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

(2004/C 83/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 6/03

Member State: Austria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: "Business dynamism" scheme - programme to boost the innovative potential of small and medium-sized enterprises - "SME innovation programme"

Assumptions of liability for "short-term operating loans", the taking-over of equity guarantees and assumptions of liability for "restructuring loans" are not covered by the block exemption Regulation

Legal basis: - Richtlinien des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Arbeit der Aktion "Unternehmensdynamik" - Programm zur Stärkung des innovativen Potentials von kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen - "KMU-Innovationsprogramm" (2001-2006) vom 28.11.2002

- Bundesgesetz über besondere Förderungen von kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (BGBl. Nr. 432/1996), i.d.g.F.

- Bürgschaftsbedingungen der Austria Wirtschaftsservice Ges.m.b.H.

- Garantiebedingungen der Austria Wirtschaftsservice Ges.m.b.H. für Leasingfinanzierungen

- Die Richtlinien für die Aktion "Unternehmensdynamik" wurden bis 27.11.2002 als "De-minimis"-Förderung abgewickelt

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Estimated budgetary funds for investment premiums

2002: EUR 24,3 million

2003: EUR 24,8 million

2004: EUR 25,5 million

2005: EUR 26,2 million

2006: EUR 26,8 million

Maximum aid intensity: 1. Grant (investment premium)

The arrangements for awarding grants are laid down in point 6 ("Type and scale of the aid").

Calculation of the level of the grant:

A grant of between 5 % and 15 % (in the case of medium-sized enterprises, only up to a maximum of 7,5 % - though in national regionally assisted areas the aid intensity ceiling of 15 % still applies) is awarded towards the substantiated costs of investment projects that are in line with one of the assistance priorities.

Maximum level of the grant assuming a basic amount of EUR 750000 and a grant (investment premium) of 15 % (including the share of the relevant province), the aid amounts to EUR 112500.

Maximum aid intensity (present value of grant as percentage of substantiated eligible costs, gross grant equivalent): 15 % (in the case of medium-sized enterprises, only up to a maximum of 7,5 % - though in national regionally assisted areas the aid intensity ceiling of 15 % still applies).

2. Guarantees

Die Austria Wirtschaftsservice Ges.m.b.H. can provide guarantees of up to 80 % in most cases.

Calculation of the aid intensity of the guarantees:

Grant equivalent: maximum 7,93 %, which falls to 1,65 % after deduction of the guarantee fee required under the guidelines.

Where a grant and a guarantee are combined, compliance with the maximum aid intensity of 7,5 % or 15 % is ensured

Date of implementation: Date of entry into force of the aid scheme: 28 November 2002, i.e. aid commitments as from 28 November 2002 are based on Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 28 November 2002 (date of aid commitment) - 31 December 2006 (date of submission of application)

Objective of aid: Horizontal aid: SMEs

Secondary objective: regional aid - Subject to the ceilings allowed under the competition rules, higher levels of aid may be granted by the relevant provinces for projects in areas of Austria covered by Objective 2 of the EU Structural Funds

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors except for tourism and the leisure industry and agriculture and forestry

Name and address of the granting authority: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit Center 1 Wirtschaftspolitik Stubenring 1 A - 1010 Wien Contact person: Alexandra Moser-Witzky Tel. (43-1) 177 00 58 90

Managing agency: Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft m.b.H. Taborstraße 10 A - 1020 Wien Contact person: Anton Neunteufl Tel. (43-1) 21 47 57 42 23 Fax (43-1) 214 75 74 45

Aid No: XS 10/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Apulia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Measures to assist the development of craft firms

Legal basis: - Legge 25 luglio 1952, n. 949, articolo 37 e Legge 21 maggio 1981, n. 240, articolo 23, concernenti il Fondo contributo in conto interessi

- Legge 19 luglio 1993, n. 237, articolo 2, comma 5, concernente la determinazione dei tassi agevolati

- Decreto legislativo 31 marzo 1998, n. 112, concernente il conferimento di funzioni e compiti amministrativi dello Stato alle Regioni e gli Enti locali

- Decreto legislativo 31 marzo 1998, n. 123, concernente la realizzazione degli interventi di sostegno pubblico delle imprese

