EN Official Journal of the European Union C 198/14

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 EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2007/C 198/04)

XA number: XA 103/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Cantabria

Title of aid scheme: Ayudas a las explotaciones de gallinas ponedoras.

Legal basis: Orden GAN/24/2007, de 18 de abril, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras de las ayudas a las explotaciones de gallinas ponedoras de la Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria, y se convocan para el año 2007.

BOC no 83, de 30 abril de 2007.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 180 000

Maximum aid intensity:

— 100 % of EUR 100 000 for the aid headings referred to in Article 3(1) and (3) (acquisition of replacement hens for positive holdings/loss of production through depopulation of poultry installations). The amount of aid will be set on the basis of the number and age of the birds slaughtered.

— 100 % of EUR 80 000 for the aid heading referred to in Article 3(2) (infrastructure works or provision of equipment and means intended to improve biosafety). Each recipient will be paid up to 75 % of the cost of the investment made.

Date of implementation: May 2007

Duration of scheme: 2007-2013

Objective of aid: Improvement of installations and of animal biosafety on poultry farms on which laying hens are kept.

Articles of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

Article 4 (Investment in agricultural holdings),

Article 10 (Aid in respect of animal and plant diseases and pest infestations),

Article 16 (Support for the livestock sector).

Eligible costs covered by the scheme: Article 3 of the aforementioned Order GAN/24/2007 specifies the three aid headings (eligible items):

Sector(s) concerned: Egg-producing poultry sector (poultry farms on which laying hens are kept).

Name and address of the granting authority:

Consejería de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca del Gobierno de Cantabria, Edificio Europa E-39011 Santander (Cantabria)

Internet address: www.gobcantabria.es

Other information: —

Santander, 2 May 2007.

Head of the Animal Health and

Welfare Service

Francisco Manuel FERNANDEZ MARTINEZ

XA number: XA 104/07

Member State: France

Region: Département de la Vendée

Title of aid scheme: Aides aux investissements à finalité environnementale sur les exploitations agricoles

Legal basis:

— Article 4.3.d) du règlement (CE) no 1857/2006

— Articles L 1511-2 et L 1511-5 du code général des collectivités territoriales

— Convention cadre en cours entre le département et la région Pays-de-Loire.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 200 000

Maximum aid intensity: 30 % of investment, subject to a maximum aid limit of EUR 100 000 per project.

Date of implementation: As soon as confirmation of receipt is received from the Commission.

Duration of scheme: Five years from confirmation of receipt by the Commission.

Objective of aid: To help agricultural holdings to purchase equipment to replace fossil energy by renewable energy (methanisation, fuel wood, geothermal energy, solar energy, etc.).

A precondition is that the recipients must be economically viable.

The amount of support provided will firstly be determined, according to the operation, on the basis of the estimated cost stated when the application is submitted. The actual aid will be determined on submission of receipted invoices. Department staff will have the possibility of carrying out documentary and on-the-spot checks.

If the actual purchase cost is less than the estimated cost stated when the file was submitted to the standing committee, the aid will be reduced in proportion to the expenditure actually incurred. If the opposite is the case, the support will not be increased.

The support recipient must undertake to use the department's support, from the date of notification of the decree, for the specific purpose for which it was granted and to submit annually, for three years, a technical report on the operation of the equipment supported.

The decision granting support must precede the start of the operation, otherwise the application for support will be inadmissible.

The department's support will be cancelled in full by the standing committee if there is no response to notice being served, and immediate repayment may be required if the recipient does not furnish the supporting documents requested. The department may also ask for the support to be repaid if it has not been spent in accordance with the granting criteria. Any granting decision will become void if the equipment is not purchased within two years following notification of the decree. The support will therefore be cancelled automatically.

However, a validity extension of one year at the most may — by way of exception and subject to the agreement of the regional council's standing committee — be granted for purchasing the equipment, provided that the recipient is not responsible for the delay and that the application for extension is submitted, with supporting documents, two months before the expiry date of the support's initial period of validity.

