EN Official Journal of the European Union C 136/41

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

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2005/C 136/19)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Date of adoption:

Member State: France

Aid No: N 38/2004

Title: Aid for inland waterway freight carriers established in France

Legal basis: On 10 December 2003, in preparation for its 2004 budget, the Management Board of the public institution Voies navigables de France (French Inland Waterways), which manages the infrastructure and is responsible for implementing part of the aid plan, approved an estimate of revenue and expenditure for 2004 which included appropriations for implementing the aid scheme.

In addition, Law No 2003-1311 on the 2004 Budget, passed by Parliament on 30 December 2003, allocates appropriations to the ‘measures to assist inland navigation’ budget line, the main purpose of which is to finance the aid scheme.

Objective: The scheme is designed to foster the development of inland waterway transport in France by modernising the fleet and by promoting and renewing the occupation of inland waterway carrier.

Budget: 14.5 — 15 million euros

Duration: 2004-2007

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:

Member State: Belgium, Vlaamse Gemeenschap

Aid No: N 74/2004

Title: Aid to the Flemish Written Press

Objective: Preserving information pluralism and editorial culture via projects selected through an open call for proposals.

Legal basis: Decreet van 19 december 2003 houdende de algemene uitgavenbegroting van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap voor het begrotingsjaar 2004, Beleidsbrief Media — Beleidsprioriteiten 2003-2004

Aid amount: Up to EUR 1.4 million per annum for up to 5 year, totalling up to EUR 7 million.

Intensity or amount: 50 %

Duration of project: at least 3 years, option to be prolonged for another 2 years

Other information: Final budgets and aid amounts depends on result of call for proposals and available state funds.

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 decision:

Member State: France

Aid No: N 88/2001

Title: Refund to shipping companies of contributions to the family allowances and unemployment insurance funds

Objective: To make French shipping more competitive against international competition

Budget: Approximately EUR 22.8 million per year

Aid intensity: 100 % of the contributions to the family allowances and unemployment insurance funds paid by shipowners for the seamen they employ.

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/

Date of decision:

Member State: Italy

Aid No: N 114/2004

Title: Tonnage tax scheme for shipping companies.

Objective: To replace, for shipping companies which have opted for the tonnage tax scheme, the taxable basis used in the calculation of corporate tax by an amount determined on the basis of vessel tonnage, at the following daily rate:

This scheme requires that vessels are already registered on an Italian shipping register.

Legal basis: decreto-legge

Budget: Approximately €20 million per annum

Duration: 10 years for the scheme, 10 years for individual aid.

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:

Member State: Belgium — Flemish Region

Aid No: N 128/2003

Title: Aid for the transport of domestic waste by inland waterways in the Flemish Region

Objective: To promote the transport of domestic waste on Flemish inland waterways. The Flemish Region will subsidize the acquisition of handling installations to be at the disposal of the municipalities/associations of local authorities

Legal basis: Agreement of 10 June 1999 between the Flemish Region and N.V.Zeekanaal en Watergebonden Grondbeheer.

Budget and duration: The duration of the project is fixed to coincide with the service life of the cranes. The budget will amount to EUR 7,432 million.

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 decision:

Member State: Denmark

No of the aid: N 171/2004

Title: Adaptation of the Danish tonnage tax regime aiming at taking account of the renting out of commercial facilities

Objective: Preserve competitiveness of the fleet and promote the maritime shipping ‘cluster’ (employment of EC seafarers, preservation of maritime know-how in the EC and development of maritime skills and the improvement of safety)

Legal basis: Forslag til Lov om aendring af tonnageskatteloven (Leijendtaegt m.v. af lokaler om bord)

Budget: around DKK 15 million per year (around EUR 2 million per 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:

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 181/04

Title: Support for the film industry in Baden-Württemberg — Medien und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH

Objective: Cinema

Legal basis: Richtlinien der Medien und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH zur Förderung von Film- und Fernsehproduktionen in Baden-Württemberg

Aid intensity or amount: Variable; always less than 50 %, except in certain cases

Duration: Until end-2007

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:

Member State: Sweden

Aid No: N 201/2003

Title: Regional development grants

Objective: Regional development and SME development

Legal basis: Förordning x:x om ändring i förordningen (2000:279) om regionalt utvecklingsbidrag

Budget: The annual budget of the scheme is 350 million SEK (EUR 38 million).

Aid intensity or amount: Regional aid intensity ceilings for investments carried out in regions eligible for national regional aid 15 % for investments by small companies outside areas eligible for national regional aid

Duration: The original aid scheme was approved until 31 December 2004

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:

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 238/04

Title: Aid scheme for the funding of new combined transport traffic.

Objective: To promote combined transport sector with a view to switching from road transport to alternative way of transport.

Legal basis: Richtlinie zur Förderung neuer Verkehre im Kombinierten Verkehr auf Schiene und Wasserstraße

Budget: EUR 45M

Aid intensity or amount: Start-up aid: a maximum of 30 % of the operating costs of the new transport service.

Investment grants: A maximum of 30 % of the investment.

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:

Member State: Belgium — Walloon Region.

Aid No: N 247/04

Title: Aid for combined transport in the Walloon Region.

Objective: Aid to promote combined transport in the Walloon Region.

