Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises

(2002/C 311/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 105/01

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous community of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Scheme of incentives for permanent recruitment based on corporate plans for increasing job security

Legal basis: Orden de la Consellería de Familia y Promoción de Empleo, Mujer y Juventud de 3 de octubre de 2001 (DOG núm.: 209; 29.10.2001)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 4507591

Maximum aid intensity: The incentives, or aid, vary in amount according to the rate of security that is achieved. The aid intensity in respect of wage costs over a two-year period, based on the gross average wage in Galicia in 2000, will be 12,69 % for the minimum level of assistance (ESP 800000, or EUR 4808,09), 14,27 % for medium-ranking assistance (ESP 900000), or EUR 5409,10), and 15,86 % for the maximum amount (ESP 1000000, or EUR 6010,12).

In the case of part-time recruitment, the aid ceilings will be reduced pro rata.

With this aid intensity, in no case is the ceiling exceeded: 55 % of wage costs over a two-year period

Date of implementation: Aid may be granted under the scheme once the implementing rules have been published (29 October 2001)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: To promote the employment of unemployed persons actively seeking work who are registered with the public employment service and of workers on non-permanent or fixed-period contracts.

To promote net job creation so as to ensure the permanence of the posts.

To stimulate change in the composition of the companies workforces, leading to greater security and stability of employment, so as to reduce the volume of temporary contracts and avoid the high turnover of workers in Galicia (the short-term working rate in the private sector in 2000 was 38,3 %).

So that the number of net jobs created through an investment project can be determined, the average is taken for the reference period of the twelve months immediately prior to the project's implementation. The new jobs thus created will be eligible for the proposed aid only if they are filled by workers on stable long-term, initial or upgraded temporary contracts. In this way, if the jobs created by the investment are initially covered by limited-duration contracts, they will become eligible for aid, if appropriate, when they become stabilised, i.e. when they have a structural and not simply a cyclical character

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, but the aid scheme is subject to the exceptions, limits and conditions laid down in the horizontal and sectoral Community rules applicable in each case

Name and address of the granting authority: Xunta de Galicia Consellería de Familia y Promoción de Empleo, Mujer y Juventud Director General de Fomento del Empleo

Justo de Benito Basanta

Edif. Admvo. San Caetano E - 15771 Santiago de Compostela

Other information: The aid takes the form of a one-off, non-repayable grant, linked to initial long-term contracts - for unemployed persons - or to the upgrading of temporary contracts into long-term ones. Contracts will be based on corporate plans to increase the job security of the workforce in a particular company. Plans must result in (a) a substantial increase in the security rate, so that it shall never be less than 35 %, of at least 3 percentage points above the average for the year prior to the plan's implementation, and (b) a net increase in employment

Aid No: XS 107/01

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous region of Galicia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Schemes to promote job creation and employment security (groups - reorganisation of the working day)

Legal basis: Orden de la Consellería de Familia y Promoción de Empleo, Mujer y Juventud de 3 de octubre de 2001 (DOG núm.: 209; 29.10.2001)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 2163644

Maximum aid intensity: The incentives or aid granted may vary according to the group or sub-group of workers concerned (under-30s, long-term unemployed, women etc.) or other factors such as jobs created through the reorganisation of the working day or by sole proprietors working alone. Aid intensity varies between a minimum of 4,76 % (ESP 300000 or EUR 1803,04) and a maximum of 17,45 % (ESP 1100000 or EUR 6611,13) of the wage costs for two years of gross average earnings in Galicia in 2000.

In the case of part-time employment, the aid limits will be reduced in proportion to the number of hours worked.

The maximum aid limit of 55 % of wage costs for a two-year period may not be exceeded

Date of implementation: Aid may be granted under the present scheme following publication of the implementing rules (29 October 2001)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: To promote the recruitment of groups of workers with greater difficulties accessing the labour market because they have not worked previously, are unemployed or facing unemployment when their contracts expire.

To promote the net creation of jobs whereby such new jobs as are created are secure.

