EN Official Journal of the European Union C 31/10

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 Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2009/C 31/08)

Aid No: XA 350/08

Member State: Finland

Region: Finland

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Maataloustuotteiden markkinoinnin ja tuotannon avustaminen

Legal basis: Valtionavustuslaki (2001/688) 6-8 §

Valtioneuvoston asetus maataloustuotteiden markkinoinnin ja tuotannon kehittämisen avustamisesta (606/2008)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: A total annual budget of EUR 3 million. The aid will apply in the years 2009-2013

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Objective of aid: The aid is granted to registered public associations or other public-sector bodies. The final beneficiary is a farmer deemed to be an SME engaged in primary production.

The aid is based on Article 15

Sector(s) concerned: NACE code

A1 — Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities

Annex I goods

Name and address of the granting authority:

Maa- ja metsätalousministeriö PL 30 FI-00023 Valtioneuvosto

Website: http://www.mmm.fi/fi/index/etusivu/maatalous/tuet/markkinoinnin_kehittaminen.html

Other information: The aid is granted and administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The aid amounts to EUR 3 million per year, i.e. a total of EUR 15 million in the years 2009 to 2013 inclusive. Aid can be granted to large national agricultural marketing and production development projects, which emphasize awareness of the quality of agricultural products, food culture, or healthy eating habits and associated information exchange.

A project may involve activities to develop marketing and production, such as the provision of information, studies, training and advisory services for farmers, information exchanges between food business operators, fairs and exhibitions. A project's target groups may be farmers, consumers or those involved in the food business such as professional kitchens, educational institutions, the media or nutrition experts.

The aid works in such a way that non-profit making bodies use the aid they receive to activate other target groups such as consumers or projects of benefit to farmers. For example, a project providing information on the nutritional benefits of a product may target consumers but the farmers producing the products in question may also benefit indirectly in that this kind of information can increase the product's value and so indirectly also increase its consumption.

Projects must not mention a product's origin, individual products or brands and they must comply with the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers. These measures are designed to ensure that there is no distortion of competition.

Aid intensity: The 100 % aid intensity provided for under Community rules is limited by Section 6 of the Finnish Act on Discretionary Government Transfers, under which payment of full compensation is possible only where justifiable and necessary to achieve the aid's objectives.

Publicity

Publicity could involve, for example, food seasons and topics that increase consumer interest in foods that promote health and well-being. In addition to this recipes may also be published in an electronic cookery book or through the mass media, for instance.

Other activities might be briefings, seminars, visits and exhibitions on topical subjects relating to agri-food production for food, consumer or financial journalists and schools.

Websites and online study materials (which may also be in printed form) can also be developed, providing information on honey production, processing, properties and use, for example.

The ‘nurses campaign’ aims to improve knowledge of good nutrition on the part of public health nurses and parents and to steer the nutritional behaviour of families with children by providing information and tools in support of food choices that promote health and well-being.

School canteens and other similar canteens can provide information on issues relating to the use of organic products. Publicity may also require various background studies such as strategy work, market research or study tours.

Training

Training for farmers includes training on mushroom and berry picking, involving for example an examination on two to four plants or fungi at a time, those who successfully pass the examination having it noted on their ‘mushroom and berry picking card’. Mushroom and berry picking courses can be organised only at those times of the year when the products undergoing study are available in the wild.

Farmers need information, for example, on the characteristics of organic products in order to be able to develop production. To promote this objective, training will be organised in collaboration with industry bodies.

Exchange of information

Exchanges of information may involve the organisation of fairs, presentations, competitions or other activities promoting the exchange of information between food-industry operators, and participation therein.

Advice

Aid may also be granted to advisory services for farmers

Aid No: XA 353/08

Member State: Finland

Region: Whole country

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Elintarviketalouden laatujärjestelmien kehittäminen

Legal basis: Valtionavustuslaki (688/2001), Valtioneuvoston asetus elintarviketalouden laatujärjestelmien kehittämisen avustamisesta (638/2008)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 1,2 million/year. The aid will apply in the years 2009-2013

Maximum aid intensity: The 100 % aid intensity provided for under Community rules is limited by Section 6 of the Finnish Act on Discretionary Government Transfers, under which payment of full compensation is possible only where justifiable and necessary to achieve the aid's objectives

Date of implementation:

Duration of aid scheme:

Objective of aid: The aid is granted to registered public associations and organizations, government authorities or other public-sector bodies. The final beneficiary is a farmer deemed to be an SME engaged in primary production.

