EN Official Journal of the European Union C 157/3

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

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2006/C 157/03)

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Italy (Veneto)

Aid No: N 87/2006

Title: Assistance in farming areas affected by natural disasters (violent winds and whirlwind of 14 August 2005 in the province of Padua)

Objective: To compensate for damage to farms as a result of bad weather (violent winds and whirlwind of 14 August 2005 in the province of Padua)

Legal basis: Decreto legislativo 102/2004: ‘Nuova disciplina del Fondo di solidarietà nazionale’

Budget: To be financed from the budget approved under Aid No NN 54/A/04

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 %

Duration: Measure applying an aid scheme approved by the Commission

Other details: Measure applying the scheme approved by the Commission under State aid NN 54/A/2004 (Commission letter C(2005)1622 final, dated 7 June 2005)

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Finland

Aid No: N 135/2006

Title: Aid to agricultural enterprises affected by adverse weather conditions in 2005

Objective: By letter SG(2002)D/229055 of 26 March 2002 (aid case N 294/2001) the Commission decided not to raise objections to the legal provisions, i.e. Crop failure Act (Laki satovahinkojen korvaamisesta 1214/2000) instituting a framework scheme for the compensation of crop damage (hereinafter: ‘the framework scheme’). Point II.C of the cited Decision states that the Finnish authorities have committed themselves to notify the Commission after adverse weather conditions having caused damages that may trigger aid payments within the scheme have occurred, and submit supporting meteorological data. The notified aid scheme constitutes a notification pursuant to point II.C of that Decision. The Finnish authorities have confirmed that the aid would be granted in full compliance of the provisions of the framework scheme

Legal basis:

— Tukitoimenpide perustuu lakiin satovahinkojen korvaamisesta (1214/2000) sekä sen toimeenpanosäädöksiin (270/2003, 364/2003, 627/2005);

— Åtgärden grundar sig på missväxtlagen (Laki satovahinkojen korvaamisesta 1214/2000) och dess tillämpningsbestämmelser (270/2003, 364/2003, 627/2005)

Budget: Ca. EUR 0,97 million

Aid intensity or amount: 90 % of the losses that exceed 30 % of the value of the standard harvest

Duration: One-off

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Italy (Sicily)

Aid No: N 155/2006

Title: Assistance in farming areas affected by natural disasters (whirlwind of 7 October 2005 in the province of Caltanissetta)

Objective: To compensate for damage to agricultural production and farms as a result of bad weather (whirlwind of 7 October 2005 in the province of Caltanissetta)

Legal basis: Decreto legislativo 102/2004: ‘Nuova disciplina del Fondo di solidarietà nazionale’

Budget: To be financed from the budget approved under Aid No NN 54/A/04

Aid intensity or amount: Up to 100 %

Duration: Measure applying an aid scheme approved by the Commission

Other details: Measure applying the scheme approved by the Commission under State aid NN 54/A/2004 (Commission letter C(2005) 1622 final, dated 7 June 2005)

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: The Netherlands

Aid No: N 170/2006

Title: Increase of the aid budget in the seed potato sector

Objective: To increase the knowledge of several aspects of seed potato growing through research, to improve the sales through promotion activities and to fight potato diseases

Legal basis: Verordening pootaardappelen van het Hoofdproductschap Akkerbouw

Budget:: The budget is raised from EUR 2 323 353 to EUR 3 250 000 per year.

Duration: Indefinite

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Austria

Aid No: N 175/2006

Title: AMA Biozeichen — prolongation of an existing scheme NN 34A/00

Objective: Marketing of organic products. The notified measure concerns an approved aid measure in favour of organic products bearing a biolabel (Biozeichen). This measure is part of the State aid scheme NN 34A/2000, approved by the Commission by the Decision C(2004)2037 fin of 9 August 2005, letter SG (2004) D/202611. The Austrian authorities have indicated that the existing aid measure, as described in point 23 of the cited Decision would be modified as follows

The measures described in point 23 would be prolonged until 31 December 2010. Without a prolongation the measures pursuant to point 23 a) would be limited to 31 March 2006 and the measures pursuant to point 23 b) to 31 December 2008;

