EN Official Journal of the European Union C 94/2

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 and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

2009/C 94/02

Aid No: XA 11/09

Member State: Republic of Lithuania

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Kompensacija už nuostolius dėl fitosanitarijos priemonių taikymo

Legal basis: Lietuvos Respublikos fitosanitarijos įstatymas (Žin., 1999, Nr. 113-3285)

Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės 2003 m. gruodžio 31 d. nutarimas Nr. 1706 „Dėl Nuostolių dėl fitosanitarijos priemonių taikymo dalinio kompensavimo tvarkos“ (Žin., 2004, Nr. 4-58; 2006, Nr. 118-4490; 2008, Nr. 142-5636)

Žemės ūkio ministro 2004 m. kovo 1 d. įsakymas Nr. 3D-88 „Dėl kompensacijos už nuostolius dėl fitosanitarijos priemonių taikymo skaičiavimo metodikos patvirtinimo“ pakeitimo (Žin., 2004, Nr. 38-1249; 2006, Nr. 28-954; 2008, Nr. 150-6114)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: LTL 5 000 000, at the official euro exchange rate (EUR 1 449 270).

Maximum aid intensity: Applicants (plant producers – small and medium-sized enterprises that meet the requirements set out in Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC) No 800/2008 of 6 August 2008 and are active in the primary production of agricultural products, as laid down by Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006) are to receive compensation for losses at a rate of up to 60 % of the average market price of the plants and plant products concerned. Where there are no data on the average market price, the standardised prices for agricultural products, as laid down by Order of the Lithuanian Minister for Agriculture, will be used.

The costs eligible for compensation for losses resulting from the application of phytosanitary measures are those relating to the destruction of plants and plant products (where this is required under Lithuanian law) or to changing their use (processing, use as feed or food).

This aid scheme complies with the conditions laid down by Article 10 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Date of implementation:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: The objective of the aid is to provide applicants with partial compensation for losses resulting from phytosanitary measures (plant diseases). Article 10 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 applies.

Sector(s) concerned: Primary production of agricultural products

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=93194&p_query=&p_tr2=

http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=332838&p_query=&p_tr2=

http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter3/dokpaieska.showdoc_l?p_id=334810

http://www.zum.lt/lt/teisine-informacija/isakymai/4437/

Other information: Once this aid scheme has entered into force, State aid scheme N 21/2006, on compensation for losses resulting from the application of phytosanitary measures, will cease to apply.

Aid No: XA 12/09

Member State: Federal Republic of Germany

Region: Bavaria

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid:

— Übernahme der Kosten für den Impfstoff im Rahmen einer Notimpfung gegen Blauzungenkrankheit bei Rindern, Schafen und Ziegen

— Bereitstellung von Impfstoff für die Tierhalter

Legal basis:

— Verordnung zum Schutz gegen die Blauzungenkrankheit (konsolidierte Fassung), geändert durch Artikel 2 der Verordnung vom 22. August 2006 (elektronischer Bundesanzeiger Amtlicher Teil 43 2006 V1), geändert durch Artikel 3 der Verordnung vom 6. Juli 2007 (Bundesgesetzblatt I Seite 1264), geändert durch Artikel 3 der Verordnung vom 21. Dezember 2007 (Bundesgesetzblatt I Seite 3144), geändert durch Artikel 2 der Verordnung vom 3. Dezember 2008 (eBAnz AT142 2008 V1)

— Verordnung über bestimmte Impfstoffe zum Schutz vor der Blauzungenkrankheit vom 2. Mai 2008 (BAnz. 2008 Nr. 67 S. 1599)

— Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 (bluetongue control implementing rules)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 3,2 million

Maximum aid intensity: Up to 100 %

Date of implementation: The aid will be granted from the time of Internet publication of the summary information on the aid scheme.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: From 1 February 2009 to 31 December 2009

Objective of aid: A swift emergency vaccination programme needs to be carried out throughout the whole of Bavaria to prevent the rapid spread of bluetongue disease and to avoid the threat which it poses to agricultural holdings. There is therefore an overwhelming federal state interest in the rapid immunisation of the animal population. The main focus is not only to preserve the value of individual animals but primarily to immunise the animal population concerned and reduce the sources of infection from which the disease is transmitted.

However, there is currently no vaccine in the EU and Germany approved for vaccination against serotype 8 (approval procedures are in progress). Livestock farmers have no way of obtaining vaccines.

However, existing vaccines can be used on the basis of an Emergency Ordinance of the Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Under an EU-wide tendering procedure carried out by the German federal states, vaccines were selected which will be used on a large-scale basis as from February 2009. The safety and effectiveness of the vaccines have been demonstrated by vaccine tests carried out with the scientific support of the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute.

The beneficiaries are small and medium-sized enterprises within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The aid will not be given as direct monetary payments but in the form of subsidised services. The Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Health will absorb the costs of the vaccine and pay the supplier.

