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 (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2002-12-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: State aid, consortium, diffusion of innovations, integration into employment, investment aid, job security, reintegration into working life, road transport, technological change

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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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

(2002/C 311/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 105/01

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous community of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
for
individual
permanent
of
recruitment based on corporate plans
increasing job
security

incentives

Scheme

aid:

for

Legal basis: Orden de la Consellería de Familia y Promoción de
Empleo, Mujer y Juventud de 3 de octubre de 2001 (DOG
núm.: 209; 29.10.2001)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 4 507 591

Maximum aid intensity: The incentives, or aid, vary in
amount according to the rate of security that
is achieved.
The aid intensity in respect of wage costs over a two-year
period, based on the gross average wage in Galicia in 2000,
will be 12,69 % for
assistance
(ESP 800 000, or EUR 4 808,09), 14,27 % for medium-
ranking assistance (ESP 900 000), or EUR 5 409,10), and
15,86 % for
(ESP 1 000 000, or
EUR 6 010,12).

the minimum level of

the maximum amount

In the case of part-time recruitment, the aid ceilings will be
reduced pro rata.

With this aid intensity, in no case is the ceiling exceeded: 55 %
of wage costs over a two-year period

Date of implementation: Aid may be granted under the
scheme once the implementing rules have been published
(29 October 2001)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2006

Objective of aid: To promote the employment of unemployed
persons actively seeking work who are registered with the
public employment service and of workers on non-permanent
or fixed-period contracts.

To promote net job creation so as to ensure the permanence of
the posts.

the companies
To stimulate change in the composition of
security and stability of
leading to greater
workforces,
employment,
temporary
so as
contracts and avoid the high turnover of workers in Galicia
(the short-term working rate in the private sector in 2000 was
38,3 %).

to reduce the volume of

the average is taken for

So that the number of net jobs created through an investment
the
project can be determined,
reference period of the twelve months immediately prior to
the project's implementation. The new jobs thus created will
be eligible for the proposed aid only if they are filled by
initial or upgraded temporary
workers on stable long-term,
if the jobs created by the investment
contracts. In this way,
are initially covered by limited-duration contracts, they will
become eligible for aid,
if appropriate, when they become
stabilised, i.e. when they have a structural and not simply a
cyclical character

the aid
Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, but
scheme is subject
limits and conditions
laid down in the horizontal and sectoral Community rules
applicable in each case

to the exceptions,

Name and address of the granting authority:

Xunta de Galicia
Consellería de Familia y Promoción de Empleo, Mujer y
Juventud
Director General de Fomento del Empleo
Justo de Benito Basanta
Edif. Admvo. San Caetano
E-15771 Santiago de Compostela

linked to initial

Other information: The aid takes the form of a one-off,
long-term contracts —
non-repayable grant,
to the upgrading of
for unemployed persons — or
temporary contracts into long-term ones. Contracts will be
based on corporate plans to increase the job security of the
workforce in a particular company. Plans must result in (a) a
substantial increase in the security rate, so that it shall never be
least 3 percentage points above the
less than 35 %, of at
average for the year prior to the plan's implementation, and
(b) a net increase in employment

Aid No: XS 107/01

Member State: Spain

Region: Autonomous region of Galicia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
job creation and
individual
the
employment
working day)

(groups — reorganisation of

aid: Schemes

to promote

security

Legal basis: Orden de la Consellería de Familia y Promoción de
Empleo, Mujer y Juventud de 3 de octubre de 2001 (DOG
núm.: 209; 29.10.2001)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 2 163 644

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Maximum aid intensity: The incentives or aid granted may
vary according to the group or
sub-group of workers
concerned (under-30s, long-term unemployed, women etc.) or
other factors such as jobs created through the reorganisation of
the working day or by sole proprietors working alone. Aid
intensity varies between a minimum of 4,76 % (ESP 300 000
or
17,45 %
(ESP 1 100 000 or EUR 6 611,13) of
the wage costs for
two years of gross average earnings in Galicia in 2000.

a maximum of

EUR 1 803,04)

and

greater difficulties accessing the labour market. The aid may
to
also be used for upgrading work/training contracts
open-ended contracts and making permanent
the jobs of
older workers and those entitled to return to the same job

In the case of part-time employment, the aid limits will be
reduced in proportion to the number of hours worked.

