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 115/03)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XT/06/01

Member State: Denmark

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: National initiative to promote tourism in the form of central government basic financing for regional tourism development corporations

Legal basis: Finansloven 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total central government funding for the basic financing of regional tourism development corporations is intended to be DKK 30 million a year over a five-year period running from 2001 to 2005. The money is to be appropriated in the Finance Act each year

Maximum aid intensity: The Ministry of Industry and Commerce will pay out aid to development corporations on the understanding that a major proportion of their business constitutes a public function, and will require that the remainder be used only for activities eligible under Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 on State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises and Commission Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 on training aid

Where aid is paid towards specific training, the intensity will not normally exceed 25 % in the case of large enterprises and 35 % in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises

Where the aid is paid towards general training, the intensity will not normally exceed 50 % in the case of large enterprises and 70 % in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises

Date of implementation: Aid may be granted from 20 February 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme is to run until 31 December 2005

Objective of aid: The regional development corporations are at present the regional players in the overall public effort to promote tourism. They are required to develop and implement strategies for the development of tourism in the regions, in cooperation with private tourist firms in the industry and public countryside and cultural bodies

The purpose of this initiative is primarily to preserve the corporations as regional players partly financed by the State, through which private firms involved in the tourist industry and public cultural and countryside bodies can develop a joint strategy and undertake joint development initiatives for the benefit of the region as a whole

The specific objective eligible under Regulation (EC) No 68/2001 is the procurement of employee training from outside the corporation and the development of skills for the benefit of the regions and of firms in the tourist business, covering such subjects as how the region can meet the requirements of new groups of tourists in future

Economic sector(s) concerned: The initiative is aimed at broad support for the tourist trade, with assistance being available in principle to any firm, association, organisation or countryside or cultural institution involved in tourism to a greater or lesser extent

The direct recipients of aid will be the regional tourism development corporations, under NACE division 91, activities of membership organisations

The scope of the initiative is broad, and aid will be available for activities that indirectly allow the promotion of tourism in the following NACE groups:

55.1 Hotels

55.2 Camping sites

55.3 Restaurants

63.3 Travel agencies and tour operators

70.3 Activities relating to the rental of real estate

71.1 Car hire

74.8 Miscellaneous business activities

Division 91 Activities of membership organisations

92.3 Other entertainment activities

92.5 Library, archives, museums and other cultural activities

Name and address of the granting authority: Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Erhvervsministeriet) Slotsholmsgade 10-12 DK - 1216 Copenhagen K

and

Danish Tourist Board (Danmarks Turistråd) Styrelsesafdelingen Vesterbrogade 6D DK - 1620 Copenhagen V.