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

(2001/C 374/09)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS/08/2001

Member State: Federal Republic of Germany

Region: Saarland

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Financing of business start-ups and growth - Joint scheme involving the Federal Government, Saarland, SIKB and DtA

Legal basis: §§ 23 und 44 der Landeshaushaltsordnung des Saarlandes in der jeweils gültigen Fassung und der hierzu ergangenen Verwaltungsvorschriften (VV-LHO) im Rahmen der Programmrichtlinie

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: It is planned to make available interest subsidies totalling maximum DEM 3 million per year

Maximum aid intensity: 15 % in the case of small enterprises; 7,5 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises

Date of implementation: 1 May 2001

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

Objective of aid: The scheme involves horizontal aid:

- to secure the viability and diversity of the Saarland economy by promoting and consolidating self-employment

- to encourage individuals to set up in business on their own, to take over a firm or practice or to acquire an active holding

- to create new jobs

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors not excluded under Community regulations or directives on the granting of State aid in specific sectors

Name and address of the granting authority: Saarländische Investitionskreditbank AG (SIKB) Postfach 10 27 22 D - 66027 Saarbrücken

Other information: Where ERP equity loans and/or ERP start-up loans are used, the Land budgetary resources are granted by the German Equalisation Bank in Bonn

Aid No: XS/10/2001

Member State: Germany

Region: Land of Lower Saxony, district of Vechta

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Grants to promote individual businesses in Vechta

Legal basis: § 108 der Niedersächsischen Landkreisordnung (NLO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt, S. 365) i. V. mit § 65 der Niedersächsischen Gemeindeordnung (NGO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt, S. 382)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 256000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid amounts:

- in the case of small enterprises, to up to 15 % and

- in the case of medium-sized enterprises, to up to 7,5 %

of eligible investment expenditure

The rules on the combination of aid are complied with

Date of implementation: 1 June 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 June 2001 to 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to promote the competitiveness and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises in the district of Vechta, to encourage the creation of new jobs and help safeguard existing ones and thereby to bring about structural improvements

Rescue and restructuring aid for firms in difficulty (within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty: OJ C 288, 9.10.1999) is not covered by the measure

Aid may be granted for the following types of investment project:

- setting-up of an establishment

- extension of an establishment if the number of long-term jobs is increased by 15 % as compared with the situation before the start of the investment

- rationalisation, diversification or modernisation of an establishment if this serves to ensure the continued existence of the business and the maintenance of most of the jobs

- acquisition of an establishment threatened with closure, provided that this is done under market conditions

The long-term jobs created through the aid must be maintained for at least two years after payment of the grant

The aid is granted in the form of investment grants

All depreciable fixed assets relating to physical and intangible assets are eligible

Economic sector(s) concerned: Those entitled to apply are SMEs in manufacturing, the craft sector, the distributive trades, the hotel industry, other service-sector firms and persons working in the business-related professions whose place of business is in the district of Vechta. Assistance to firms in sensitive sectors is ruled out

Name and address of the granting authority: Landkreis Vechta Ravensberger Straße 20 D - 49377 Vechta

Other information: Mr Bernholt Tel. (49-44 41) 898 26 00 Fax (49-44 41) 898 10 37 E-mail: wirtschaft@landkreis-vechta.de

Aid No: XS/19/2001

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous community of the region of Murcia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Grants to be awarded in 2001 to small and medium-sized enterprises in Murcia to finance e-commerce projects

Legal basis: - Estatuto de Autonomía de la Región de Murcia

- Decreto n° 30/2000 de reorganización de la administración regional

- Decreto legislativo 1/1999 de 2 de diciembre texto refundido de la Ley de Hacienda de la Región de Murcia

- Reglamento (CE) n° 70/2001 de la Comisión, de 12 de enero de 2001, relativo a la aplicación de los artículos 87 y 88 del Tratado (CE) a las ayudas a las pequeñas y medianas empresas

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Appropriations of ESP 50000000 (EUR 300506,05) intended for capital grants to private enterprises to promote and encourage e-commerce

Maximum aid intensity: The amount of the grants may not exceed 40 % gross grant equivalent

The maximum aid intensity is 40 % net grant equivalent plus 15 percentage points gross grant equivalent

Date of implementation: 31 March 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until July 2001

