EN Official Journal of the European Union C 141/17

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

(2007/C 141/06)

XA number: XA 56/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Subvenciones destinadas a la mejora de la producción y de la calidad de los plantones de hortalizas y de las plantas de vivero, y se efectúa su convocatoria para 2007

Legal basis: ‘Proyecto de orden por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras para la concesión de subvenciones destinadas a la mejora de la producción y de la calidad de los plantones de hortalizas y de las plantas de vivero, y se efectúa su convocatoria para 2007’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 2 730 000

Maximum aid intensity: The investment or work approved may be subsidised up to a maximum of 35 % in the case of individual producers (whether natural or legal persons), groups of individual producers (whether natural or legal persons or public or private persons without legal personality), and jointly owned entities, and a maximum of 40 % in the case of business associations made up of producers (agricultural cooperatives and agricultural groups engaged in processing)

Date of implementation: One month after publication of the rules in the Official Gazette of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: One year. The date planed for payment of the last instalment is 31 December 2007

Objective of aid: The aim of the subsidies is to improve the quality of production of vegetable planting material and nursery plants. They are intended for producers of nursery plants and vegetable planting material and fall within the category ‘investment in agricultural holdings’, laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The eligible headings included in Article 7 of the draft Autonomous Community Order fall within those permitted under Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

(a) obtaining and testing new varieties and clones of species or groups of species for which specific certification rules have been approved, and introducing parent plants which are catalogued at least as a certified category of the species or groups of species for which specific certification rules have been approved;

(b) laboratory for analyses relating to health and varieties, plus analyses which are self-performed or performed by third parties, relating to health and varieties;

(c) installing, building, equipping or improving facilities used in the nursery production process;

(d) investment geared towards eliminating and/or exploiting pollutant residues, and towards introducing and certifying quality-assurance programmes in accordance with ISO 9000 standards, and environmental programmes in accordance with ISO 14000 standards;

(e) investment geared towards the improvement, in terms of plant health, of buildings and facilities used in the production of nursery plants;

(f) automation and computerisation of production processes.

(a) installing, building, equipping or improving facilities used in the production of vegetable planting material, in particular for sowing, germination, fertirrigation, air conditioning and environmental monitoring;

(b) investment geared towards the improvement, in terms of plant health, of buildings and facilities used in the production of vegetable planting material;

(c) laboratory for analyses relating to health and varieties, plus analyses which are self-performed or performed by third parties, relating to health and varieties;

(d) investment geared towards eliminating and/or exploiting pollutant residues, and towards introducing and certifying quality-assurance programmes in accordance with ISO 9000 standards, and environmental programmes in accordance with ISO 14000 standards;

(e) automation and computerisation of production processes.

(a) increasing awareness of and studying the market in vegetable planting material and nursery plants of certified category;

(b) tests on new varieties and clones of the species or groups of species for which specific certification rules have been approved.

Headings that will not be eligible:

The following investment will not qualify for the subsidies established in the Order:

The draft Order meets the requirements applicable under Article 18(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006

Sector(s) concerned: Plant production: production of nursery plants and vegetable planting material

Name and address of the granting authority:

Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca de la Junta de Andalucía Tabladilla s/n E-41071 Sevilla

Internet address: http://www.cap.junta-andalucia.es

Other information: The aim of the present Annex is to ensure compliance with Article 3(2)(c) as regards the submission of the summary information provided for in Article 20(1)

Directora General de la Producción Agraria

Fdo.: Judit Anda Ugarte

XA number: XA 57/07

Member State: Spain

Region: —

Title of aid scheme: Orden por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras y se aprueba la convocatoria de ayudas para reparar los daños causados en uva de mesa por las lluvias generalizadas durante el otoño de 2006 en la Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia

Legal basis: ‘Orden APA/…/2007, de … de abril, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras y se aprueba la convocatoria de ayudas para reparar los daños causados en uva de mesa por las lluvias generalizadas durante el otoño de 2006 en la Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: EUR 1 500 000 (in 2007)

Maximum aid intensity: the maximum aid intensity will not exceed 80 % of the recorded losses resulting from the adverse climatic event. The aid will be calculated by holding.

