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 23/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 25/01

Member State: Ireland

Region: All regions

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Town Renewal Scheme

Legal basis: Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 as amended by Finance Act 2000 and 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Estimated EUR 69 million in tax forgone over the duration of the scheme

Maximum aid intensity: 12,37 %

Date of implementation: 6 april 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 6 April 2001 to 31 December 2003

Objective of aid: Investment aid to support renewal projects by small and medium-sized enterprises in 100 small towns in Ireland

Economic sector(s) concerned: The sectors of industrial activity where special Community rules and framworks apply (among which are those falling under the ECSC Treaty, shipbuilding, motor manufacturing, synthetic fibres, transport, fisheries and agriculture, including the processing and marketing of agricultural products listed in Annex I of the EC Treaty (OJ C 29, 2.2.1996, p. 4)) are excluded as are the financial services and property development sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Revenue Commissioners Dublin Castle Dublin 2 Ireland

Aid No: XS 66/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Veneto

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Revolving fund for the granting of subsidised loans to small and medium-sized enterprises

Legal basis: Legge Regionale 9 febbraio 2001, n. 5, articolo 23

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: ITL 40 billion (EUR 20658275,96)

Maximum Aid intensity: As laid down in Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 (Articles 4 and 5), the gross grant equivalent (gge) may not exceed the following ceilings (for investemnt in tangible and intangible fixed assets):

- 15 % for small enterprises,

- 7,5 % for medium-sized enterprises

Date of implementation: From 18 August 2001 (15 days from the date of publication in the Regional Official Gazette of the regional authority measure under which the aid is introduced: DGR No 1843 of 3 July 2001)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: This is a revolving fund which makes it possible to reduce the cost of loans provided by the banking sector; the duration cannot therefore be specified. Im any event, no aid will be granted after 30 December 2006

Objective of aid: To strengthen the productive system in Veneto by granting subsidised loans to small and medium-sized enterprises that carry out significant investments

Economic sector(s) concerned: Secondary sector, not including activities which do not fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Veneto Dorsoduro 3901 I - 30123 Venezia

Aid No: XS 94/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Lower Saxony (district of Gifhorn)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Directive on the assistance of individual small and medium-sized enterprises in the district of Gifhorn

Legal basis: § 108 der Niedersächsischen Landkreisordnung (NLO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt, S. 365) i. V. mit § 65 der Niedersächsischen Gemeindeordnung (NGO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt, S. 382)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: DEM 1,3 million

Maximum aid intensity: The aid amounts

- in the case of small enterprises, to no more than 15 %

- and in the case of medium-sized enterprises, to no more than 7,5 %

of eligible investment expenditure.

The rules on the cumulation of aid are complied with

Date of implementation: 1 October 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 October 2001 to 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to promote the competitiveness and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises in the rural district of Gifhorn, encourage the creation of new jobs and help safeguard existing ones, thus bringing about structural improvements.

Rescue and restructuring aid for firms in difficulty (within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty (OJ C 288, 9.10.1999)) is not covered by the measure.

Aid may be granted for the following types of investment project:

- setting-up of an establishment,

- extension of an establishment if the number of long-term full-time jobs is increased by 15 % as compared with the situation before the start of the investment,

- rationalisation, diversification or modernisation of an establishment if this serves to ensure the continued existence of the business and the maintenance of most of the jobs,

- acquisition of an establishment threatened with closure, provided that this is done on market terms.

The long-term jobs created through the aid must be maintained for at least two years after payment of the grant.

The aid takes the form of investment grants.

All depreciable fixed assets relating to physical and intangible assets are eligible

Economic sector(s) concerned: Those entitled to apply are SMEs in manufacturing, the craft sector, the distributive trades, the hotel industry, other service-sector firms and persons working in the business-related professions whose place of business is in the rural district of Gifhorn. Aid may not be granted to firms in sensitive sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Landkreis Gifhorn Schlossplatz 1 D - 38518 Gifhorn

Other information: Herr Krömer Tel. (0 53 71) 8 24 88 Fax (0 44 61) 8 23 57

Aid No: XS 95/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Lower Saxony (city of Wolfsburg)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Directive on the assistance of individual small and medium-sized enterprises in the city of Wolfsburg

Legal basis: § 108 der Niedersächsischen Landkreisordnung (NLO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt, S. 365) i. V. mit § 65 der Niedersächsischen Gemeindeordnung (NGO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt, S. 382)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: DEM 27 million

Maximum aid intensity: The aid amounts

- in the case of small enterprises, to no more than 15 %,

- and in the case of medium-sized enterprises, to no more than 7,5 %

of eligible investment expenditure.

The rules on the cumulation of aid are complied with

Date of implementation: 1 October 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 October 2001 to 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to promote the competitiveness and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Wolfsburg area, to encourage the creation of new jobs and help safeguard existing ones, thus bringing about structural improvements.

Rescue and restructuring aid for firms in difficulty (within the meaning of the Community guidelines on state aid for rescuing and restructuring (OJ C 288, 9.10.1999)) is not covered by the measure.

Aid may be granted for the following types of investment project:

- setting-up of an establishment,

- extension of an establishment if the number of long-term full-time jobs is increased by 15 % as compared with the situation before the start of the investment,

- rationalisation, diversification or modernisation of an establishment if this serves to ensure the continued existence of the business and the maintenance of most of the jobs,

- acquisition of an establishment threated with closure, provided that this is done on market terms.

The long-term jobs created through the aid must be maintained for at least two years after payment of the grant.

The aid takes the form of investment grants.

All depreciable fixed assets relating to physical and intangible assets are eligible

Economic sectors concerned: Those entitled to apply are SMEs in manufacturing, the craft sector, the distributive trades, the hotel industry, other service-sector firms and persons working in the business-related professions whose place of business is in Wolfsburg. Aid may not be granted to firms in sensitive sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Stadt Wolfsburg

Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Beschäftigungsförderung Wolfsburg mbH

Porschestraße 49 D - 38449 Wolfsburg

Other information: Herr Krause Tel. (0 53 61) 28-2867 Fax (0 53 61) 28-2899