Objective of aid: Aid for the development of e-commerce projects by private firms which are SMEs

Economic sector(s) concerned: Private firms (SMEs) in any sector of activity apart from those engaged in the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty, and activities which encourage the use of domestic products as opposed to imported products

Name and address of the granting authority: Sr. Patricio Valverde Megías Consejero de Tecnologías, Industria y Comercio San Cristóbal, 6 E - 30071 Murcia

Aid No: XS/20/2001

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous community of the Basque country

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Gauzatu-Industria

Legal basis: Orden de 27 de diciembre de 2000 del Consejero de Industria, Comercio y Turismo de modificación de la Orden de 28 de julio de 2000, del Consejero de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, por la que se regula el programa Gauzatu-Industria, de impulso a la creación y desarrollo de PYME de base tecnológica y/o innovadoras (BOPV n° 249 de 30 de diciembre de 2000) y Resolución de 27 de febrero de 2001 del Viceconsejero de Política Industrial, por la que se hace pública la convocatoria de concesión de las mencionadas ayudas (BOPV n° 43 de 1 de marzo de 2001)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 47395814,55

Maximum aid intensity: 22,15 % for SMEs (ESB)

Date of implementation: From 2 March 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Financial year 2001; deadline for applications: 29 june 2001

Objective of aid: To promote the establishment and development of technologically based and/or innovative SMEs which impact on job-creating investment via a strategy of competitiveness paving the way for harmonious growth and territorial balance with a view to revitalising the least-favoured geographical areas (Margen izquierda and Oarsoaldea)

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs in industry, mining or processing, those providing ancillary technical services and those active in the information society and the telecommunications industry. Under the scheme, the aid granted will be subject to the sectoral rules issued by the European Union for the steel industry (non-ECSC), the synthetic fibres industry and the automobile industry

Name and address of the granting authority: Sr. José Ignacio Telletxea Fernández

Viceconsejero de Política Industrial

Departamento de Industria, Comercio y Turismo Gobierno Vasco Donostia/San Sebastián, 1 E - 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz

Aid No: XS/22/2001

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous community of the Basque country

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Gauzatu-Turismo

Legal basis: Orden de 27 de diciembre de 2000, del Consejero de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, por la que se regula el programa Gauzatu-Turismo de ayudas a la inversión y a la creación de empresas de especial interés estratégico para el desarrollo turístico (BOPV n° 249 de 30 de diciembre de 2000)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 1202024,21

Maximum aid intensity: 22,15 % for SMEs (gge)

Date of implementation: 8 March 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Financial year 2001; deadline for applications: 22 June 2001

Objective of aid: To promote the creation of and investment in enterprises of special interest for the harmonious growth of the tourist industry and to contribute to territorial balance with a view to revitalising the least-favoured geographical areas (Margen Izquierda and Oarsoaldea)

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs in tourism: hotel accommodation in tourist towns and in rundown areas, rural hotels, non-hotel accommodation and activities for tourists in the nature, leisure or health sector

Name and address of the granting authority: Sr. Juan Bautista Mendizábal Juaristi

Director de Promoción Turística

Departamento de Industria, Comercio y Turismo Gobierno Vasco Donostia/San Sebastián, 1 E - 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz

Aid No: XS/36/2001

Member State: Netherlands

Region: The provinces of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe are responsible for implementing the aid scheme. They have decided to entrust actual implementation to the Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland (North Netherlands Cooperation Association), a public body set up under the Wet Gemeenschappelijke Regelingen (Joint Arrangements Law)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Subsidy scheme under the Northern Innovation Support Facility 2000 (version 2001)

Legal basis: Besluit van de drie noordelijke Provinciale Staten d.d. 31 mei 2000 en besluit van het Dagelijks Bestuur van het Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland d.d. 27 maart 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The annual budget is EUR 5899143 (NLG 13 million)

Maximum aid intensity: Small enterprises: 50 % gross; medium-sized enterprises: 50 % gross

Date of implementation: Aid under Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 will be granted as from 15 March 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will end on 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: To contribute to the costs of enlisting external expertise in the field of new technologies, products and processes, and potential markets

The costs of permanent or recurrent services are excluded, as is normal business expenditure, e.g. on routine tax advice, regular legal services or advertising