The following will be taken into consideration for the aid calculation:

aid = average production × average price × ( % damage – 20 %)

To calculate the damage, the harvested production in the year when the adverse climatic event took place is used, relative to the average for the last three years. Thus:

A non-reducible excess of 20 % is applied in order to guarantee that the maximum aid limit does not exceed 80 % of the losses.

The expenditure guaranteed by the insurance companies in relation to other risks covered by the insurance will be deducted from the amount of aid calculated

Date of implementation: the aid may be granted within a six-month period from the into force of the Order

Objective of aid: the objective of the aid is to compensate table grape producers from the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia who suffered major losses in production as a result of heavy rainfall in November 2006.

The ripening of table grapes in 2006 was delayed by the climatic conditions which occurred in the area. As a result, harvesting took place later than in normal marketing years.

Agricultural insurance provides guarantees against the risk of rain up to 31 October, the normal date for harvesting. The delayed ripening, however, meant that the grapes had still not been harvested by the time the rainfall occurred (first days in November), since they had not yet reached optimal physiological maturity.

Consequently, the heavy rainfall which took place caused major damage to production (widespread occurrence of split grapes and proliferation of acid rot and other forms of secondary rot, with botrytis present), which was not covered by the agricultural insurance because it occurred after the guarantee period had expired. Consequently, these losses could not be covered by the insurance policies taken out by the producers.

It is therefore necessary to introduce an aid scheme to compensate for the damage which the rainfall caused to production since, in spite of being insured, no guarantees, etc. have been available in respect of the latter.

The aid is to be granted pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and corresponds to ‘Aid for losses due to adverse climatic events’ in accordance with Article 11(2) to (6), (9) and (10)

Sector(s) concerned: the aid is intended for the table grape sector in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia

Name and address of the granting authority:

Entidad Estatal de Seguros Agrarios (ENESA), Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación Miguel Ángel, 23 — 5a planta E-28010 Madrid

Internet address: enesa@mapya.es

Other information: —

Madrid, abril de 2007

El Director

Fdo.: Fernando J. Burgaz Moreno

XA number: XA 58/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Andalucía

Title of aid scheme: Subvenciones a las explotaciones del olivar gravemente afectadas por las heladas en los meses de enero, febrero y marzo de 2005, en el marco del Plan especial para la capacidad reproductiva del olivar

Legal Basis: ‘Orden que modifica la Orden de 20 de noviembre de 2006, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras para la concesión de subvenciones a las explotaciones del olivar gravemente afectadas por las heladas en los meses de enero, febrero y marzo de 2005, en el marco del Plan especial para la recuperación de la capacidad productiva del olivar, y se efectúa su convocatoria.’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: Three-year aid plan with a budget of:

The Government of Andalusia is to provide 50 % of the budget, with the remaining 50 % coming from the central government

Maximum Aid Intensity: Under Article 6(4) of the Order, total aid, including where this aid is cumulated with other public aid, may not, under any circumstances, exceed the percentage of 80 % laid down in Article 11(2) of the exemption Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006).

The annual compensatory aid varies according to the work carried out and is calculated as follows:

In no case may the intensity of the aid exceed 80 % of the loss of income from the sale of the product suffered because of frost and within that limit may not exceed EUR 63 000 for regeneration measures (with a maximum area of 7 ha) and EUR 6 000 for replanting measures (with a maximum area of 3 ha)

Date of implementation: The Order will enter into force on the day following its publication in the Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía (Official Journal of the Government of Andalusia). In accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, the Order will be published ten days after the submission of this Annex to the Commission.

This aid complies with Article 11(10) of the exemption Regulation in that it is being introduced within three years of the occurrence of the expense or loss

Duration of scheme: This is a three-year scheme, covering the 2007, 2008 and 2009 financial years. The aid complies with Article 11(10) of the exemption Regulation in that it is being paid within four years of the occurrence of the expense or loss

Objective of aid: To compensate SMEs for the effects of adverse weather conditions: frosts during January, February and March 2005.

