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

(2003/C 138/04)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 45/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Saxony

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Guidelines for promoting development in rural areas and villages in Saxony

Legal basis: Richtlinie des Sächsischen Staatsministeriums für Umwelt und Landwirtschaft für die Förderung der Entwicklung des ländlichen Raumes und der Dörfer im Freistaat Sachsen

Richtlinie Nr. 53/2000 vom 20. Dezember 2000

Ziff. 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.4.3 in Verbindung mit 5.2.1 (4)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 2556460

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % or 43 % in accordance with the regional aid map

Date of implementation: 2 February 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Approval by 31 December 2006; payment by 31 December 2008

Objective of aid: The main objective of the aid scheme is to support SMEs in rural areas and villages in Saxony and to develop those areas and villages in an integrated manner, i.e. by generating growth that is economically viable, socially balanced, environmentally sustainable and therefore lasting. The priority is to improve the quality of life and employment for villagers to counter movement away from structurally weak regions, particularly by young people

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Staatliches Amt für Ländliche Neuordnung Oberlungwitz Erlbacher Straße 4 D - 09353 Oberlungwitz Staatliches Amt für Ländliche Neuordnung Kamenz Macherstraße 31 D - 01917 Kamenz Staatliches Amt für Ländliche Neuordnung Wurzen Lüptitzer Straße 3 D - 04808 Wurzen

Aid No: XS 38/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Umbria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Regional aid scheme to promote investments by tour operators

Legal basis: Determinazione dirigenziale n. 3007 del 10.4.2002. In attuazione della misura 2.1. Sostegno allo sviluppo dei sistemi produttivi locali. Azione 2.1.4. Regime di aiuti regionale a sostegno degli operatori turistici DOCUP. Obiettivo 2 (2000-2006) per la regione dell'Umbria, approvato dalla Commissione europea con decisione C(2001) 2119 del 7 settembre 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: A maximum of EUR 2000000 per year in accordance with the funding plan in the programming complement to the Objective 2 single programming document (SPD) 2000-06 for the Umbria region, giving a maximum total of EUR 12000000 for the duration of the scheme

Maximum aid intensity: - small firms: 15 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments. In areas eligible for regional aid and covered by the Objective 2 SPD for Umbria, 20 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments (less than the intensity allowed by the regional aid map, which is 10 % gge + 8 % nge),

- medium-sized firms: 7.5 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments. In areas eligible for regional aid and covered by the Objective 2 SPD for Umbria, 15 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments (less than the intensity allowed by the regional aid map, which is 6 % gge + 8 % nge)

Date of implementation: Publication of the notice inviting applications: Ordinary Supplement to the Regional Official Gazette, General Series, No 20, 30.4.2002. Aid will be granted only on presentation by the firms concerned of suitable applications, which may be submitted from the day following publication of the notice. Only investments made after presentation of the aid application will be eligible

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid will be granted in respect of investments made by firms up to 31 December 2006, the deadline for eligibility of expenditure charged to the Objective 2 SPD 2000-06 for Umbria

Objective of aid: To support investments by tour operators in the Objective 2 phasing-out areas in Umbria. The investments concerned by this scheme relate to costs incurred in building, internal and external finishing, fittings and sporting/recreational equipment, outdoor furniture, technical planning and civil engineering work

Economic sector(s) concerned: Firms operating in the tourism sector or wishing to enter the tourism business

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione dell'Umbria - Giunta regionnale - Servizio Turismo Via Mario Angeloni I - 06128 Perugia tel. (39) 075 504 58 75 fax (39) 075 504 58 87 E-mail: Servizio_turismo@umbria2000.it

Aid No: XS 41/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Umbria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Regional aid scheme to promote investment in social economy structures

Legal basis: Deliberazione della giunta Regionale n. 458 del 17.4.2002. In attuazione della Misura 2.1. Sostegno allo sviluppo dei sistemi produttivi locali - Azione 2.1.6. Regime di aiuti regionale a sostegno degli investimenti delle strutture dell'economia sociale - del DOCUP Obiettivo 2 (2000-2006) per la regione dell'Umbria, approvato dalla Commissione europea con decisione C(2001) 2119 del 7 settembre 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: A maximum of EUR 1615853 per year under the funding plan in the programming complement to the Objective 2 single programming document (SPD) 2000-06 for Umbria, giving a maximum total of EUR 7701929 for the duration of the scheme

Maximum aid intensity: - small firms: 15 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments. In areas eligible for regional aid covered by the Objective 2 SPD for Umbria, 20 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments (less than the intensity allowed by the regional aid map, which is 10 % gge + 8 % nge),

- medium-sized firms: 7.5 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments. In areas eligible for regional aid covered by the Objective 2 SPD for Umbria, 15 % gge of the total cost of the eligible investments (less than the intensity allowed by the regional aid map, which is 6 % gge + 8 % nge)

Date of implementation: Aid can be granted only on the basis of appropriate applications presented by enterprises operating in the social or welfare areas, social cooperatives, voluntary agencies, bodies and associations for social advancement, non-banking foundations, non-profit-making institutions, employers' associations or bodies recognised by religious denominations with which the State has concluded contracts, agreements or understandings. Applications can only be presented from the day of publication of the competition notice. Only investments made after presentation of the application for aid will be eligible

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid will be granted in respect of investments made by firms up to 31 December 2006, the deadline for eligibility of expenditure charged to the Objective 2 SPD 2000-06 for Umbria