The aid does not concern measures whose costs are required by Community law to be borne by agricultural holdings themselves.

Payment of the costs of purchasing the vaccine for the basic immunisation of 0,6 million cattle and 100 000 sheep/goats and for the repeat immunisation of 1,5 million cattle and 400 000 sheep/goats; the cost of purchasing the vaccine is approximately EUR 3,2 million.

Legal basis of State aid: Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: Livestock farmers (agricultural holdings) rearing cattle, sheep and goats

Name and address of the granting authority:

Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Gesundheit Rosenkavalierplatz 2 Postfach 810140 81901 München DEUTSCHLAND

Queries may be addressed to:

Bavarian State Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Landwirtschaft und Forsten) Referat C/6 Ludwigstr. 2 80539 München DEUTSCHLAND

Website: www.bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/blauzungenimpfstv/gesamt.pdf

http://www.lgl.bayern.de/tiergesundheit/blauzungenkrankheit.htm

For the aid scheme: http://www.stmugv.bayern.de/tiergesundheit/krankheiten/blauzunge/beihilfe.htm

Other information: None

Aid No: XA 18/09

Member State: Italy

Region: Regione Lombardia (Provincia di Sondrio)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Aiuti per la ricomposizione fondiaria - accorpamento fondiario di terreni agricoli (Aid for land reparcelling – consolidation of farmland).

Legal basis: Bozza di deliberazione della Giunta della Provincia di Sondrio «Concessione di aiuti per la ricomposizione fondiaria (accorpamento fondiario di terreni agricoli mediante acquisto o permuta). Approvazione iniziativa»

Decreto legislativo 29.3.2004 n. 99 «Disposizioni in materia di soggetti e attività, integrità aziendale e semplificazione amministrativa, a norma dell’art. 1 lettere d), f), g), l), ee) della legge 7.3.2003 n. 38» - capo II «integrità aziendale» artt. 7 e 9;

Legge 7.3.2003 n. 38 «Disposizioni in materia di agricoltura» - art. 1;

Decreto legislativo 18.5.2001 n. 228 «Orientamento e modernizzazione del settore agricolo, a norma dell’art. 7 della legge 5.3.2001 n. 57» - capo II «contratti agrari, integrità aziendale e distretti».

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: Maximum annual expenditure earmarked for the entire initiative: EUR 120 000/year.

Maximum aid intensity: The aid will be granted exclusively to cover legal and administrative costs up to 100 % of the expenditure actually incurred.

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the website of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: Pursuant to Article 13 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006‘Aid for land reparcelling’. The aid will be granted exclusively to cover legal and administrative costs up to 100 % of the expenditure actually incurred in connection with the documents necessary for the purchase or exchange of farmland for the purposes of consolidating holdings. This aid is provided with the aim of countering excessive fragmentation of land. TheThe Province of Sondrio is aware that land fragmentation has a very adverse effect on crop production costs, and seriously affects land management in mountain areas, thus having an adverse impact on the environmental and hydrogeological balance of the land and the conservation of mountain areas.

Land reparcelling has often not been carried out on account of the high cost of notarial deeds.

Sector(s) concerned: Mountain farmland in the Province of Sondrio.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Website: www.agricoltura.regione.lombardia.it click on ‘Per saperne di più’, and then ‘Aiuti di Stato’

www.provincia.so.it click on ‘agricoltura’, and then ‘accorpamento fondiario’

Other information: Head of Office

Coordination with National and Community Policies

Dr Enrica GENNARI

Aid No: XA 21/09

Member State: Federal Republic of Germany

Region: Schleswig-Holstein

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Aid towards the cost of vaccine for the vaccination of herds of cattle, sheep and goats against bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV8)

Legal basis: Richtlinien für die Gewährung von Beihilfen zur Impfung gegen den Serotyp 8 des Virus der Blauzungenkrankheit (BTV8-Beihilfe-Richtlinien)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 1 000 000

Maximum aid intensity: 100 % of costs of vaccine

The maximum aid intensity of 100 % will not be exceeded. Livestock owners do not receive direct payments; the costs of the vaccines are paid to the manufacturers direct.

Date of implementation: The aid will be granted from the time of Internet publication of the summary information on the aid scheme.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 30 June 2009.

Objective of aid: The exemption is justified by Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The purpose of the measure is to compensate for the costs of the vaccinations against bluetongue virus serotype 8 which are mandatory for herds of cattle, sheep and goats under Section 4(1a) of the EU Bluetongue Control Measures Implementing Ordinance (EG-Blauzungenbekämpfung-Durchführungsverordnung).

No direct payments will be made to beneficiaries; aid will granted in the form of a subsidised service.

In particular, it should be noted that Article 10(6) and (8) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 will be complied with.

The measure is linked to the prevention of bluetongue and is therefore compatible with the common market within the meaning of Article 87(3)(c) of the EC Treaty.