The reference period used to calculate the total number of new jobs resulting from an investment project is taken as the average of the preceding 12 months. In order to qualify for aid under the present scheme, workers performing the new jobs must be emplyed on a secure basis via open-ended contracts, whether new recruits or existing employees whose jobs have been made permanent. In this respect, where the new jobs resulting from the investment initially take the form of fixed-term contracts, these will only be eligible for aid when they become more secure, i.e. reflect structural rather than ad-hoc needs

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, although the present aid scheme is subject to the exclusions, limits and conditions laid down in the horizontal and sectroal Community rules applied in each case

Name and address of the granting authority: Xunta de Galicia Consellería de Familia y Promoción de Empleo, Mujer y Juventud Director General de Fomento del Empleo

Justo de Benito Basanta

Edif. Admvo. San Caetano E - 15771 Santiago de Compostela

Other information: A single allocation of aid is made in the form of a non-refundable grant for recruiting workers with greater difficulties accessing the labour market. The aid may also be used for upgrading work/training contracts to open-ended contracts and making permanent the jobs of older workers and those entitled to return to the same job

Aid No: XS 27/01

Member State: Italy

Region: All

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Law No 598/94 - Competitive technology for SMEs

Legal basis: - Legge 27.10.1994, n. 598, articolo 11

- Decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 123

- Legge 23 dicembre 1999, n. 488, articolo 54, comma 3

- Legge 57/2001 del 5 marzo 2001, articolo 15, comma 1

- Decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 112, articolo 19

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Estimated public expenditure (in ITL billion)

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Maximum aid intensity: Commissioning by SMEs of advisory services, at a cost of not less than ITL 200 million, from universities (including university-industry training partnerships), science and technology parks, external public and private sector research centres, certified by the Region or the national registers, with a tleast one of the following objectives:

- participation in national and Community research programmes, partly to identify one or several partners in other Member States of the European Union,

- studies on the state of the art as regards specific technological problems,

- identification of technical support requirements (company check-up),

- transfer of technology, knowledge and scientific innovations for the production of new products,

- study of methodologies for production processes,

- application of research results already obtained,

- training of technical staff to use the new technologies.

The services must not be continuous or regular or be connected with the normal running of the firm.

No aid will be granted for amounts relating to VAT and any ancillary tax or financial charges.

The measures provide for interest subsidies, granted in arrears every six months and calculated by applying the effective deferred half-yearly contribution rate to the capital of the subsidised loan.

The amount of the interest subsidy is 100 % of the reference rate in force on the date of the loan agreement and is calculated on the amount eligible for aid.

In addition, aid is granted in the form of a capital contribution within the limits provided for in the Community framework on state aid for SMEs and in any event not more than 30 % of the cost of the project.

The loan, which may not exceed ITL 1,5 billion and in any event 70 % of the consultancy costs, is for a maximum of 10 years, including a grace period of not more than three years.

Only expenditure incurred since the date on which the aid application was submitted is eligible.

The aid is granted after an examination to check the relevance and eligibility of the costs and the prospects of industrial failure by the parties concerned.

A further precondition for the aid grant is that the investment must be financed by a bank which has checked the firm's creditworthiness and development prospects.

The aid intensity may not exceed the permissible maximum intensities.

The table below shows intensities in terms of gross grant equivalent for transactions carried out using a reference rate of 6 %.

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Date of implementation: 1 May 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: June 2007

Objective of aid: To assist the development and dissemination of technologies in SMEs by financing services (which receive no other state aid) needed to produce at local level the real technological requirements of SMEs and to foster cooperation between SMEs and centres of competence/excellence (e.g. universities, science and technology parks)

Economic sector(s) concerned: All, except for the following activities:

- fisheries,

- farming (specifically production, processing and marketing of products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty),

- coal and steel industry,

- shipbuilding,

- synthetic fibres,

- motor vehicle industry,

- transport

Name and address of the granting authority: The scheme is administered by: Mediocredito Centrale SpA - Servizio Ricerca e Innovazione Via Piemonte, 51 I - Roma

Aid No: XS 49/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Molise

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: New entrepreneurs and self-employment

Legal basis: L.R. dell'8.5.1995, n. 24 - Titolo II

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 12911422 (EUR 2582284 a year for five years)

Maximum aid intensity: 20 % net grant equivalent + 10 % gross grant equivalent

Date of implementation: 30 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: Aid to investment/Consultancy

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, in accordance with Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Molise Via XXIV Maggio, 130 I - 86100 Campobasso Tel. (39) 08 74 42 96 10 molisegiunta@regione.molise.it

Aid No: XS 60/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Aid for planned investment for integrated corporate plans

