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

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2003/C 272/05)

Date of adoption of the decision: 17.10.2003

Member State: Austria

Aid No: N 398/03

Title: Financial aid for the purchase of forage and forage replacement products to agricultural and forestry enterprises having sustained damage due to the exceptional weather conditions

Objective: In order to compensate for the drought-related damage to the forage production of livestock farms Austria proposes to grant the aid indicated below towards the following purchased forage or forage replacement:

- EUR 7 per 100 kg of hay

- EUR 3 per 100 kg silage balls

- EUR 12 per each grass/maize silage ball

- EUR 262 per each ha of corn on the cob (Mais am Stamm)

- EUR 1 per 100 kg maize silage

- EUR 2 per 100 kg of feeding straw

- EUR 6 per 100 kg of roughage replacement

- EUR 4 per 100 kg dry forage

- EUR 0,8 per 100 kg pressed forage

- EUR 0,8 per 100 kg corn gluten feed.

The forage purchased must be intended to replace a shortfall in the beneficiary's own forage production. Livestock farmers with no forage area and sellers of roughage or its substitutes will receive no aid under the draft directive. The aid is granted as a one-off measure and only upon presentation of the proof of purchase completed in the period between 1 May 2003 and 31 December 2003

Legal basis: Sonderrichtlinie des Bundesministers für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft (BMLFUW) zur Abfederung der Zusatzaufwendungen für Ersatzfuttermittel in von der Dürre 2003 besonders betroffenen Betrieben mit Futterflächen

Budget: Available resources at the time of the notification: EUR 6 million. Actual expenses are not yet foreseeable

Aid intensity or amount: The maximum amount of aid per holding is EUR 150 for each hactare of forage area.

Minimum payable aid amount is EUR 150 per holding and the aid may not exceed EUR 3000 per holding

Duration: One-off measure

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: 17.10.2003

Member State: France

Aid No: N 417/03

Title: Aid for an experiment programme in the tobacco sector

Objective: Development of high-quality raw material production to meet market demand

Budget: EUR 914000 per annum up to the end of 2006

Aid intensity or amount: A maximum of 100 %

Duration: Three years

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: 17.10.2003

Member State: Spain

Aid No: N 425/03

Title: Aid to repair the damage to strawberry production in Huelva, Cádiz and Seville caused by bad weather

Objective: To repair the damage to strawberry production in Huelva, Cadiz and Seville caused by bad weather

Legal basis: Proyecto de orden por la que se establecen ayudas para reprarar los daños causados por lluvias, temporales y otros fenómenos naturales relacionados con la climatología adversa acaecidos desde finales del mes de marzo hasta primeros del mes de mayo de 2003, en la producción de fresa y fresón de las provincias de Huelva, Cádiz y Sevilla

Budget: EUR 500000

Aid intensity or amount: Less than the loss incurred

Duration: The 2002/03 marketing year

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: 17.10.2003

Member State: Spain (Extremadura)

Aid No: N 686/02

Title: Aid for the use of biofuel for drying peppers

Objective: To promote the use of biofuel for drying peppers by means of aid to offset the additional costs involved in using firewood instead of the fuels used in industrial processes

Legal basis: Proyecto de Decreto por el que se establece una línea de ayudas para el fomento de la utilización de biocarburantes en el secado tradicional del pimiento para pimentón en la Comarca de la Vera

Budget: EUR 39000 for 2003

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 75 % of the cost of the wood

Duration: Unlimited

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