Objective of aid: Support for investments made by enterprises operating in the social or welfare areas, social cooperatives, voluntary agencies, bodies and associations for social advancement, non-banking foundations, non-profit-making institutions, employers' associations or bodies recognised by religious denominations with which the State has concluded contracts, agreements or understandings within the scope of Objective 2 and phasing-out for Umbria. The investment covered by this scheme relates to expenditure on

- assistance for locally orientated structures,

- the acquisition of special vehicles and any special equipment required for servicing such vehicles,

- the acquisition of equipment and machines, including communications and mobility technology, in terms of the specific eligibility datasheets for costs for the purposes of Regulation (EC) No 1685/2000

Economic sector(s) concerned: Enterprises operating in the social or welfare areas social cooperatives, voluntary agencies, bodies and associations for social advancement, non-banking foundations, non-profit-making institutions, employers' associations or bodies recognised by religious denominations with which the State has concluded contracts, agreements or understandings. Further restrictions may be imposed as required by new mandatory Community rules

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione dell'Umbria - Giunta regionale - Direzione sanità e servizi sociali - Servizio VIIo

Programmazione socio assistenziale

Palazzo Maltauro, Via Fontivegge, 55 I - 06124 Perugia tel. (39) 075 504 56 78 fax (39) 075 50 45 56 95 E-mail: socioprogrammazione@regione.umbria.it

Aid No: XS 63/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Acquisition of real services

Legal basis: Azione 2.3.1 del complemento di programmazione del DOCUP obiettivo 2 (2000-2006) approvato con delibera della Giunta regionale n. 846 del 22.3.2002, da attuare tramite bandi

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

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Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation: 31 May 2002 (date of publication of first notice inviting applications)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: Improvement of business systems in terms of knowhow, productivity and competitiveness through the acquisition of real services. Aid will be granted for the acquisition by SMEs in the industrial, crafts, retail trade and tourism sectors of strategic advice on the development, innovation and internationalisation of their firms. Financing will not be granted for repetitive or routine services

Economic sector(s) concerned: Manufacturing and service SMEs in the industrial and crafts sectors, with the exception of certain activities in agrifoodstuffs, synthetic fibres, motor vehicles, shipbuilding and coal and steel.

SMEs operating in tourism and cooperatives managing social accommodation structures.

SMEs managing small retail businesses, persons managing a not-for-profit "fair trade" operation, with the exception of activities relating to the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex 1 to the Treaty

Name and address of the granting authority: For craft SMEs: Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia Direzione regionale del lavoro e della previdenza, della cooperazione e dell'artigianato - Servizio per lo sviluppo dell'artigianato Via Giulia, 75/1 I - 34100 Trieste E-mail: lavoro.coop.art@regione.fvg.it

For industrial SMEs: Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia Direzione regionale dell'industria - Servizio dello sviluppo industriale Via Trento, 2 I - 34100 Trieste E-mail: s.svil.ind@regione.fvg.it

For SMEs in trade and tourism: Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia Direzione regionale del commercio, del turismo e del terziario Viale Miramare, 19 I - 34100 Trieste E-mail: commercio.tur@regione.fvg.it

Aid No: XS 69/02

Member State: Germany

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: ERP environmental and energy conservation programme

Legal basis: Gesetz über die Feststellung des Wirtschaftsplans des ERP-Sondervermögens für das Jahr 2002

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 1 billion a year

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum permissible gross aid intensity(1) amounts to:

(a) 15 % in the case of small enterprises(2);

(b) 7.5 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises(3).

In the case of investment projects in areas eligible for regional aid, a bonus in line with the relevant German assisted-areas maps approved by the Commission may be granted as follows:

(a) 10 % in assisted areas covered by Article 87(3)(c);

(b) 15 % in assisted areas covered by Article 87(3)(a).

These bonuses may be granted only where the aid is conditional on the investment remaining in the recipient region for at least five years and on the recipient firm's contribution being at least 25 %

Maximale scale of project and aid: The aid is granted in the form of loans not usually exceeding an amount of EUR 500000 for individual projects. However, in cases of particular environmental benefit, this maximum may be exceeded. Individual aid applications under the scheme will be refused if one of the following ceilings for the planned project is exceeded:

(a) the total eligible cost of the project is at least EUR 25 million and

- in areas which do not qualify for regional aid, the gross aid intensity is at least 50 % of the ceilings laid down in Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 (OJ C 112, 9.5.2002, p. 5), or

- in areas which qualify for regional aid, the net aid intensity is at least 50 % of the net aid ceiling as determined in the German assisted-areas map;

(b) the total gross aid amount is at least EUR 15 million

Date of implementation: 1 August 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: Promotion of investment by SMEs in sewage treatment, waste recycling and removal, the prevention of air pollution, energy conservation, the rational use of energy and the use of renewable energy sources. Particular encouragement is given to investment which prevents or substantially reduces the risk of pollution arising in the first place

Economic sector(s) concerned: The aid may be provided in all sectors, including the service sector, in compliance with the special rules applying to individual sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Deutsche Ausgleichsbank

DtA

D - 53170 Bonn

Other information: The scheme will be applied in accordance with 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 (OJ L 10, 13.1.2001, p. 33)

(1) Under the measure soft loans are granted whose interest rates are geared to rates on the capital market. The aid intensity of the measure thus varies in line with the ratio between the EU reference interest rate and the relevant interest rate on the loans. The aid intensity of the loans granted is generally well below the maximum permitted gross aid intensity.

(2) Definition given in the annex to the Commission recommendation of 3 April 1996 concerning the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises (OJ L 107, 30.4.1996, p. 4) in the currently applicable version.

(3) Idem.