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

The cattle, sheep and goat farmers eligible for aid are running small and medium-sized enterprises within the meaning of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und ländliche Räume des Landes Schleswig-Holstein Mercatorstrasse 3 24106 Kiel DEUTSCHLAND

Website: http://www.schleswig-holstein.de/UmweltLandwirtschaft/DE/LandFischRaum/11ZPLR/PDF/BTV8BeihilfeRiliImpfung2aa,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf

Birgitt FAIK

Aid No: XA 26/09

Member State: Italy

Region: The entire territory of Italy

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving individual aid: Fondo di solidarietà nazionale a sostegno delle imprese agricole danneggiate da avversità atmosferiche

Legal basis:

— Decreto legislativo 22 dicembre 2008 n. 19322 «Disposizioni applicative per la concessione degli aiuti compensativi di cui al decreto legislativo n. 102/04, nel testo modificato dal decreto legislativo n. 82/08»

— Decreto legislativo 18 aprile 2008, n. 82, concernente l'adeguamento del decreto legislativo n. 102/04, agli orientamenti comunitari per gli aiuti di Stato nel settore agricolo e forestale 2007-2013 (2006/C 19/01) e al Regolamento (CE) n. 1857/2006

— Decreto legislativo 29 marzo 2004, n. 102, concernente la normativa del Fondo di Solidarietà nazionale a sostegno delle imprese agricole danneggiate da calamità naturali o da eventi climatici avversi.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: The planned expenditure does not exceed EUR 48 million per year, which may vary depending on available government funds.

Maximum aid intensity: The gross total aid amount to each agricultural holding must not exceed 80 % of the loss of income resulting from the sale of products owing to adverse weather conditions. Aid may be increased to 90 % in less-favoured areas.

The amount of income reduction to which gross aid must be commensurate is the difference (b-a) between:

Date of implementation: From the date of publication of the registration number of the request for exemption on the website of the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development to compensate the damage caused by adverse weather conditions since 1 January 2008.

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Under the scheme, aid may be granted until 31 December 2013 and for six months thereafter.

Objective of aid: Aid to compensate the damage to agricultural holdings caused by adverse weather conditions that may be assimilated to natural disasters. Contributions will be granted under Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The amounts considered eligible for aid may be increased by the amount of specific costs that the agricultural holding had to bear owing to the impossibility of harvesting on account of adverse weather conditions.

From the gross total aid amount the following must be deducted:

— any amount received under insurance schemes, and

— production costs not incurred because of the adverse weather conditions.

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture – Primary production

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali Dipartimento delle Politiche di Sviluppo – Direzione Generale dello Sviluppo Rurale Via XX Settembre n. 20 00187 Rome ITALIA

Website: http://www.politicheagricole.it/svilupporurale/fondosolidarietanazionale/interventicompensativi.it

Other information: Director-General

Giuseppe BLASI

Aid No: XA 57/09

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: England — Cheshire

Title of Aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: Habitats and Hillforts of Cheshire’s Sandstone Ridge Landscape Partnership Scheme

Legal basis: Section39 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act

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

Date Amount April 2009 – March 2010 54 459,00 April 2010 – March 2011 50 458,00 April 2011 – October 2011 34 358,00 Total £ 139 375,00

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is for technical support measure, which will be up to 100 % in accordance with Article 15 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The maximum aid intensity for the capital works will be up to 100 % where a grant is awarded for the conservation of non-productive heritage features in accordance with Article 5.2. However, the maximum rate of grant will be reduced in line with the rates set out in Article 5.3 of Commission Regulation No 1857/2006 where the heritage feature is productive.

Date of implementation: The scheme will start on 1 April 2009

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will begin on 1 April 2009. It will close on the 1 October 2011. The last payment will be made on 15 September 2011.

Objective of aid: Grant aid/direct works to SMEs to conserve traditional landscapes and features in the vicinity of the six Iron Age Hillforts along the Sandstone Ridge in Cheshire. The eligible costs will include conservation of tradition landscape features and buildings and technical support to assist farmers and other land managers to enhance the special landscape, biodiversity and cultural heritage. There will also be investment in agricultural holdings of the area in line with Article 5 of EC Regulation 1857/2006 which governs the conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings.

Sector(s) concerned: This project applies to SME’s active in agricultural production.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Cheshire County Council, Regeneration, Backford Hall, Backford, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 6PZ

The statutory body responsible for the scheme is:

Cheshire County Council Regeneration, Backford Hall, Backford, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 6PZ

The organisation operating the scheme is:

Cheshire County Council Regeneration, Backford Hall, Backford, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 6PZ

Website: http://www.habitatsandhillforts.co.uk/Projects/state_aid_jan09.htm

Other information: This is an separate scheme which extends and continues the work of the Sandstone Ridge Landscape Partnership scheme - XA 26/2007, as additional funding has been granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Further and more detailed information relating to eligibility and rules for the scheme can be found in the web links above.