Aid is paid to offset part of the loss of income suffered by olive growers affected by frost after carrying out the following work:

Intensive pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost damage, involving pruning to remove tertiary branches and at least one secondary branch.

Radical pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost damage, involving pruning to remove a number of secondary branches and several primary branches.

Top pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost damage, involving pruning to remove all primary branches.

Bottom pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost damage, involving cutting off the trunk or trunks of olive trees at a height of less than 40 cm above ground.

Replanting: work carried out in groves because of frost damage, involving grubbing up the roots of dead olive trees and replacing them with new seedlings. The cost of the new seedlings planted or to be planted is not covered

Sectors(s) concerned: The primary olive-growing sector (holdings involved in olive growing)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca Avda. Tabladilla s/n E-41013 Sevilla

Internet address: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturaypesca/portal/opencms/portal/portada.jsp

Other information: In accordance with Article 11(7) of the exemption Regulation, the frosts occurring in January, February and March 2007 were officially recognised as an adverse climatic event which can be assimilated to a natural disaster by Royal Decree-Law 1/2005 of 4 February 2005 adopting urgent measures to alleviate the damage caused in the agriculture sector by frost in February 2005.

The explanatory introduction to the Royal Decree expressly states that ‘The extent of the damage caused constitutes a situation that can be assimilated to a natural disaster in the terms established by the Community guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector and calls for the immediate adoption by the public authorities of palliative measures to ensure a gradual return to economic normality in the affected areas’.

Subsequently, Royal Decree-Law 6/2005 of 8 April 2005 implementing Royal Decree-Law 1/2005 lays down that ‘Royal Decree-Law 1/2005 of 4 February 2005 adopting urgent measures to alleviate the damage caused in the agriculture sector by frost in February 2005 shall also apply in the case of the damage caused by the frosts occurring in February and March 2005’.

La Secretaria General de Agricultura, Ganadería y Desarrollo rural

Teresa Sáez Carrascosa

XA Number: XA 59/07

Member State: Austria

Region: Niederösterreich

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Richtlinie für die Förderung der Qualitätsverbesserung der Niederösterreichischen Rinderzucht — „NÖ — Genetik Programm“

Legal basis: NÖ Landwirtschaftsgesetz

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Up to EUR 600 000 a year

Maximum aid intensity: 80 % of the costs

Date of implementation: May 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until December 2013

Objective of aid: The guidelines cover support to the Lower Austrian cattle breeding associations as regards the costs arising in respect of keeping and constantly updating herd books and in respect of advising herd-book holdings on operational and quality management. Support is also available for organising and holding trade fairs and shows for high-quality breeding cattle.

The guidelines are based on Article 15 (provision of technical support in the agricultural sector) and Article 16 (support for the livestock sector)

Sector(s) concerned: Cattle breeding

Name and address of the granting authority:

Amt der Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung Abteilung Landwirtschaftsförderung LF3 Landhausplatz 1 A-3109 St. Pölten

Internet address: http://www.noe.gv.at/

Other information: —

XA Number: XA 63/07

Member State: Latvia

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Atbalsta shēma ‘Atbalsts apdrošināšanas prēmiju daļējai segšanai’

Legal basis: Ministru kabineta 2007. gada 23. janvāra noteikumi Nr. 78 ‘Noteikumi par valsts atbalstu lauksaimniecībai 2007. gadā un tā piešķiršanas kārtību’ 10. pielikuma I. atbalsta programma

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total amount under the aid scheme in 2007: LVL 200 000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid is granted at a rate of 50 % of the cost of contracts concluded by insurance companies and insurance policy holders, but not exceeding LVL 25 per unit (hectare or livestock unit), not exceeding LVL 50 for potatoes and vegetables, and not exceeding LVL 150 for fruit trees and berry plants

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Until 30 December 2007

Objective of aid: The objective of the aid is to reduce the production risk in plant and livestock production by partly offsetting the costs of taking out an insurance policy.

The measure conforms to Article 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: The aid is intended for small and medium-sized enterprises active in agriculture. The aid is intended for the livestock and plant production sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Latvijas Republikas Zemkopības ministrija LV-1981 Rīga

Internet address: www.zm.gov.lv

Other information: —