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors except the primary sector. This means that agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture are excluded from the scheme. The rules enacted for the following sectors will continue to be applied in full:

- the processing and sale of agricultural products, as referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty

- the processing and sale of fisheries and aquaculture products, as referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty

- the transport sector

- the iron and steel sector, as referred to in Commission Decision No 2496/96/ECSC of 18 December 1996 establishing Community rules for State aid to the steel industry (OJ L 218, 1997) and the framework for certain steel sectors not covered by the ECSC Treaty (OJ C 320, 1988)

- the coal sector, as referred to in Commission Decision No 3632/93/ECSC of 28 December 1993 establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (OJ L 329, 1993) and Commission Decision No 341/94/ECSC of 8 February 1994 implementing Decision No 3632/93/ECSC establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (OJ L 49, 1994)

- shipbuilding, as referred to in Council Regulation (EC) No 1540/98 of 29 June 1998 establishing new rules on aid to shipbuilding (OJ L 202, 1998)

- the synthetic fibres sector, as referred to in the code on aid to the synthetic fibres industry (96/C 94/07) and the notice on the extension of the period of its validity (OJ C 24, 1999)

- the motor vehicle industry, as referred to in the Community framework for State aid to the motor vehicle industry (OJ C 279, 1997)

Name and address of the granting authority: Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland c/o Postbus 779 9700 AT Groningen Netherlands

Aid No: XS/37/2001

Member State: Netherlands

Region: The provinces of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe are responsible for implementing the aid scheme. They have decided to entrust actual implementation to the Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland (North Netherlands Cooperation Association), a public body set up under the Wet Gemeenschappelijke Regelingen (Joint Arrangements Law)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Investment premium scheme for non-assisted municipalities 2001

Legal basis: Besluit van de drie noordelijke Provinciale Staten d.d. 14 maart 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The annual budget is EUR 1815121 (NLG 4 million)

Maximum aid intensity: Small enterprises: 15 % gross; medium-sized enterprises: 7,5 % gross

Date of implementation: Aid under Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 will be granted as from 15 March 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will end on 31 December 2002

Objective of aid: To promote investment in fixed capital for expanding an existing plant or launching an activity which will entail a fundamental change in the production process of a particular plant

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors except the primary sector. This means that agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture are excluded from the scheme. The rules enacted for the following sectors will continue to be applied in full:

- the processing and sale of agricultural products, as referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty;

- the processing and sale of fisheries and aquaculture products, as referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty

- the transport sector

- the iron and steel sector, as referred to in Commission Decision No 2496/96/ECSC of 18 December 1996 establishing Community rules for State aid to the steel industry (OJ L 218, 1997) and the framework for certain steel sectors not covered by the ECSC Treaty (OJ C 320, 1988)

- the coal sector, as referred to in Commission Decision No 3632/93/ECSC of 28 December 1993 establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (OJ L 329, 1993) and Commission Decision No 341/94/ECSC of 8 February 1994 implementing Decision No 3632/93/ECSC establishing Community rules for State aid to the coal industry (OJ L 49, 1994)

- shipbuilding, as referred to in Council Regulation (EC) No 1540/98 of 29 June 1998 establishing new rules on aid to shipbuilding (OJ L 202, 1998)

- the synthetic fibres sector, as referred to in the code on aid to the synthetic fibres industry (96/C 94/07) and the notice on the extension of the period of its validity (OJ C 24, 1999)

- the motor vehicle industry, as referred to in the Community framework for State aid to the motor vehicle industry (OJ C 279, 1997)

Name and address of the granting authority: Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland c/o Postbus 779 9700 AT Groningen Netherlands

Aid No: XS/40/2001

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Highlands and Islands of Scotland: Highlands and Islands of Scotland defined in NUTS II nomenclature as area UKM4 plus the parts the Moray Council area which are not in NUTS II UKM4. The latter area is a smaller part of the NUTS III area UKM11

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an individual aid: Highlands and Islands Enterprise SME scheme

Legal basis: Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990, as amended by Scottish Statutory Instrument 2001 No 126, which extends the operational area of HIE into the remaining parts of the Moray Council area not previously covered

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Maximum annual budget during the period 2000-2006 should not exceed GBP 25 million (sterling)

Maximum aid intensity: This scheme does not apply to:

1. activities linked to the production, processing or marketing of products listed in Annex I to the Treaty

2. aid to export-related activities, namely aid directly linked to the quantities exported, to the establishment and operation of a distribution network or to other current expenditure linked to the export activity

3. aid contingent upon the use of domestic goods rather than imported goods

INVESTMENT IN TANGIBLE AND NON-TANGIBLE ASSETS IN CONNECTION WITH BUSINESS START-UP OR EXPANSION

Aid levels would be offered to beneficiaries in gross terms. They would be calculated individually in terms of the circumstances of the development, and recalculated in net grant equivalent (nge) terms as appropriate in order to check that they do not exceed the following maximum nge or nge and gross level combinations. Proposed aid levels would then be corrected if necessary to conform with the maximum aid levels defined below (definitions as in Regulation (EC) No 70/2001):

Table: Investment aid intensity limits

>TABLE>

NB:

1. These are maximum levels equal to maximum nge and SME supplements as per the AA map approved in July 2000 for the UK. Actual levels of aid offered are set at the minimum level necessary to enable the project to proceed with a viable three-year business plan

2. NGE would be calculated for control purposes by computer on each project using the procedures in the Annex to the guidelines on national regional aid (OJ ref. 98/C 74/9)

3. These ceilings will be replaced by the specific limits for certain sectors when special EU rules are in force. At the commencement of this scheme, these sectors were: shipbuilding, coal, steel, synthetic fibres, motor vehicles and transport

A condition of aid under this scheme is that it will be maintained in the highlands and islands for at least five years

The ceilings in the table apply to intensity of the aid calculated either as a percentage of the investment's eligible costs or as a percentage of the wage costs of employment created by the carrying out of an investment, or a combination thereof, provided that the aid does not exceed the most favourable amount resulting from the application of either calculation

AID FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES AND EXHIBITIONS

Maximum aid intensity is 50 % gross towards eligible costs

Eligible costs are:

- Outside consultants. The activities on which the consultants shall be employed will be towards specific business development objectives and not of a continuous or ongoing nature. They will not provide services in connection with the normal operating expenditure such as management, supervision, tax or financial processing, legal services and advertising

- Participation for the first time at a particular trade fair or exhibition. Eligible costs are those additional to normal business operations, and specifically costs incurred in renting a stand or space, setting up, and running the presence at the event

MAXIMUM SCALE OF PROJECT AND AID

Individual awards under this scheme will become ineligible for aid if either of the following limits applies to the project proposal:

1. The total eligible cost of the project is at least EUR 25 million and:

- in areas which do not qualify for regional aid under the current UK national assisted area map, the gross aid intensity is at least 7,5 % gross for small enterprises and 3,75 % for medium-sized enterprises (EU definitions of size, as in Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 Annex I)

- in areas which qualify for regional aid, the net aid intensity is at least 50 % of the net aid ceiling as determined in the UK national assisted areas map, or

2. The gross aid amount is at least EUR 15 million

Date of implementation: 8 February 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Scheme ends 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The strategic aim of HIE is to enhance the quality of life for the local people in a sustainable way. The economy of the H & I region suffers from below-average GDP and personal income. The development of the economy via the growth and diversification of SMEs is a key objective. The activities of this scheme allow HIE to assist in a coordinated way both the development of new business opportunities (via the use of specialists in such areas as efficiency and the development of new markets) and to assist with the investment required to create new jobs as a result

HIE also considers that it is also necessary to assist larger firms when they offer particular opportunities to develop the local economy. HIE therefore hopes to operate a scheme in future to assist with initial investment and job creation via business start-up and expansion for both large and small firms. In the event that European Commission approval has been granted for such a scheme, then this SME scheme would be amended to reduce its scope to consultancy and trade fairs/exhibitions only. SME investment aid would then operate via the notified scheme

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors may be assisted, but with the specific exceptions of the activities as in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 concerning Treaty Annex I goods, export-related aid and aid contingent upon the use of domestic goods. In addition, any special restrictions contained within specific sectoral rules via Community Directives or Regulations will apply when these sectors are assisted under this scheme

Name and address of the granting authority: Highlands and Islands Enterprise Bridge House

20 Bridge Street

Inverness IV1 1QR United Kingdom

Contact: Melvyn Waumsley, European Affairs Unit, Strategy Group