EN Official Journal of the European Union C 1/9

Summary information from the Member States on State aid granted in conformity with Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003 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, processing and marketing of agricultural products

(2006/C 1/05)

Aid No: XA 1/04

Member State: Spain

Region: All the national territory

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aid for the development of agricultural associations and amalgamation of cooperatives across the Autonomous Communities

Legal basis: Orden por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras y la convocatoria, para el año 2004, de las subvenciones destinadas al fomento del asociacionismo agrario y de la integración cooperativa de nivel suprautonómico

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Annual budget EUR 1 452 130

Maximum aid intensity: Maximum of 50 % of the costs of amalgamation or merging, but not more than EUR 30 000 per body amalgamated or EUR 60 000 per body merged.

For management expenditure during the first five years, decreasing from 100 % to 20 %, but not more than 5 % of the value of sales in each year

Date of implementation: From the date of publication in the Spanish Official Gazette and entry into force

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2004

Objective of aid: Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

Eligible costs

— start-up in the case of newly formed bodies;

— audits;

— legal costs;

— costs of advice for members, managers and technical staff;

— finance and marketing studies,

— notaries' fees and registration and certification fees.

The expenses referred to in this point are not eligible where those expenses are supported by aid provided for under the relevant common market organisations for the operation of producer groups.

Sector(s) concerned: Agricultural sector. Arable and livestock subsectors

Name and address of the granting authority: MAPA. Dirección General de Desarrollo Rural. C/ Alfonso XII, 62. E-28071 Madrid

Web address: www.mapya.es

Aid No: XA 7/04

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: England

Title of Aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Farm Business Advice Service in England

Legal basis: This is a non-statutory service, participation in which is voluntary. The Agriculture Act 1986 (section 1) provides the legal base for the provision by Government of advice in connection with any agricultural activity

Annual Expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Planned funding for the service will be up to GBP 7 million for the next financial year 2004/05

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation: From 1 April 2004. This is an extension of the existing four year service which began in October 2000 following State aid approval and which was originally due to end on 31 March 2004. The original service was approved by the Commission on 19 October 2000 as UK State Aid 241/2000

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 March 2005

Objective of aid: The primary objective is aid to SMEs. The on-going aim of the scheme is to encourage farmers faced with fundamental changes in their market place and industry to think like business people and take strategic decisions about the future of their businesses. The service will fund an average of three days of an adviser's time (and no more than five days) at a cost of no more than GBP 410 per day (excluding VAT) to up to 5 000 farmers in England over the next year. Eligible costs will therefore be consultancy fees in line with Article 14(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

Sectors concerned: Agriculture. All farm types may apply for business advice under the service providing the applicant spends a minimum of 75 % of their time working on their core farming business. The advice may cover diversification into processing and marketing activities, as well as production

Name and address of the granting authority: Administered by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Defra

Ergon House

Horseferry Road

London SW1P 2AL

United Kingdom

The Small Business Service (an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry) is responsible for the day-to-day management

Small Business Service

Rural Issues Team

L1 St Mary's House

C/O Moorfoot

Shefffield S1 4PQ

United Kingdom

Web-address: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/fbadvice/fbas/index.htm

Aid No: XA 10/04

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous Community of Cantabria

Title of aid scheme/Name of company receiving individual aid measure: Aid for setting up/adapting Cleaning and Disinfection Centres for road vehicles used for animal transport

Legal basis: Orden de la Consejería de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca por la que se regulan y convocan ayudas a la instalación y adecuación de Centros de Limpieza y Desinfección de vehículos destinados al transporte por carretera de animales en la Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria para el ejercicio de 2004

Planned annual expenditure under the scheme/Total amount of individual aid granted to companies: EUR 184 000

Maximum aid intensity: Aid can be granted to cover a maximum of 40 % of the total eligible amount. The aid intensity may be up to a maximum of 50 % for investment in disadvantaged areas or in installations used for processing and marketing agricultural products. The ceiling for each individual aid measure will be EUR 60 000

Date of application:

Duration of the scheme/individual aid measure: Indefinite

Purpose of the aid: To encourage the establishment of Cleaning and Disinfection Centres in order to build a basic network of establishments for improving the health and hygiene conditions of livestock transport.