- Decreto del Ministero del Tesoro 21 dicembre 1994, concernente la determinazione del tasso di riferimento

- Legge Regione Puglia n. 3 del 4.1.2001

- Delibera Giunta Regionale Pugliese n. 544/2002

- Delibera Giunta Regionale Pugliese n. 1992/02

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

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Maximum aid intensity: 35 % net grant equivalent plus 15 % gross grant equivalent

Date of implementation: 1 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid will facilitate credit transactions under Act No 949/52, leasing transactions under Act No 240/81 and financing transactions, for investments in the following:

- Credit transactions (Act No 949/52)

- fitting out, enlarging and modernisation of workshops;

- acquisition, lease or hire purchase of new machinery and equipment

- Leasing transactions (Act No 240/81)

- fitting out and/or enlargement of workshops (leasing of property), with the exception of premises that are not to be used for the certified craft activity;

- new machinery and equipment

Economic sector(s) concerned: The aid is intended only for craft firms

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Puglia

Aid No: XS 73/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Aid scheme for SMEs in Piedmont for investment in tangible and intangible fixed assets, consultancy and other services and activities, in particular first-time participation in fairs and exhibitions

Legal basis: Delibere e/o provvedimenti delle CCIAA e/o delle loro aziende speciali, Unioni regionali e dei loro Centri esteri, che completeranno precisa indicazione del Regolamento comunitario in parola

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 8123000

Maximum aid intensity: - for investment:

15 % in the case of small enterprises with fewer than 50 employees and turnover in the year preceding the grant of the aid of less than EUR 7 million,

7,5 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises,

- for consultancy and other services and activities:

50 % of the eligible costs in accordance with Regulation 70/2001, and in particular Article 5 thereof.

No one project will receive aid exceeding EUR 50000

Date of implementation: From the date of transmission of this notice

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: To facilitate the development of the economic activities of small and medium-sized enterprises in the manner, for the reasons and with the aims set out in recital 5 to Regulation 70/2001

Economic sector(s) concerned: All SMEs of any kind located in Piedmont are eligible for this scheme, except for those associated with the products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty, fishing, shipbuilding and ECSC steel products.

Only tangible investments in land, buildings, machinery and equipment will be eligible for aid under the scheme.

No aid will be granted in respect of investment in vehicles and transport equipment by enterprises operating mainly in the transport sector.

Investments made for activities linked to exporting, i.e. the actual exporting of goods, the establishment and operation of a foreign distribution network and other expenditure linked to exporting, are likewise excluded

Name and address of the granting authority: Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Crafts (CCIAA) in Piedmont

Other information: In accordance with Article 7 of the Regulation, aid will be granted only where, before work on the aided project is started, the beneficiary firm has submitted an appropriate application to the local Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Crafts and the latter has delivered a favourable opinion

Aid No: XS 103/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 area

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Supporting Environmental Goods and Service Businesses

Legal basis: Welsh Development Agency Act 1975

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 2003: GBP 15000

2004: GBP 122700

2005: GBP 238800

2006: GBP 81000

Maximum aid intensity: In West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 area, 50 % of eligible costs. Both consultancy and investment costs (Article 87(3)(a) areas + 15 percentage points) are covered. No other area is eligible

Date of implementation: 1 October 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: To improve the competitiveness of environmental goods and service businesses throughout West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 region.

Overall, the market for environmental goods and services has doubled in the last five years from GBP 170 billion to GBP 320 billion and is the size of pharmaceutical market. The scheme is intended to assist businesses in West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 area in continuing to gain market share in this growing market by:

- providing 50 % of consultancy costs to help businesses expand activities in this market or move into the market, normally subject to a limit of GBP 4000 per company per year,

- providing up to 50 % of investment costs, normally subject to a maximum of GBP 15000 per company per year.

