EN Official Journal of the European Union C 264/17

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

2009/C 264/07

Aid No: XA 258/08

Member State: Finland

Region: All of Finland excluding the Province of Åland

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Maatalouden investointitukijärjestelmä.

Legal basis: Maatalouden investointituet:

Laki maatalouden rakennetuista (1476/2007)

Tuki elinkeinosuunnitelman laatimiseen (maatalouden investointituen saamisen edellytyksenä on pääsääntöisesti elinkeinosuunnitelman laatiminen):

Maaseudun kehittämiseen myönnettävistä tuista annettu laki (1443/2006)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: An estimated EUR 18 000 000 of agricultural investment aid will be awarded annually in the form of grants.

An estimated EUR 105 000 000 of agricultural investment aid will be awarded annually in the form of interest-rate subsidies, of which the grant component will be an estimated EUR 3 000 000.

An estimated EUR 2 000 000 will be awarded annually in the form of aid for preparing a business plan.

The total budget for the aid scheme is some EUR 138 000 000.

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Agricultural investment aid may be granted in the form of a grant, an interest-rate subsidy for a loan or a combination of the two. The maximum aid intensity in agricultural investments is: (a) 60 % of the eligible costs in the case of young farmers; additional aid may be granted at a rate of up to 100 % to cover the extra costs incurred by using traditional materials necessary to preserve the heritage features of buildings; (b) 50 % of the eligible costs in the case of other farmers; additional aid may be granted at a rate of up to 100 % to cover the extra costs incurred by using traditional materials necessary to preserve the heritage features of buildings; (c) 75 % of the eligible costs where investments result in extra costs relating to the protection and improvement of the environment, the improvement of hygiene conditions of livestock enterprises or the welfare of farm animals; the increase may only be granted for investments which go beyond the minimum Community requirements in force, or for investments made to comply with newly introduced minimum standards, and the increase must be limited to the extra eligible costs necessary and must not apply in the case of investments which result in an increase in production capacity; (d) 100 % of the real costs of investments or capital works intended for the conservation of non-productive heritage features located on agricultural holdings, such as archaeological or historical features; aid may be granted up to 75 % of the real costs of investments or capital works intended for the conservation of heritage features of productive assets on farms, such as farm buildings, provided that the investment does not entail any increase in the production capacity of the farm; (e) 10 % of the eligible costs of investment in land purchases. The maximum amount of aid granted to an individual enterprise must not exceed EUR 400 000 over any period of three fiscal years, or EUR 500 000 if the enterprise is situated in a less favoured area or in an area referred to in Article 36(a)(i), (ii) or (iii) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, as designated by Member States in accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of that Regulation.

2. Aid for preparing a business plan. The maximum aid intensity is 100 % . This aid relates to fees for consultancy services and is granted in kind by means of subsidised services; it does not involve direct payments of money to producers. It constitutes technical support as referred to in Article 15(2)(c) of the Regulation. Aid may be awarded under the scheme until 31 December 2013. The latest date for payment of aid awarded under the scheme is 2017 in the case of grants and 2035 in the case of interest-rate subsidies.

Date of implementation: The earliest starting date for awarding aid under the scheme is 11 August 2008.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Decisions on awarding aid under the scheme may be made up until 31 December 2013.

Objective of aid: The primary aim of the aid scheme is to support agricultural enterprises as referred to in Article 1. The aim is to improve agricultural operating conditions and competitiveness by promoting the efficiency and quality of agricultural production in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

The aid scheme complies with the conditions and eligible costs laid down in Articles 4, 5 and 15 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Sector(s) concerned: The investment aid scheme applies to investment in primary agricultural production.

Aid is also provided in the form of consultancy services for drawing up a business plan.

Name and address of the granting authority: Each local Employment and Economic Development Centre (or ‘TE-keskus’, of which there are 15) grants aid under the agricultural investment scheme in the geographic area for which it is responsible.

Lapin TE-keskus

Ruokasenkatu 2

FI-96200 Rovaniemi

SUOMI/FINLAND

Pohjois-Pohjanmaan TE-keskus

Viestikatu 1

FI-90100 Oulu

SUOMI/FINLAND

Kainuun TE-keskus

Kalliokatu 4

FI-87100 Kajaani

SUOMI/FINLAND

Pohjanmaan TE-keskus

Hovioikeudenpuistikko 19 A

FI-65101 Vaasa

SUOMI/FINLAND

Etelä-Pohjanmaan TE-keskus

Huhtalantie 2

FI-60220 Seinäjoki

SUOMI/FINLAND

Keski-Suomen TE-keskus

Cygnaeuksenkatu 1

FI-40101 Jyväskylä

SUOMI/FINLAND

Pohjois-Savon TE-keskus

Käsityökatu 41

FI-70100 Kuopio

SUOMI/FINLAND

Pohjois-Karjalan TE-keskus

Kauppakatu 40 B

FI-80100 Joensuu

SUOMI/FINLAND

Etelä-Savon TE-keskus

Mikonkatu 3 ja 5

FI-50100 Mikkeli

SUOMI/FINLAND

Hämeen TE-keskus

Rauhankatu 10

FI-15110 Lahti

SUOMI/FINLAND

Pirkanmaan TE-keskus

Kauppakatu 4

FI-33100 Tampere

SUOMI/FINLAND

Satakunnan TE-keskus

PL 266

FI-28100 Pori

SUOMI/FINLAND

Varsinais-Suomen TE-keskus

Ratapihankatu 36

FI-20100 Turku

SUOMI/FINLAND

Kaakkois-Suomen TE-keskus

Salpausselänkatu 22

PL 1041

FI-45100 Kouvola

SUOMI/FINLAND

Uudenmaan TE-keskus

Maistraatinportti 2

FI-00240 Helsinki

SUOMI/FINLAND

Website: The principles and conditions of the aid scheme can be found at:

http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2007/20071476 and http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2008/20080299

Other information: The aid scheme applies to agricultural investment aid that falls outside the scope of the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland 2007-2013 and the National Aid Scheme for Southern Finland (relating to Article 141). These two aid schemes were the subject of earlier Commission Decisions (C(2007) 3779 and C(2008) 696).