EN Official Journal of the European Union C 259/9

Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2008/C 259/08)

Aid No: XA 231/08

Member State: Spain

Region: Comunidad Valenciana

Name of company receiving an individual aid: Asociación empresarial de productores de porcino de la Comunidad Valenciana

Legal basis: Resolución de la Consellera de Agricultura Pesca y Alimentación, que concede la subvención basada en una línea nominativa descrita en la ley 15/2007 de presupuestos de la Generalitat

Annual expenditure planned: EUR 15 000 in 2008

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation: As from the publication of the identification number of the request for exemption on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of individual aid award: 2008

Objective of aid: Training, promotion and dissemination of livestock farming in the light of market requirements as regards food safety, traceability and environmental impact, in the pigmeat sector in the Community of Valencia (Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006)

Sector(s) concerned: Pig farmers

Name and address of the granting authority:

Conselleria de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación Amadeo de Saboya, 2 E-46010 Valencia

Other information: The text of the decision granting the aid is attached

Website: http://www.agricultura.gva.es/especiales/ayudas_agrarias/pdf/PROGAPORC.pdf

Valencia, 2 June 2008.

La directora general de producción agraria

Laura Peñarroya FABREGAT

Aid No: XA 232/08

Member State: Republic of Lithuania

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Parama ūkiams modernizuoti 2007–2013 m. (schemos XA 289/07) pakeitimas

Legal basis: Lietuvos Respublikos žemės ūkio ministro 2008 m. gegužės 23 d. įsakymas Nr. 3D-297 „Dėl žemės ūkio ministro 2007 m. rugpjūčio 24 d. įsakymo Nr. 3D-389 „Dėl paramos ūkiams modernizuoti 2007–2013 metais taisyklių“ pakeitimo“ (Žin., 2008, Nr. 61-2322) (décret no 3D-297)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The planned annual budget is LTL 10,5 million, or EUR 3,04 million at the official exchange rate

Maximum aid intensity: Under these rules, farmers are to receive aid covering 20 % of the purchase costs of new tractors or new combine harvesters, whilst young farmers who are under 40 years of age at the time of submitting their application and have been established for no more than five years before purchasing the tractor or combine harvester concerned (hereinafter ‘young farmers’) are to receive aid covering 25 % of the purchase costs.

The total maximum investment aid for a tractor per aid recipient and per application is LTL 10 000 (LTL 15 000 for a young farmer), and for a harvester — LTL 40 000 (LTL 50 000 for a young farmer).

The maximum amount of aid granted to cover part of the purchase costs of a tractor or combine harvester may not exceed 40 % of the eligible investments (or 50 % for young farmers). The total aid sought for the cost of the purchase of a tractor or a harvester may not be paid for the same eligible expenditure if cumulation of such aid would result in the maximum aid intensity referred to in Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 being exceeded. All investment aid received in respect of a tractor or combine harvester must be aggregated. This includes the State aid received under the above-mentioned rules and any other financial assistance received in respect of a new tractor or combine harvester indicated in the applicant's payment request.

The maximum intensity of the investment aid may not exceed the sum indicated in Article 4(9) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, i.e. EUR 400 000.

The amount of aid may be modified depending on the number of beneficiaries and the funding requirement

Date of implementation: The aid scheme will enter into force after the Commission has officially published this summary information

Duration of the aid scheme or the individual aid: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid:

— aid to SMEs,

— acquisition of machinery and equipment,

— to reduce production costs,

— to improve the competitiveness of the farms,

— to facilitate the acquisition of agricultural machinery by farmers.

Article 4(4)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 shall apply.

Eligible expenditure:

1. special rural support programme funds are to be used to cover part of the purchase costs of new tractors (hereinafter ‘tractors’) and new self-propelled or towed combine harvesters used in agricultural production (hereinafter ‘combine harvesters’), except sugar-beet harvesters, exclusive of VAT;

2. aid shall not be granted to applicants who bore the total or partial purchase costs for a tractor or combine harvester before the application was submitted to the intervention Agency. The portion of costs incurred after an application has been submitted up to the appropriate deadline as stipulated by point 7 shall not be reimbursed;

3. in accordance with Article 4(7) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, aid may not be granted for simple agricultural machinery replacement investments

Economic sector(s): Primary production of agricultural products

Name and address of the granting authority:

Lietuvos Respublikos žemės ūkio ministerija (ministère de l'Agriculture) Gedimino pr. 19 (Lelevelio g. 6) LT-01103 Vilnius