Legal basis: Delibera Consiglio regionale n. 283 del 28 dicembre 2000 "Piano regionale dello sviluppo economico 2001-2005", ai sensi della L.R. 20 marzo 2000, n. 35 "Disciplina degli interventi regionali in materia di attività produttive" - Misura 1.1 - Decisione Giunta regional n. 13 dell'11 luglio 2001 "Reg. 1260/99 - Docup Ob. 2 anni 2000-2006 - Direttive per l'attuazione dei regimi di aiuto"

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 10000000

Maximum aid intensity: An interest rate subsidy equal to 60 % of the reference rate on bank funding for an amount equivalent to 40 % of the total investment can be granted towards the investment for small enterprises, and equal to 40 % for medium-sized enterprises. For the remaining 35 %, a capital injection can be granted, calculated as follows:

1. investments in technological innovation: 7,5 % gge for medium-sized enterprises and 15 % gge for small enterprises;

2. consultancy and other services for organisational and commercial innovation: 50 % gge;

3. consultancy and other services for industrial R & D and precompetitive research: 35 % gge;

4. consultancy services for environmental protection - EMAS II and ISO 14001 certification: 30 % gge;

5. consultancy services for safety at the workplace: 30 % gge.

The intensity of the aid to each firm may not exceed 15 % gross grant equivalent for small firms and 7,5 % gge of total investment costs for medium-sized firms.

If the regions concernd by the programme are eligible for exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty, the aid may be increased within the limits provided for in the Commission decision.

Aid granted may not be combined with aid under other schemes for the same investment costs.

Date of implementation: July 2001, date on which the Commission received the notification

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2001 to 2006

Objective of aid: The scheme is intended to support firms located in the eligible regions by funding "integrated corporate plans" for tangible and intangible investments as well as services and consultancy services in connection with:

1. technological innovation;

2. organisation and commercial innovation;

3. industrial and pre-competitive R & D;

4. environmental protection;

5. safety in the workplace

Economic sector(s) concerned: ISTAT Codes 1991:

- Section C - Mining,

- Section D - Manufacturing,

- Section F - Construction,

- Section K - Realty, rentals, information technology, research, other professional activites (Divisions 72 and 74 only).

The following sectors are excluded from the concessions: transport, iron and steel, shipbuilding, the manufacture of synthetic fibres, the automobile industry, coal and the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Toscana Via di Novoli, 26 I - 50127 Firenze

Aid No: XS 65/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: SPD 2000-2006 for the Piedmont region, Measure 4.1 - Social inclusion operations, Line 4.1.b - Refundable aid for supporting economic activities

Legal basis: Atto deliberativo della giunta reginonale n. 12-3626 del 31 luglio 2001 "Reg. 1260 Ob. 2. DOCUP Regione Piedmont, periodo di programmazione 2000/2006". Approvazione progetti di aiuto in esenzione ai sensi del reg. (CE) n. 70/2001 - Allegato 5 - 4.1.b Regime di aiuto rimborsabile per il sostegno di attività economiche

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The amounts relate to the aid scheme "Line 4.1.b - Refundable aid for supporting economic activities (Regulation (EC) No 70/2001)"

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Maximum aid intensity: Loans from the fund may not exceed 50 % of the investment, with a maximum of EUR 500000, and will be granted interest-free. They will be combined with loans for the same amount granted at normal market rates by credit institutions under contract. The loan is to be reimbursed in 48 equal monthly instalments, possibly preceded by a 12-month grace period.

For firms in the hotel sector the maximum loan from the fund is EUR 1 million.

The aid may not exceed 7,5 % gge for medium-sized firms and 15 % gge for small firms.

The top-ups for Article 87(3)(c) areas are not applied

Date of implementation: 10 December 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: Aid for investment

Under the single programming document (SPD) 2000-2006 for the Piedmont region (Priority 4 - Social cohesion, Measure 4.1 - Social inclusion operations, Line 4.1.b - Refundable aid for supporting economic activities), the scheme in question will contribute to the strategic objective of the measure, which is aimed at urban renewal to prevent the emergence of conditions leading to exclusion, the provision of structures for the reception and training of disadvantaged persons, and support for the development of economic activities.

