Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2003/C 154/05)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Date of adoption of the decision: 28.3.2003

Member State: Sweden

Aid No: N 408/02

Title: Climate Change Programme

Objective: To support local measures which reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and to increase public awareness of climate change issues

Legal basis: Förordning om statliga bidrag till klimatinvesteringsprogram

Budget: 2002: SEK 200 million (about EUR 22 million)

2003: SEK 300 million (about EUR 33 million)

2004: SEK 400 million (about EUR 44 million)

Aid intensity or amount: 30 % of eligible costs

Duration: Five years

Other information: Annual report

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 5.3.2003

Member State: United Kingdom

Aid No: N 539/02

Title: Climate Change Levy Exemption for Good Quality Combined Heat and Power (CHP) electricity exports

Objective: A horizontal measure designed to encourage greater use of a low carbon technology, CHP

Legal basis: Basic legislation for the Climate Change Levy is contained in Schedule 6 to the Finance Act 2000, which provides for the exemption from the Climate Change Levy of electricity outputs from Good Quality CHP that are sold direct from the generators to end users

Section 123 of the Finance Act 2002 provides the mechanism to exempt from the climate change levy, supplies of electricity generated from Good Quality CHP sold by licensed electricity utilities to end users

Budget: Up to GBP 15 million in 2003, depending on circumstances rising to up to GBP 25 million in 2010

Aid intensity or amount: 0,43 p/kWh

Duration: 10 years

Other information: Annual report

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 4.4.2003

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 578/02

Title: Scheme of the Land of Saxony-Anhalt for the granting of equity capital for the restructuring of SMEs in difficulty

Objective: To contribute to restructuring of SMEs in difficulty

Legal basis: Verwaltungsvorschriften zu § 44 der Haushaltsordnung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt in Verbindung mit dem Gesetz über das Sondervermögen "Förderfonds Sachsen-Anhalt" vom 17.12.1996

Budget: EUR 15 million each year

Duration: Limited until 31 December 2006

Other information: Germany has to submit an annual report on the implementation of the scheme

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 13.5.2003

Member State: Germany (Thüringen)

Aid No: N 668/02

Title: Aid in favour of Adolf Jass Schwarza GmbH

Objective: Realisation of a large investment project under the Multisectoral Framework on regional aid for the construction of a production plant for light-weight corrugated base paper

Legal basis: - 30. Rahmenplan der Gemeinschaftsaufgabe "Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur"

- Investitionszulagengesetz 1999

Budget: EUR 200 million

Aid intensity or amount: EUR 70 million, amounting to an aid intensity of 35 %

Duration: December 2001-December 2004

Other information: Commitment by Germany to comply with the obligations regarding ex-post monitoring according to point 6 of the Multisectoral Framework on regional aid for large investment projects

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 28.3.2003

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 695/02

Title: R& D programme "Biotechnology Baden-Württemberg"

Objective: Aid to promote research and development projects realised by SMEs in the area of biotechnology

Legal basis: Allgemeine Zuwendungsbestimmungen für das Förderprogramm Biotechnologie des Landes Baden-Württemberg - indirekt spezifische Förderung von Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben der Biotechnologie in der Wirtschaft, August 2002

Budget: EUR 12,75 million

Aid intensity or amount: 40 % of the eligible costs in the area of fundamental and industrial research; up to 40 % in the framework of pre-competitive development

Duration: 1 December 2007

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 13.3.2003

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 741/02

Title: aviation research programme 2003-2007 (Luftfahrtforschung 2003-2007)

Objective: to encourage R & D within the civil aviation sector; strengthen the technical competence and improve collaboration of the German aviation industry and research institutes; strengthen competitiveness

Legal basis: Jährliches Haushaltsgesetz des Bundes (Einzelplan 09, Kapitel 0902, Titel 68394) und die entsprechenden Haushaltsgesetze der Länder

Budget: EUR 80 million per year

Aid intensity or amount: for fundamental research: maximum 100 %; for industrial research: maximum 50 %; for pre-competitive development: maximum 25%; for study costs preparatory to industrial research: maximum 75 %, for studies preparatory to pre-competitive development activities: maximum 50 %

the aid intensity can be increased by maximum:

- 10 percentage points, as the aid is to be given to SME's;

- 10 percentage points, as the aid is to be given to enterprises in 87(3)(a) assisted Areas;

- 5 percentage points, as the aid is to be given to enterprises in 87(3)(c) assisted Areas;

- 10 percentage points where a research project is not in accordance with a specific project or programme undertaken as part of the Community's framework programme for R & D but has specific cooperation elements or spread of results

Altogether, including top-ups, not exceeding 75 % for industrial research and 50 % for pre-competitive development

Duration: Five years from 2003 to 2007

Other information: Background: N 381/95 and NN 99/92

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 13.3.2003

Member State: United Kingdom (England)

Aid No: N 760/02

Title: Grant for R & D within an individual business

Objective: to encourage SME's to undertake industrially relevant, innovative research and technological development

Legal basis: Section 5 of Science and Technology Act 1965

Budget: GBP 150 million (approximately EUR 238 million) until 2005/06: GBP 50 million (approximately EUR 80 million) per year

Aid intensity or amount: for fundamental research: maximum 75 %; for industrial research: maximum 50 %; for pre-competitive development: maximum 25 %; for technical feasibility studies: maximum 75 %; for studies preparatory to precompetitive development activities: maximum 50 %

the aid intensity is increased by:

- 10 percentage points, as the aid is to be given to SME's;

- 10 percentage points, as the aid is to be given to enterprises in assisted Areas 87(3)(a);

- 5 percentage points, as the aid is to be given to enterprises in assisted Areas 87(3)(c);

- 15 percentage points where a research project is in accordance with a specific project or programme undertaken as part of the Community's framework programme for R & D.

Altogether, including top-ups, not exceeding 75 % for industrial research and 50 % for pre-competitive development

Duration: 1 April 2003-31 March 2013

Other information: Background: N 280/99 and N 129/77

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 11.2.2003

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 768/02 (ex NN 152/02)

Title: Prolongation/modification of the rescuing and restructuring scheme for SMEs of the Land of Saxony

Objective: Rescuing and restructuring of SMEs in difficulty

Legal basis: §§ 23 und 44 der Haushaltsordnung des Freistaates Sachsen, Richtlinie des Sächsischen Staatsministeriums für Wirtschaft und Arbeit über die Gewährung von Zuwendungen zur Rettung und Umstrukturierung von kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen im Freistaat Sachsen

Budget: EUR 2 million per annum

Duration: Five years as from date of approval

Other information: Germany submits an annual report on the implementation of the scheme

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confidential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids