of investment grants.

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs and start-ups in the audiovisual/media field are eligible.

Aid may not be granted to firms in sensitive sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority: nordmedia Fonds GmbH Expo-Plaza 1 D - 30539 Hannover

Other information: Herr Coldewey Tel. 0511-12 34 56-0 Fax 0511-12 34 56-29 E-mail: j.coldewey@nord-media.de

Aid No: XT 77/01.

Member State: Germany.

Region: Bavaria.

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Individual grants of aid under the measures described below (scheme) are made on the basis of award decisions.

The award decisions include a reference to Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 and the corresponding exemption.

The names of the firms receiving aid have not yet been decided.

Legal basis: - BayHO (vor allem Artikel 23 und 44),

- Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1260/1999,

- Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1784/1999,

- Entscheidung der Europäischen Kommission K(2000) 2414,

- EPPD zu Ziel 3,

- EzPP Ziel 3.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The annual amount earmarked for individual aid decisions under the measures described below totals roughly EUR 5200000 from ESF funds and EUR 700000 from Land resources.

As a rule, payments may run for up to five years.

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity in each case is fixed in line with the permitted limits, the maximum being 70 % of the eligible costs (45 % ESF funding, 25 % Land funding).

Date of implementation: Individual aid may be granted up to 31.12.2006.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Payments may be made up to 31.12.2008.

Objective of aid: Individual aid under the measures described below (scheme) is granted for the purposes of general training.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority: Bayerisches Landesamt für Versorgung und Familienförderung Sachgebiet III 4 und Sachgebiet III 5 Hegelstraße 2 D - 95447 Bayreuth.

Other information: Description of the general training aid:

Individual aid granted under the measures described (programme arrangements) is intended for general training. The content of such training must relate not only to a specific area of work or a specific firm but must be transferable to other areas of work or undertakings. The training will always involve participants from several firms.

The content of the training will be in line with the accompanying description (programme arrangements) under the Single Programming Document (SPD) for Objective 3 and the Supplementary Programming Document for Objective 3 (Policy area C, measure 6 and policy area D, measure 7). Please refer to the accompanying extracts from the SPD and the Supplementary PD and the Bavarian Financial Regulation.