Website: http://www.zum.lt/lt/teisine-informacija/isakymai

Other information: —

Lietuvos Respublikos žemės ūkio ministerijos sekretorius

Kazys SIVICKIS

Aid No: XA 248/08

Member State: Belgium

Region: Vlaanderen

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Overheidstoelage voor de ophaling en verwerking van krengen van landbouwdieren

Legal basis: Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering van 15 december 2006, betreffende de ophaling en verwerking van dierlijk afval, artikel 3, § 2 en § 3

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The amount of the allowance depends on the actual cost per tonne and the total number of livestock farmers each year. The maximum amount of aid to be granted is EUR 10 000 000 per year

Maximum aid intensity: Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 allows a contribution of 100 % towards the costs of the removal and 75 % towards the costs of the processing of farm animals.

The Flemish Region provides aid of 50 % of the total cost of the removal and processing of farm animal carcases

Date of implementation: The aid scheme has been in force since 1 January 2008. It is of a compensatory nature, as referred to in the last paragraph of point 16 of the ‘Community guidelines for State aid in the agriculture and forestry sector 2007 to 2013’

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The aid scheme is to remain in force up to and including 30 June 2014

Objective of aid: To prevent the illegal dumping of farm animal carcases and thus avert the associated risks for human and animal health and the environment.

The aid scheme meets all the requirements of Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: The livestock sector (livestock farmers)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij (OVAM) Stationsstraat 110 B-2800 Mechelen

Website: http://www.ovam.be/jahia/Jahia/pid/l 510

Other information: —

Henny DE BAETS

Administrateur-generaal

Aid No: XA 260/08

Member State: France

Region: Centre

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Encouragements à la production de produits agricoles de qualité et assistance technique aux exploitations

Legal basis:

— Articles 14 and 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,

— Code général des collectivités territoriales (partie législative), articles L 1511-1 et L 1511-2,

— Communication du Président du Conseil régional du Centre sur la stratégie de développement de l'agriculture et de la forêt de la région Centre, présentée en séance plénière de juin 2006,

— Délibération de la commission permanente régionale no 07.08.55 du 12 octobre 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 2 200 000 per year up to 2012 and EUR 2 000 000 in 2013

Maximum aid intensity: In accordance with Articles 14 and 15 of the Regulation, the aid may cover up to 100 % of all or part of the specified eligible costs

Date of implementation: 2008, subject to publication of the registration number of the exemption request on the website of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Up to 31 December 2013, the date up to which the Exemption Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 applies

Objective of aid: As part of its policy on agreements on support for sectoral projects, the setting-up of businesses and employment in the agricultural sector, the promotion of regional products and regional development, the Centre region of France could potentially be asked to help to provide technical support for agricultural holdings. As a result, it would like to set up a framework for technical support dedicated to schemes implemented under these support agreements.

Only the measures stipulated in the agreements on support for sectoral projects, the regulation on new regional development agreements, the policy for supporting setting-up and employment, the agreement with agricultural vocational training partners and within the framework of supporting product promotion will be eligible.

The objectives of the aid scheme envisaged by the Centre region are: to improve and redeploy production and improve quality.

In accordance with Articles 14 and 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, the following expenditure may be subsidised:

non-recurrent diagnosis and advice geared to the following subjects: adjustment of holdings to market problems, the organisation of work, environmental management and energy, and handling the means of production once a holding has been taken over or set up,

replacement services for farmers who are less than 50 years old and have been in business for less than five years, to enable them to take part in training or to replace farmers during their holidays,

measures relating to the joint promotion of official quality labels and regional agricultural products or products from specific cultivation areas within the region, provided that the information material is not based on comparisons with other products and only emphasises the intrinsic qualities of the product. Such joint promotion measures consist of organising and/or participating in forums, exhibitions and trade fairs and producing publications (advertisements, point-of-sale promotion, websites, etc.) giving factual, unbiased information on products from the Centre region.

All this aid is to be granted in kind in the form of subsidised services. There will be no direct payments to the beneficiaries, in accordance with Articles 14 and 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 (the Exemption Regulation). It will also be ensured that all producers have access to the services proposed by the recipient organisation, without discrimination and on equal terms, and with no membership or affiliation obligation

Sector(s) concerned: All SME agricultural holdings in the Centre region

Name and address of the granting authority:

Conseil régional du Centre 9, rue St Pierre Lentin F-45041 Orléans cedex 1 Tel. (33) 238 70 30 30 Fax (33) 238 70 31 18

Website: http://www.regioncentre.fr/jahia/webdav/site/portail/shared/agriculture/docs/Region-Centre-Agriculture-Reglement-cadre-exploitations.pdf