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

(2002/C 279/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XT 17/02

Member State: Spain

Region: La Rioja

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Aid for training and job creation in La Rioja

Legal basis: Resolución de 18 de diciembre de 2001, del Presidente de la Agencia de Desarrollo Económico de La Rioja, por la que se aprueban las Bases reguladoras de la concesión de subvenciones a los programas para la formación y fomento del empleo en la Comunidad Autónoma de La Rioja y su convocatoria para el 2002. Publicación en el BOR de 22.12.2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: For the financial year 2002, ESP 809950077 (EUR 4867898) is budgeted

Maximum aid intensity: Aid will be used to finance part or all of the cost incurred by project partners.

In order to determine the amount of aid for measures requested by firms or sole traders for their own staff, the following criteria will be applied:

1. Where the aid is for specific training, the maximum intensity will be 25 % for large firms and 35 % for small and medium-sized firms.

2. Where the aid is for general training, the maximum intensity will be 50 % for large firms and 70 % for small and medium-sized firms.

The aid intensities in points 1 and 2 may be increased by five percentage points for firms located in regions entitled to receive regional aid under Article 87(3)(c) EC.

All of La Rioja may apply for aid under Article 87(3)(c) EC, with the following exceptions: in the municipality of Logroño, only district 6, section 2 (Cantabria I and II), district 2, section 10 (La Portaleda I and II) and district 4, sections 9 and 29 (San Lázaro) may apply, in the municipality of Calahorra, only district 3, section 7 (azucarera) and district 2, section 2 (El Carmen, Tejerías) may apply.

3. Similarly, the maximum aid intensities of points 1 and 2 may be increased by 10 % where training is provided for disadvantaged workers

Date of implementation: After publication in the Official Journal of La Rioja

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: The aim of the regulatoriy principles is to set down procedures for awarding grants to implement aid schemes for training and job creation in the autonomous region of La Rioja in order to provide training relevant to the needs of the economy of La Rioja.

Where the aid is for general training, the applicant must set out the type of qualification envisaged and the firms and areas of work in which it would be transferable. The firms themselves are responsible for deciding whether training is general or specific in their application (sworn statement). Where training is general, firms must declare the other firms and areas of work in which the qualifications envisaged would be transferable. The declarations made and the training programmes set out in each of the measures will be subject to assessment and approval by the La Rioja economic development agency or ADER (in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 68/2001).

At the end of each financial year, it will be possible to list the actions and training programmes for both general and specific training that have been implemented

Economic sector(s) concerned: All industrial sectors. All services

Name and address of the granting authority: Agencia de Desarrollo Económico de La Rioja C/ Muro de la mata 13, 14 E - 26071 Logroño, La Rioja