The aid will be granted under Articles 4 and 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

The following will be considered to be eligible expenditure

Sector or sectors concerned: The scheme covers the production, processing and marketing of beef, sheepmeat, horsemeat, pigmeat, poultry, etc.

Name and address of the authority granting the aid: Consejería de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca de la Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria

Website: http://boc.gobcantabria.es/boc/

Aid No: XA 13/04

Member State: Spain

Region: Castile and Leon

Title of aid scheme/Name of company receiving individual aid measure: Line 02- Aid for SMEs active in processing and marketing

Legal basis: Capítulo II Sección 2a de la Orden AYG/458/2004, de 29 de marzo, de regulación y convocatoria de ayudas a la transformación y comercialización de los productos agrarios, silvícolas y de la alimentación en Castilla y León (Boletín Oficial de Castilla y León no 63 de 1 de abril de 2004)

Planned annual expenditure under the scheme/Total amount of individual aid granted to companies: EUR 20 000 000

Maximum aid intensity:

— Maximum gross aid intensity: 50 %

— Maximum eligible expenditure: EUR 12 500 000

— Maximum actual amount per individual aid measure: EUR 6 000 000

Date of application:

Duration of the scheme/individual aid measure: Aid can be granted under this scheme until December 2006

Purpose of the aid: The objective is to grant aid for investment in the processing and marketing of agricultural products made by SMEs, as specified in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

To this end, in accordance with Article 7(3) of that Regulation, eligible expenditure can include

Sector or sectors concerned: The scheme covers the processing and marketing of agricultural products in all sectors, i.e. it is not limited to any specific agricultural products. For the purposes of this scheme, the term ‘agricultural product’ is understood to mean the definition laid down in Article 2(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 and the term ‘processing of an agricultural product’ is understood to mean the definition laid down in Article 2(3) of that Regulation.

The scheme explicitly excludes investment related to the processing of agricultural products listed in Annex I of the EC Treaty into products that are not included in that Annex

Name and address of the authority granting the aid:

Junta de Castilla y León Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería Calle Rigoberto Cortejoso no 14 E-47014 Valladolid

Website: http://www.jcyl.es/industriasagrarias

Other information: No aid will be granted under this scheme which contravenes any prohibitions or restrictions laid down by any of the Community market-organisation regimes, as specified in Article 7(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

Similarly, as stipulated in Article 7(7)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, no aid will be granted for the manufacture or marketing of products which imitate or substitute for milk and milk products.

Furthermore, in accordance with Article 7(7)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, no aid will be granted for processing or marketing activities in the sugar sector.

Finally, in accordance with Article 1(4)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, aid granted under this scheme will not be contingent on the use of domestic over imported goods

Aid No: XA 14/04

Member State: Spain

Region: Castile and Leon

Title of aid scheme/Name of company receiving individual aid measure: Line 11 — Business development of companies processing and marketing agricultural products.

Legal basis: Capítulo II Sección 11a de la Orden AYG/458/2004, de 29 de marzo, de regulación y convocatoria de ayudas a la transformación y comercialización de los productos agrarios, silvícolas y de la alimentación en Castilla y León (Boletín Oficial de Castilla y León no 63 de 1 de abril de 2004)

Planned annual expenditure under the scheme/Total amount of individual aid granted to companies: EUR 1 000 000

Maximum aid intensity:

— Maximum gross aid intensity: 50 %

— Maximum actual amount per individual aid measure: EUR 19 000

Date of application:

Duration of the scheme/individual aid measure: Aid can be granted under this scheme until December 2006

Purpose of the aid: The objective is to grant aid to small and medium-sized companies active in processing and marketing agricultural products which undertake one of the following actions

To facilitate the process of succession and the passing on to successive generations of control in small and medium-sized family businesses in the agricultural product processing and marketing sector, funding can be obtained under this scheme to help with the costs of any outside consultancy needed to draw up a ‘family agreement’, defined as a document which regulates professional, economic and family relations within the company with the goal of ensuring its continued prosperity across successive generations of the family.

The costs eligible for aid would be fees for technical and external consultancy work needed to carry out a preliminary analysis of the business and then the drawing up of the agreement.

This measure is part of the aid provided for under Article 14(2)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

To help small and medium-sized family businesses active in processing and marketing agricultural products to market their products, funding is available under this scheme for the purchase or lease-purchase of IT equipment, including software, up to its market value; other costs connected with a leasing contract (taxes, lessor's margin, interest refinancing costs, overheads, insurance charges, etc.) will not be eligible for aid; in this case the purchase of second-hand equipment will not be eligible for aid.

The acquisition of patents and licences for the use of IT programmes and technical fees, up to 12 % of the expenditure referred to in the previous paragraph, will also be eligible for aid.

This measure is part of the aid provided for under Article 7(3)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

Sector or sectors concerned: The scheme covers the processing and marketing of agricultural products in all sectors, i.e. it is not limited to any specific agricultural products. For the purposes of this scheme, the term ‘agricultural product’ is understood to mean the definition laid down in Article 2(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 and the term ‘processing of an agricultural product’ is understood to mean the definition laid down in Article 2(3) of that Regulation.

The scheme explicitly excludes investment related to the processing of agricultural products listed in Annex I of the EC Treaty into products that are not included in that Annex.

Name and address of the authority granting the aid:

Junta de Castilla y León Consejería de Agricultura y Ganadería Calle Rigoberto Cortejoso no 14 E-47014 Valladolid

Website: http://www.jcyl.es/industriasagrarias

Other information: No aid will be granted under this scheme which contravenes any prohibitions or restrictions laid down by any of the Community market-organisation regimes, as specified in Article 7(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004.

Similarly, as stipulated in Article 7(7)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, no aid will be granted for the manufacture or marketing of products which imitate or substitute for milk and milk products.

Furthermore, in accordance with Article 7(7)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, no aid will be granted for processing or marketing activities in the sugar sector.

Finally, in accordance with Article 1(4)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, aid granted under this scheme will not be contingent on the use of domestic over imported goods

Aid No: XA 15/04

Member State: Finland

Location: Finnish assisted areas C1-C4

Title of aid scheme: Start-up aid for young farmers

Legal basis: Valtioneuvoston asetus maaseudun kehittämisestä (609/2000), 35 pykälä, 42 pykälä ja 87 pykälä

Estimated annual cost of the aid scheme (as aid granted, EUR million):

2004 2005 2006 2007 Start-up aid (EUR 25 000) 6,30 6,30 6,30 6,30 Interest subsidy (EUR 25 000) 6,30 6,30 6,30 6,30 Start-up aid (EUR 30 000) 5,04 5,04 5,04 5,04 Interest subsidy (EUR 30 000) 5,04 5,04 5,04 5,04 Supplementary aid (EUR 25 000) 4,20 4,20 4,20 4,20 26,88 26,88 26,88 26,88

The expenditure on start-up aid for young farmers amounts in total to some EUR 107,52 million in the period 2004-07.

Payment of start-up aid

Start-up aid is paid for three years from installation.

The interest subsidy is paid for the term of the loan.

The supplementary aid is paid in the fourth, fifth and sixth years after installation.

The aid is paid up to the maximums set out below. The aid, including supplementary aid, is paid as a subsidy without discounting its face value at grant.

Maximum amount of aid: The start-up aid granted in subsidy form is EUR 25 000, while the interest subsidy is up to a maximum of EUR 25 000.

Start-up aid of EUR 30 000 can be granted to livestock holdings and horticulture-under-glass holdings, however, and an interest subsidy of up to EUR 30 000 can be granted to young farmers, if livestock rearing or horticulture production equivalent to at least 20 units is carried out on the holding within three years of installation. These size units are laid down in Annex I to Council of State Decree No 609/2000. A further condition for the grant of aid is that the beneficiary makes use of the advisory services provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1783/2003 on rural development, as amended, for the first three full calendar years after installation.

In addition to the livestock farms and horticulture-under-glass holdings meeting the abovementioned criteria, young farmers may also be granted EUR 25 000 in supplementary aid (subsidy).