This will be a gap-funding scheme and businesses will initially be directed to existing schemes. The costs of investment in land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and transfer of technology relating to the start-up of a new business or the expansion of an existing business will be eligible for aid. Aid may also be provided towards the costs of rationalisation and investment where these exceed normal expected operating costs, e.g. to improve a product or service provided that the investment includes an innovative element, i.e. a product or process new to the business or the sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Environmental goods and service sector; without prejudice to those sectors governed by other specific rules

Name and address of the granting authority: Welsh Development Agency North Division, Unit 7 St Asaph Business Park Ffordd Richard Davies ST ASAPH LL17 OLJ, Wales United Kingdom Contact person: Cath Peasley

Aid No: XS 108/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Measure 1 "Boosting economic competitiveness in Lombardy" Submeasure 1.1.D "Incentives for the purchase or leasing of machine tools and/or production equipment under Act 1329/65"

Legal basis: Legge 1329/65 "Sabatini" contributo in conto interessi per l'acquisto o il leasing di nuove macchine utensili o di produzione; Docup Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 Lombardia approvato con decisione C(2878) del 10.12.2001; legge 28.11.1965, n. 1329; legge 19.12.1983, n. 696, articolo 3; legge 16.2.1987, n. 44; decreto del ministro dell'Industria, del Commercio e dell'Artigianato del 21.2.1973; decreto del ministro del Tesoro del 30.4.1987; decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 112, articolo 19; decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 123; regolamento (CE) n. 70 del 12.1.2001; decreto del direttore generale del 22.7.2002 n. 13835

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

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Maximum aid intensity: 15 % gge for small enterprises and 7,5 % gge for medium-sized enterprises

Date of implementation: 27 August 2002 (no aid will be granted in any event before this summary has been notified to the Commission)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to facilitate the purchase or leasing of new machine tools or manufacturing equipment made in Italy or abroad, for a unit or total cost in excess of EUR 500000, including machine systems, ancillary equipment, accessories, fixed or self-propelled machinery and equipment for handling, transporting and lifting materials (cranes and overhead travelling cranes, trolleys, belt conveyors, etc.) in the factory or yard, and air-conditioning equipment.

The machine tools and production equipment must form part of the logistical structure of production units located in Lombardy and registered with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture (CCIAA) and should not be invoiced prior to the date on which the contract is concluded, where the equipment is purchased outright, or the handover document signed, where the equipment is leased.

Vehicles, vessels and aircraft entered in public registers are not covered

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs, 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.

The scheme does not apply to activities linked to the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex I to the Treaty

Other information: Investments in excess of EUR 1,6 million are not eligible

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

Aid No: XS 110/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Priority 1, measure 1.8, promoting associations and networks of firms

Legal basis: Docup Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 Lombardia; Approvato con decisione C(2878) del 10.12.2001

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

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Maximum aid intensity: Medium-sized enterprises 7,5 %

Small enterprises 15 %

Date of implementation: 27 August 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2000-2006

Objective of aid: To support the formation of associations and networks between firms, with a view to developing systemic strategies, facilitating the acquisition of high-level capabilities and exploiting the advantages of the information society.

The measures are designed in line with the definitions in Article 2(c) and (d) and Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Economic sector(s) concerned: Trades and crafts

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Lombardia Struttura Ricerca e Politiche Comunitarie D.G. Artigianato, Nuova economia, Ricerca e Innovazione tecnologica Piazza Duca D'Aosta, 4 I - Milano

Aid No: XS 129/02

Member State: Germany

Region: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Guidelines for the promotion of advisory services for craft services provided by their chambers

Legal basis: Haushaltsrecht des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 194000 (annual overall amount of the budget appropriations for two areas covering approximately 17500 enterprises)

Up to EUR 1500 within a given three-year period for each enterprise receiving advice

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the costs incurred, with a maximum of EUR 100 per working day and a maximum of 15 working days within a given three-year period

Date of implementation: The scheme was announced on 16 December 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Unlimited; but not longer than that of the underlying exemption regulation, Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 (currently 31 December 2006), plus any extensions

Authorisation is granted on a yearly basis (for the twelve-month period from: 1 January to 31 December)

Objective of aid: To encourage small craft enterprises to use the advisory services provided by craft chambers

Economic sector(s) concerned: The measure applies to all sectors provided the relevant sectoral guidelines and regulations so permit

Name and address of the granting authority: Wirtschaftsministerium Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Johannes-Stelling-Straße 14 D - 19053 Schwerin