The scheme comes under Article 15(2)(a), (c), (d) and (e) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: NACE code

A1 — Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities

Annex I goods

Name and address of the granting authority:

Maa- ja metsätalousministeriö PL 30 FI-00023 Valtioneuvosto

Website: http://www.laatuketju.fi/laatuketju/www/fi/hankkeet/index.php

www.finlex.fi

Other information: The aid is granted and administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The aid amounts to EUR 1,2 million per year, i.e. a total of EUR 6 million in the years 2009 to 2013 inclusive. Aid can be granted for national development projects implementing the food quality strategy coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The projects must improve the competitiveness of the food industry, strengthen its social accountability (including the development of traceability systems and compliance with ethics policies) and increase consumer awareness of the food industry's activities.

A project may be implemented in the form of measures either to improve the quality of agri-food products or operations or to foster agri-food value chains, examples being information provision, studies, training and advice for agricultural producers or the organisation of information exchanges between those working in the agri-food industry. Project target groups can include agricultural producers, consumers or those involved in the food business such as professional kitchens, educational institutions, the media and nutrition experts. The final beneficiary is a farmer deemed to be an SME engaged in primary production.

The aid system works in such a way that the beneficiaries (registered associations and organizations, research institutes, government authorities and other public bodies) use the support provided to implement national projects often of benefit to the entire food chain. For example, projects publicising the work undertaken to improve product quality in a given production sector may target consumers. In addition to consumers, however, a project may indirectly benefit the farmers producing the products in question. This kind of information can increase confidence in both production and the product while at the same time increasing the product's value, so indirectly increasing its consumption.

Projects must not mention a product's origin, individual products or brands and they must comply with the Act on Discretionary Government Transfers. These measures are designed to ensure that there is no distortion of competition.

The 100 % aid intensity provided for under Community rules is limited by Section 6 of the Finnish Act on Discretionary Government Transfers, under which payment of full compensation is possible only where justifiable and necessary to achieve the aid's objectives.

Publicity

Publicity may not include advertising.

The following activities constitute authorised publicity:

press articles and releases (e.g. on new ways to ensure the welfare of domestic animals or on electronic data exchange systems for monitoring the production of agricultural products),

riefings, seminars, visits and exhibitions on topical subjects relating to agri-food production for food, consumer or financial journalists and schools,

the development of websites and online study materials, which may also be in printed form (e.g. hygiene requirements for berry picking, ensuring that cereals are disease-free, animal welfare provisions, farming practices consistent with sustainable development or consumer rights and expectations), and

publicity for professional kitchens (canteens in schools or other similar establishments), e.g. matters relating to the purchase of locally sourced products.

Publicity may also require various background studies such as strategy work, market research or study tours.

Training

Training for producers of agricultural products may involve, for example, hygiene training for berry pickers during which they become familiar with good hygiene practice for picking and transport. It may also cover, for instance, animal health inspection and electronic recording.

Exchange of information

Exchanges of information may involve the organisation of presentations, competitions or other activities promoting the exchange of information between food-industry operators, and participation therein.

Advice

The aid may also be granted to advisory services for producers of agricultural products

Aid No: XA 398/08

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: North-East England

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Living North Pennines

Legal basis: National Heritage Act (1980)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: GBP 76 508

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is up to 100 % which will be used for the real costs incurred as regards to investment or capital works intended for the conservation of non-productive heritage features located on agricultural holdings. The aid will be paid in line with Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Date of implementation: The scheme will start on 28 November 2008 or on publication of the scheme by the European Commission, whichever is later

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will start on 28 November 2008 or on publication of the scheme by the European Commission, whichever is later. It will close on the 31 December 2010. The last payment will be made on 31 December 2010

Objective of aid: The aid is for capital works intended for the conservation of a non-productive heritage feature located on the agricultural holdings. The work to be carried out includes restoration of the walls of the structure by repairing and re-pointing and underpinning of the structure to prevent it from falling down. This is in accordance with Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture — The farm business must be classified as an SME as defined in Article 2(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Name and address of the granting authority:

Heritage Lottery Fund St Nicholas Building St Nicholas Street NE1 1RF Newcastle Upon Tyne United Kingdom

The statutory body responsible for the scheme is:

Durham County Council County Hall DH1 5UL Durham United Kingdom

The organisation operating the scheme is:

The North Pennines AONB Partnership Weardale Business Centre The Old Co-op Building 1 Martin Street Stanhope DL13 2UY County Durham United Kingdom

Website: http://www.northpennines.org.uk/getmedia.cfm?mediaid=11391

Other information: Further and more detailed information relating to eligibility and rules for the scheme can be found in the web links above