EN Official Journal of the European Union C 188/16

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

(2005/C 188/11)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 70/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Objective 2 Map United Kingdom

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Objective 2 2000-2006 SME Trade Fair Support

Legal basis: Industrial Development Act 1982, Sections 7 & 11.

Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Annual expenditure of Objective 2 measures:

2003: EUR 33,34 million

2004: EUR 33,03 million

2005: EUR 21,59 million

2006: EUR 20,34 million

Total: EUR 108,30 million

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % towards the cost of first-time support for trade fairs and exhibitions from the combination of public sources. No one SME will receive more than EUR 15 000 000 in assistance

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: No award will be given after 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: To enable SMEs fulfilling the definition in Annex 1 of the block exemption located in the Objective 2 region to initially access trade fairs and exhibitions in order to improve their marketing potential.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors excluding sensitive sectors: coal mining, steel manufacture, ship building, synthetic fibre production, motor vehicle manufacture and tier 1 suppliers, transport services and financial services.

Name and address of granting authority: Administering Authorities:

Government Office for the East of England

Government Office for the East Midlands

Government Office for London

Government Office for the North East

Government Office for the North West [Liverpool]

Government Office for the North West [Manchester]

Government Office for the South East

Government Office for the South West

Government Office for the West Midlands

Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside

Welsh Assembly Government

Scottish Executive

Government of Gibraltar [Department of Trade, Industry and Telecommunications]

Contact for correspondence:

Department of Trade and Industry

Regional European Funds Directorate

3 Floor, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET

Aid No: XS 133/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Title of aid scheme: Automatic fiscal aid measures to support the productive base

Legal basis:

— Art. 1 legge 341/95 e s.m. e i. di cui alla legge 266/97

— Decreto legislativo 112/98, art. 19

— Decreto legislativo 123/98

— Decreto Giunta regionale n. 6108/03

Annual expenditure planned: EUR 20 million

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity for the individual firm, expressed in gross grant equivalent (gge), may not exceed 15 % of the total investment cost in the case of small firms or 7,5 % in the case of medium-sized firms.

Where the areas covered by the scheme qualify for exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty, the aid ceiling is 18 % gge for small firms and 14 % gge for medium-sized firms.

Date of implementation: November 2003, when the Commission received the notification.

Duration of scheme: Period 2003-06

Objective of aid: The aid in the form of a tax bonus is intended for expenditure on measures to set up new plant, and to expand, modernise, restructure, convert, reactivate and relocate production plant.

Economic sectors concerned: ISTAT Codes 1991

Section C — Mining and quarrying

Section D — Manufacturing

Section F — Construction

Division K 72 — Computer and related activities

Division K 74 — Other professional and business activities

Division I 63 — Supporting and auxiliary transport activities

Firms engaged in the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty and firms in the shipbuilding industry are excluded.

The recipient firms must be financially and economically sound.

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Toscana, via di Novoli 26, I-50127 Firenze

Additional information: Activities linked to exporting, i.e. the actual exporting of goods, the establishment and operation of a foreign distribution network and other current expenditure linked to exporting are excluded, and the aid is not conditional on the preferential use of domestic rather than imported products.

Only expenditure incurred since the date on which the aid application was submitted is eligible.

Only consultancy services that are not continuous or regular, or connected with the normal operating expenses of the firm are eligible for aid.

Aid No: XS 138/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Title of aid scheme: Automatic fiscal aid measures to support the productive base.

Legal basis:

Legge n. 341/95 e s.m. di cui alla legge n. 266/97; decreto legislativo n. 112/98, art. 19; decreto legislativo n. 123/98; Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001; delibera di Giunta regionale n. 109 — 10275 dell'1.8.2003

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

2003: EUR 34 500 000

2004: EUR 45 000 000

2005: EUR 45 000 000

2006: EUR 45 000 000

Maximum aid intensity: For tangible and intangible investments and for consultancy the aid intensity applicable will be 8 % nge + 10 % gge for small firms and 8 % nge + 6 % gge for medium-sized firms, where the production plant is in areas of the region which fall within the scope of Article 87(3)(c); for small and medium-sized firms with production plant in other areas of the region the aid intensity will be 15 % gge and 7,5 % gge respectively.

In any case no large individual amounts of aid will be granted, in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001.

Date of implementation: 27 October 2003 (no aid will be granted in any event before this summary has been notified to the Commission)

Duration of scheme:

Objective of aid: The aid, in the form of a tax bonus, is intended for tangible or intangible fixed assets for measures to set up new plant, and to expand, modernise, restructure, convert, reactivate and relocate production plant in the region.

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs with production plant in the region operating in the following sectors:

mining and quarrying, manufacturing, production and distribution of electricity, gas and water, construction covered by sections C, D, E and F of the ISTAT 1991 classification of economic activities. The sections eligible for aid under subsection DA are: 15.52; 15.81.1; 15.81.2; 15.82; 15.85; 15.88; 15.89.1; 15.89.2; 15.96; 15.98; 15.99.

Firms operating in the following sectors are also eligible for aid:

the telecommunications sector;

services which could have a positive influence on the development of the above production activities.

The scheme is subject to the exclusions and limitations laid down by the Community rules for the steel industry, shipbuilding, synthetic fibres, motor manufacturing and the transport industry.

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Piemonte Direzione Industria Via Pisano n. 6, I-10152 Torino

Other information: The aid scheme does not apply to export-related activities, i.e. aid directly linked to the quantities exported, to the establishment and operation of a distribution network or to other current expenditure linked to the export activity, and aid contingent upon the use of domestic over imported goods.

The scheme does not apply to firms active in the production, marketing or processing of agricultural products, as referred to in Annex 1 to the EC Treaty.

Only expenditure incurred since the date on which the aid application was submitted is eligible.

Only consultancy services that are not continuous or regular, or connected with the normal operating expenses of the firm are eligible for aid.