A livestock or horticulture holding can therefore receive a maximum subsidy of EUR 55 000 and an interest subsidy of EUR 30 000

Date of introduction: From 17.5.2004

Duration of aid scheme or individual aid: The aid scheme will be in force until the end of 2007

Purpose of the aid: The purpose of the start-up aid for young farmers is to assist SMEs in the livestock-rearing and horticulture sectors. The aid is granted under Article 8 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 and is based on Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development and paragraph 7.2 of the Community Guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector.

Sectors concerned: Agriculture: livestock rearing and horticulture-under-glass

Name and address of the authority granting the aid: Each Employment and Economic Development Centre (there are twelve of them) grants start-up aid to young farmers in the geographic area for which it is responsible.

Etelä-Pohjanmaan TE-keskus

Huhtalantie 2

FIN-60220 Seinäjoki

Etelä-Savon TE-keskus

Mikonkatu 3 ja 5, PL 164

FIN-50101 Mikkeli

Kaakkois-Suomen TE-keskus

Salpausselänkatu 22, PL 1041

FIN-45101 Kouvola

Kainuun TE-keskus

Kalliokatu 4

FIN-87100 Kajaani

Keski-Suomen TE-keskus

Cygnaeuksenkatu 1, PL 44

FIN-40101 Jyväskylä

Lapin TE-keskus

Ruokasenkatu 2

FIN-96200 Rovaniemi

Pirkanmaan TE-keskus

Kauppakatu 4, PL 467

FIN-33101 Tampere

Pohjanmaan TE-keskus

Hovioikeudenpuistikko 19 A, PL 131

FIN-65101 Vaasa

Pohjois-Karjalan TE-keskus

Kauppakatu 40 B, PL 8

FIN-80101 Joensuu

Pohjois-Pohjanmaan TE-keskus

Viestikatu 1, PL 86

FIN-90101 Oulu

Pohjois-Savon TE-keskus

Käsityökatu 41, PL 2000

FIN-70101 Kuopio

Satakunnan TE-keskus

Pohjoisranta 11 E, PL 266

FIN-28100 Pori

Website address: www.mmm.fi/tuet/valtiontuet/ryhmäpoikkeusasetus

Other information: This summary replaces the notification sent to the Commission on 6 February 2004 under reference number 65/312/2004 on the programme of start-up aid for young farmers (see point 3.1 of the notification) in accordance with Article 142 of the Act of Accession to the European Union of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden, and Article 87 of the Treaty establishing the European Community

Aid No: XA 16/04

Member State: Italy

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Aid towards payment of insurance premiums

Legal basis: Decreto legislativo in attuazione della legge 7 marzo 2003, n. 38

Annual expenditure planned under scheme or total annual aid aid granted to company: EUR 100 000 000

Maximum aid intensity:

— Up to 80 % of the cost of premiums for policies covering only losses resulting from adverse weather conditions ranking as a natural disaster;

— Up to 50 % of the cost of premiums covering, in addition to losses resulting from adverse weather conditions ranking as a natural disaster, losses resulting from adverse weather conditions and/or losses due to animal or plant diseases

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Purpose of aid: Support for SMEs; encouragement of anticipatory action for coping with damage to crop and livestock production, farm buildings and structures etc in zones affected by natural disasters. Article 11 Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

Eligible costs: insurance premiums for cover of losses resulting from adverse weather conditions ranking as natural disasters

Sector(s) concerned: Production of agricultural products listed in Annex I to the Treaty

Name and address of granting authority:

Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali — Dipartimento della qualità dei prodotti agroalimentari e dei servizi — Direzione generale per le politiche strutturali e lo sviluppo rurale Via XX settembre, 20 — I-00187 Roma

Web site: www.inea.it/ops/esenzioni.cfm

Aid No: XA 34/04

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Cheshire (including the county of Cheshire and the boroughs of Halton and Warrington)

Title of Aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Cheshire Rural Recovery Programme — P&M Grant Initiative

Legal basis: Section 5 of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total allocation to the scheme during its lifetime will be GBP 250 000. This breaks down as

Year 1: 2004/5 — GBP 60 000

Year 2: 2005/6 — GBP 70 000

Year 3: 2006/7 — GBP 70 000

Year 4: (1 April to 30 June 2007) — GBP 50 000

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity will be 40 % with an additional ceiling of GBP 62 500 per individual grant.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will be open to new applicants until 31 December 2006, but payments (which are only made on completion of the work) will continue to be made until 30 June 2007.