Sector(s) concerned: All mixed agricultural holdings which satisfy the Community definition of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Conseil général de la Vendée Direction de l'environnement et de l'aménagement 40, rue Maréchal Foch F-85923 La Roche-sur-Yon Cedex 9

Internet address: www.vendee.fr (the department's general website)

The description will be put online subject to the Commission registering this exemption sheet.

XA Number: XA 105/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Young Farmers' Installation Scheme (This Scheme forms part of the Education and Training Measure of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme of Ireland).

Legal basis: Article 22 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 5 million.

EUR 0,7 million per annum over the period 2007-2013.

Maximum aid intensity: EUR 15 000 per applicant.

Date of implementation: Not before ten working days after notification; the Scheme will be applied to all eligible applicants set up for the first time in farming on or after 1 January 2007.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Scheme will be applicable to all eligible applicants set up on or before 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid:

(i) to achieve the transfer of land to young trained farmers who are better able to overcome the new challenges facing Irish agriculture (Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 1857/2006);

(ii) to offset set-up costs faced by young people when establishing themselves in farming (Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 1857/2006);

(iii) to encourage the completion of investments on such holdings (Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 1857/2006).

Sector(s) concerned: All agriculture sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Minister for Agriculture and Food Agriculture House Kildare Street Dublin 2 Ireland

Web address: www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=schemes/OFI/installation%20_aid.xml

(Application details in respect of Young Farmer's Installation Aid Scheme will be available on the website in the Installation Aid Scheme Section of the Agriculture and Food Development Heading when Ireland's Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 has been approved by the Commission.)

XA Number: XA 106/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Early Retirement Schemes

Legal basis: Council Regulation (EEC) No 2079/92, Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 and Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Payments being made to participants in the Early Retirement Schemes — Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming (ERS1) open to applicants for the period 1994-1999. Early Retirement (ERS2) 2000 Scheme open to applicants for the period 2000-2006 and Early Retirement Scheme (ERS3) 2007-2013. Annual expenditure is as set out below:

Maximum aid intensity: Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming (ERS1) — EUR 14 075 p.a. Early Retirement (ERS2) 2000 and Early Retirement (ERS3) Schemes — EUR 15 000 p.a.

Date of implementation: Not before ten working days after notification.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: An annual pension is paid to eligible applicants for a maximum period of 10 years.

Objective of aid: In accordance with Article 8 of with Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 the objectives of the Early Retirement Schemes are to encourage the transfer of holdings from older farmers to younger trained farmers.

Sector(s) concerned: Retiring farmers must be over the age of 55.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Minister for Agriculture and Food Agriculture House Kildare Street Dublin 2 Ireland

Web address: www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=forms/Early_Retirement_Scheme/early_retirement.xml

(Application details in respect of ERS3 will be available on the website in the Early Retirement Scheme Section of the Agriculture and Food Development Heading when Ireland's Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 has been approved by the Commission. Application details in respect of ERS1 and ERS2 Schemes no longer available as these are now closed to new applications.)

XA Number: XA 107/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Installation Aid Scheme

Legal basis: Article 22 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 3 million.

2007: EUR 1 million, 2008: EUR 1 million, 2009: EUR 1 million.

Maximum aid intensity: Increase from EUR 9 523 to EUR 15 000 for farmers set up on or after 1 May 2006 who complete the business plan requirements provided for in Article 22(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

Date of implementation: Not before ten working days after notification; the Scheme will be applied to all eligible applicants set up for the first time in farming on or after 1 May 2006.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Ends December 2009

Objective of aid:

(i) to achieve the transfer of land to young trained farmers who are better able to overcome the new challenges facing Irish agriculture;

(ii) to offset set-up costs faced by young people when establishing themselves in farming;

(iii) to encourage the completion of investments on such holdings;

(iv) to encourage the completion of business plans.

The Scheme is in accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Sector(s) concerned: All agriculture sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Department of Agriculture and Food Agriculture House Kildare Street Dublin 2 Ireland

Web address: www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=schemes/OFI/installation%20_aid.xml

(Application details in respect of Installation Aid Scheme will be available on the website in the Installation Aid Scheme Section of the Agriculture and Food Development Heading when the Scheme has been launched.)