In addition to the media mentioned in point 23 a) insertions in printed media (Inserate), Internet, billboards and advertising films would be used in advertising and information activities. By letter of 21 March 2006 the Austrian authorities have confirmed that the modification concerns only the selection of media and not the content of advertising or information campaigns. The budget of the measures mentioned in point 23 a) would be increased to ca EUR 300 000;

The annual budget for the measures mentioned in point 23 b) would be increased to ca EUR 300 000. The budget includes the costs of the supervision by the AMA Marketing of the proper functioning of the quality assurance and quality controls

The Austrian authorities have excluded all other changes to the approved aid scheme NN 34A/2000

Legal basis: No change over the approved aid scheme. Bundesgesetz über die Errichtung der Marktordnungsstelle Agrarmarkt Austria of 1992 remains the legal basis

Budget: EUR 600 000/year

Aid intensity or amount: Variable

Duration: Until 31.12.2010

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Italy

Aid No: N 177/2006

Title: Ministerial Decree of 22 March 2006 distributing the resources allocated to the activities set out in Article 4 of Law No 499 of 23 December 1999

Objective: To lay down the distribution of the budget for funding the activities of the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policy in 2006 (almost exactly the same as approved aid scheme N 259/2005), as follows

research and experimentation,

collection, processing and distribution of information and data,

genetic improvement of plants and livestock,

maintenance and development of agricultural product quality,

fraud prevention and control

Legal basis: Decreto ministeriale 134/DPS/06/ del 22 marzo 2006, recante riparto delle risorse per le misure di cui all'articolo 4 della legge n. 499 del 23 dicembre 1999

Budget: EUR 93 900 000

Aid intensity or amount: Varies according to the measure

Duration: 2006

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Slovenia

Aid No: N 209/2006

Title: Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums to protect seedlings and fruit

Objective: protection of seedlings and fruit plantations

Legal basis: Uredba o sofinanciranju zavarovalnih premij za zavarovanje posevkov in plodov za leto 2006

Budget: 50 000 000 Tolar (SIT) (approx. EUR 209 000)

Aid intensity or amount: Max. 50 %

Duration: 1.7.-1.9.2006

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Denmark

Aid No: N 214/06

Title: Local Taxation of Land (The County Land Tax on Agricultural Land and Similar Land and for Forestry)

Objective: Tax reduction on the land taxes paid to counties (amtskommune) by owners of productive land, i.e. land used for agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding stations, orchards and forestry

Legal basis:

— Lov nr. 1397 af 21. december 2005 om ændring af lov om beskatning til kommunerne af faste ejendomme

Budget: 68 000 000 DKK (about EUR 9 112 000) per year

Aid intensity or amount: The County land tax will be reduced to 1 per mille of the taxable basic value for land used for agriculture, horticulture, plant breeding stations orchards and forestry. For other land the tax rate is 10 per mille of the taxable basic value

Duration: Permanent

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Portugal

Aid No: N 283/2005

Title: Forest Property Investment Fund (FIIF)

Objective: To support the creation of a forestry heritage through the purchase or rent of land with a view to setting up a Forest Property Investment Fund which can serve as a model to boost private initiative in this area in Portugal

Legal basis:

— Decreto Lei n.o 163-A/2000, de 27 de Junho;

— Portaria n.o 936/2003, de 4 de Setembro;

— Portaria n.o 1463/2004, de 15 de Dezembro;

— Decreto-Lei n.o 60/2002, de 20 de Março, com as alterações introduzidas pelo Decreto-Lei n.o 13/2005, de 7 de Janeiro

Budget: The overall budget planned comprises EUR 172 500 for establishing the Management Company and EUR 9 200 000 for setting up the Fund

Aid intensity or amount: 1,1 %

Duration: The measure in question is scheduled to apply until the end of 2008

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/

Date of adoption of the decision:

Member State: Germany (Bavaria)

Aid No: N 404/2005

Title: Investment grant for the development of the slaughterhouse Traunstein

Objective: Investment aid for the improvement and rationalization of the abattoir Traunstein

Legal basis: (Vorläufiger) Beihilfebescheid des Landkreises Traunstein zur Sicherstellung des Schlachthofes Traunstein als öffentliche Einrichtung

Budget: EUR 335 000

Aid intensity or amount: 28,5 %

Duration: One-off

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

http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/state_aids/