In particular, Line 4.1.b provides for a scheme of refundable aid for supporting investments in productive activities (SMEs, craft enterprises, retail businesses, tourism, cooperatives, service activities, personal care)

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Piemonte - Assessorato Industria, Lavoro, New Economy, Formazione Professionale, Politiche Comunitarie, Affari Internazionali, Commercio interno ed estero Via Pisano, 6 I - Torino Contact person: Dott. Vito Valsania, Via Pisano, 6, I - Torino - tel. (39) 011 43 23 195 - fax (39) 011 43 23 483 - e-mail: direzione16@regione.piemonte.it

Other information: The SPD identifies the Piedmont region as the implementing body with responsability for carrying out the measure via a managing body to be selected in accordance with the Community rules on public service contracts.

The scheme will apply to small and medium-sized firms in the industrial, construction, crafts, retail, tourism and service sectors, as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to state aid to small and medium-sized enterprises (OJ No L 10, 13.1.2001) located in an Objective 2 area, a phasing-out area and/or an Article 87(3)(c) area, with specific features such as the activities that must be located or planned in run-down or socioeconomically vulnerable districts, derelict historical centres, municipalities belonging to mountain communities or disadvantaged upland municipalities.

The run-down or socioeconomically vulnerable urban district and derelict historical centres must be covered by an urban renewal project steered by the local authorities so as to ensure effective, overall regeneration thanks to synergy between a large number of public and private operations.

The aid will be granted without prejudice to regulations, directives and guidelines under the EC Treaty governing the granting of state aid in specific sectors within the meaning of Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001. If applications for aid are received from firms in the sectors governed by specific Community rules on State aid, the implementing body will examine them in the light of the rules applicable and will comply with their requirements.

Aid from the ERDF will not be granted to firms producing, processing or marketing agricultural products (Annex I to the Treaty)

Aid No: XS 76/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Aid for the overall demand for services

Legal basis: Delibera Consiglio regionale n. 283 del 28 dicembre 2000 "Piano regionale dello sviluppo economico 2001-2005", ai sensi della L.R. 20 marzo 2000, n. 35 "Disciplina degli interventi regionali in materia di attività produttive" - Misure 1.6.5 e 1.6.6 - Decisione Giunta regionale n. 13 dell'11 luglio 2001 "Reg. 1260/99 - Docup Ob. 2 anni 2000-2006 - Direttive per l'attuazione dei regimi di aiuto"

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 1500000

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the costs incurred in purchasing the services of external consultants

Date of implementation: July 2001, date on which the Commission received the notification

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2001 to 2006

Objective of aid: External consultancy services which are not continuous or periodic or related to the enterprise's usual operating expenditure.

In the case of participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, the amount of aid is measured against the additional costs incurred in renting, setting up and running a stand. Aid may also be granted for participation in years following the first notified year of participation.

Aid granted may not be combined with aid under other schemes for the same investment costs

Economic sector(s) concerned: Firms and consortia in the following sectors (ISTAT Codes 1991):

- Section C - Mining,

- Section D - Manufacturing,

- Section F - Construction,

- The ISTAT codes for tourism in application of Law No 488/92 in Tuscany pursuant to Regional Executive Decision (GR) No 349 of 2 April 2001 (Annex A).

The following sectors are excluded from the concessions: transport, iron and steel, shipbuilding, the manufacture of synthetic fibres, the automobile industry, coal and the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Toscana Via di Novoli, 26 I - 50127 Firenze

Aid No: XS 90/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Emilia Romagna (Province of Bologna) - Bologna Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Interest subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the road transport sector

Legal basis: Regolamento per la concessione di contributi in conto abbattimento interessi per PMI operanti nel settore dell'autotrasporto a fronte di investimenti in beni materiali e immateriali approvato dal Consiglio della Camera di commercio di Bologna con provvedimento n. 19 del 23 luglio 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 130000 (ITL 251715100)

Maximum aid intensity: A 4 % interest rate reduction (4,5 % for enterprises covered by Italian Law No 215/92), with a maximum of 7,5 % (gross grant equivalent) of eligible costs incurred by medium-sized enterprises and 15 % (gross grant equivalent) of eligible costs incurred by small enterprises

Date of implementation: 1 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December 2005

Objective of aid: To sustain growth and innovation in the road transport sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Transport

Name and address of the granting authority: Camera di commercio, industria, artigianato e agricoltura di Bologna Piazza della Mercanzia, 4 I - 40125 Bologna

Other information: Costs relating to the acquisition of means of transport and transport equipment are not eligible for assistance under the scheme