Legal basis: Arrêté du Gouvernement wallon portant diverses mesures relatives au transport combiné en exécution de l'article 5, paragraphe 1er, 2o, a) du décret du 11 mars 2004 relatif aux incitants régionaux en faveur des grandes entreprises et de l'article 5, paragraphe 1er, 2o a) du décret du 11 mars 2004 relatif aux incitants régionaux en faveur des petites et moyennes entreprises.

Budget: EUR 3 million.

Aid intensity or amount: The total amount of the combined transport premium and of the exemption from property tax is limited to 30 % of the investment and may not exceed EUR 250 000. The premium for consultancy services is set at 50 % of the consultancy fees and may not exceed EUR 50 000 per undertaking over three years.

Duration: 2004-2006.

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:

Member State: Sweden

Case number: N 253/2004

Title: Full exemption from the energy tax for energy-intensive companies

Objective: To promote an effective use of energy

Legal basis: ‘Lag (1994:1776) om skatt på energi’

‘Lagen om program för energieffektivisering’

Budget: Annually: ca. SEK 180 million (ca. EUR 20 million).

In total: ca. SEK 1 800 million (ca. EUR 198 million).

Duration: 10 years

Other information: Annual report

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:

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 260b/2004

Title: Prolongation of the scheme to promote the use of insulating material from renewable raw materials by simplified procedure.

Objective: Environmental aid aiming at increasing the use of insulation material from renewable raw materials

Legal basis: Leitlinien zur Förderung von Vorhaben, die im Wesentlichen der ‘Verwendung von Isolationsmaterialien aus erneuerbaren Rohstoffen’ auf der Grundlage des Gemeinschaftsrahmens für staatliche Umweltschutzbeihilfen dienen

Amount: EUR 10 million

Duration: 2 additional years (3.5 years in total)

Other information: Adoption by simplified procedure

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 decision:

Member State: France

Aid No: N 283/2004

Title: Multisectoral framework 2002 — Regional investment aid for TOTAL (Gonfreville)

Objective: Regional development

Legal basis: Loi no 2002/276 du 27 février 2002 sur la démocratie de proximité; Régime d'aides directes des collectivités territoriales en faveur des projets d'investissement productif des grandes entreprises N 440/2003

Budget: EUR 48 mio

Aid intensity or amount: NGE = 4.92 %

Other information: Form of aid: grant

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 decision:

Member State: Ireland

No of the aid: N 306/2004

Title: Western Investment Fund

Objective: The notified aid measure intends to address the lack of small amounts of risk capital by SMEs in the Western regions of Ireland (1).

Legal basis: The Irish Western Development Commission Act 1998.

Budget: EUR 34 400 000 (This amount is the total budget of the scheme/fund and not the aid amount as such)

Duration:

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:

Member State: The Republic of Latvia

Aid No: N 380/04

Title: Latvijas Gaze

Objective: Energy (Gas)

Legal basis:

— Sale and Purchase Agreement of 2 April 1997 between the State Joint Stock Company-Non Profit Organisation Privatisation Agency, State Joint Stock Company under Privatisation Latvijas Gaze, Ruhrgas Aktiengesellschaft and PreussenElektra Aktiengesellschaft.

— Arbitral Award rendered in Stockholm, Sweden on 19 June 2003 between JSC Latvijas Gaze and The Republic of Latvia.

Budget: 10 416 689,71 EUR

Aid intensity or amount: measure as defined in the notification by the Authorities, relating entirely to the period pre-accession. The Commission is thus not able to consider the measure, as notified, as new.

Duration: Immediate compensation as per Arbitral Award, but the Republic of Latvia has refrained from effectuating the payment as it considers the payment as unlawful state aid

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:

Member State: Slovak Republic

Aid No: N 505/2004

Title: Individual aid for audiovisual production in favour of TITANIC s.r.o.

Objective: support of film production

Legal basis:

a) Zákon č. 303/1995 Z.z. o rospočtových pravidlách v znení neskoršich predpisov,

b) Zákon č. 231/1999 Z.z. o štátnej pomoci v znani zákona č. 203/2004 — §4 ods. 1, pism.d),

c) Výnos MK SR — 480/2004 — 1 o poskytovani dotácili v pôsobnosti MK SR

Budget: SKK 8,2 million

Aid intensity or amount: 33.5 %

Duration: one-off measure after approval (31 December 2004)

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:

Member State: Ireland

Aid No: N 525/2001

Title: Cluster Incubator Scheme

Objective: Support to the development of incubators for high technology start-up firms (Firms operating in the property development and high technology sectors)

Legal basis: Section 16(1)(g) of the Industrial Development Act

Budget: EUR 30 millions

Aid intensity or amount: Maximum intensity in conformity with regional aid map and Regulation (EC) No70/2001.

Duration: 2002 to 2006

Other information: Annual implementation report.

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:

Member State: The Netherlands

Aid No: N 594/03

Title: Shipbuilding — Prolongation of delivery limit for a ship built at De Hoop Lobith Shipyard, The Netherlands

Objective: Shipbuilding

Legal basis: Besluit subsidies zeescheepsnieuwbouw

Aid intensity or amount: 9 % of contract value

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/

(1) The Western regions of Ireland are composed of the counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo which are all areas falling under Article 87 (3) (a) of the EC-Treaty and of the county Clare which is an area falling under Article 87 (3) (c) of the EC-Treaty.