Objective of aid: The scheme is intended to aid the long term development of the Cheshire rural economy. It will do this by helping agricultural businesses become more competitive, improve business efficiency, respond to consumer demand and add more value to their produce.

The aid will be paid in compliance with Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004. The eligible costs will be the purchase of new or used capital equipment. Eligible costs will not include general costs, such as architects, engineers and consultation fees

Sector(s) concerned: The scheme provides grants for processing and marketing activities only, but is open to all types of Annex 1 product with the exception of forestry, fisheries and sugar products. Aids for the manufacture and marketing of products which imitate or substitute for milk and milk products are also excluded

Name and address of the granting authority:

Cheshire Rural Recovery Philip Leverhulme Centre Reaseheath College Nantwich CW5 6DF United Kingdom

Web-address: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/state-aid/setup/exist-exempt.htm. Click on ‘Cheshire Rural Recovery Programme — P& M Grant Initiative’. Alternatively, you can go to http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/state-aid/setup/schemes/cheshire-pandm.pdf

Aid No: XA 35/04

Member State: Italy.

Region: Veneto

Title of aid scheme: Aid for investment in agricultural holdings

Legal basis: Legge Regionale 12 dicembre 2003, n. 40 Titolo VI Capo I artt. 17, 18, 19 e 20 «Nuove norme per gli interventi in agricoltura» e successive modifiche ed integrazioni. Il testo coordinato della legge è pubblicato sul Bollettino Ufficiale della Regione del Veneto n. 40 del 13.4.2004

Annual expenditure planned or total annual amount granted: The annual allocation of aid is set by the budget, which is approved every year by the Regional Council. It is anticipated that the annual financial package will amount to EUR 2 000 000, but this is merely an estimate

Maximum aid intensity: 40 % of eligible costs (or 50 % in disadvantaged areas), which may be increased by up to 10 % for investments made by young farmers within five years of establishment, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1783/2003

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme:

Objectives of aid:

1. Job creation

2. Sectoral development

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003.

The scheme covers the following eligible costs: work on farm structures and equipment aimed to improve, update and incorporate technological innovation into farm activities; general costs up to a maximum of 12 % of eligible costs

Sector(s) concerned: The scheme applies to the production, processing and/or marketing of agricultural products listed in Annex 1 to the Treaty and covers all sectors of production

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Veneto Giunta Regionale Direzione politiche agroalimentari e per le imprese Via Torino 110, I-30174 Mestre (VE)

Web address: http://www.consiglioveneto.it/leggi/2003/03lr0040.html

Aid No: XA 36/04

Member State: Italy

Region: Veneto

Title of aid scheme: Aid for professional training and updating expertise in food safety

Legal basis: Legge Regionale 12 dicembre 2003, n. 40 Titolo VI. Capo II artt. 21, 22 e 23 «Nuove norme per gli interventi in agricoltura» e successive modifiche ed integrazioni. Il testo coordinato della legge è pubblicato sul Bollettino Ufficiale della Regione del Veneto n. 40 del 13.4.2004

Annual expenditure planned or total annual amount granted: The annual allocation of aid is set by the budget, which is approved every year by the Regional Council. It is anticipated that the annual financial package will amount to EUR 200 000, but this is merely an estimate

Maximum aid intensity: Maximum 100 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme:

Objectives of aid:

1. Training

2. Job creation

Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003.

The scheme covers the following eligible costs: costs incurred in organising and carrying out training and refresher courses on food safety for employees in the agricultural sector

Sectors concerned: The scheme applies to occupational training for farmers active in the production, processing and/or marketing of agricultural products listed in Annex I of the Treaty

Name and address of granting authority:

Regione Veneto Giunta Regionale Direzione politiche agroambientali e servizi per l'agricoltura Via Torino 110, I-30174 Mestre (VE)

Web address: http://www.consiglioveneto.it/leggi/2003/03lr0040.htlm