Aid No: XS 27/01

Member State: Italy

The maximum aid limit of 55 % of wage costs for a two-year
period may not be exceeded

Region: All

Date of implementation: Aid may be granted under the
the implementing
present scheme following publication of
rules (29 October 2001)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Law No 598/94 — Competitive technology for
SMEs

Legal basis:

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2006

— Legge 27.10.1994, n. 598, articolo 11

Objective of aid: To promote the recruitment of groups of
workers with greater difficulties accessing the labour market
because they have not worked previously, are unemployed or
facing unemployment when their contracts expire.

— Decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 123

— Legge 23 dicembre 1999, n. 488, articolo 54, comma 3

— Legge 57/2001 del 5 marzo 2001, articolo 15, comma 1

To promote the net creation of jobs whereby such new jobs as
are created are secure.

— Decreto legislativo 31.3.1998, n. 112, articolo 19

The reference period used to calculate the total number of new
jobs resulting from an investment project
is taken as the
average of the preceding 12 months. In order to qualify for
aid under the present scheme, workers performing the new
jobs must be emplyed on a secure basis via open-ended
contracts, whether new recruits or existing employees whose
jobs have been made permanent. In this respect, where the new
jobs resulting from the investment initially take the form of
fixed-term contracts, these will only be eligible for aid when
they become more secure,
i.e. reflect structural rather than
ad-hoc needs

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, although the
limits and
present aid scheme is subject to the exclusions,
conditions
sectroal
Community rules applied in each case

down in the horizontal

and

laid

Name and address of the granting authority:

Xunta de Galicia
Consellería de Familia y Promoción de Empleo, Mujer y
Juventud
Director General de Fomento del Empleo
Justo de Benito Basanta
Edif. Admvo. San Caetano
E-15771 Santiago de Compostela

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
Estimated public expenditure (in ITL billion)

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

June 2007

150

300

300

300

300

300

100

Maximum aid intensity: Commissioning by SMEs of advisory
from
services, at a cost of not less than ITL 200 million,
universities
part-
nerships), science and technology parks, external public and
private sector research centres, certified by the Region or the
national registers, with a tleast one of the following objectives:

university-industry

(including

training

— participation

research
programmes, partly to identify one or several partners in
other Member States of the European Union,

and Community

national

in

— studies on the state of the art as regards specific tech-

nological problems,

— identification of technical support requirements (company

check-up),

— transfer of

technology, knowledge and scientific inno-

vations for the production of new products,

Other information: A single allocation of aid is made in the
form of a non-refundable grant for recruiting workers with

— study of methodologies for production processes,

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— application of research results already obtained,

— training of technical staff to use the new technologies.

The services must not be continuous or
connected with the normal running of the firm.

regular or be

No aid will be granted for amounts relating to VAT and any
ancillary tax or financial charges.

The measures provide for interest subsidies, granted in arrears
every six months and calculated by applying the effective
the
deferred half-yearly contribution rate to the capital of
subsidised loan.

The amount of the interest subsidy is 100 % of the reference
the loan agreement and is
rate in force on the date of
calculated on the amount eligible for aid.

Objective of aid: To assist the development and dissemination
of technologies in SMEs by financing services (which receive no
other state aid) needed to produce at local level the real tech-
nological requirements of SMEs and to foster cooperation
between SMEs and centres of competence/excellence (e.g.
universities, science and technology parks)

Economic sector(s) concerned: All, except for the following
activities:

— fisheries,

— farming (specifically production, processing and marketing

of products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty),

— coal and steel industry,

— shipbuilding,

— synthetic fibres,

In addition, aid is granted in the form of a capital contribution
within the limits provided for in the Community framework on
state aid for SMEs and in any event not more than 30 % of the
cost of the project.

— motor vehicle industry,

— transport

The loan, which may not exceed ITL 1,5 billion and in any
event 70 % of the consultancy costs, is for a maximum of 10
years, including a grace period of not more than three years.

Name and address of the granting authority:

The scheme is administered by:

Only expenditure incurred since the date on which the aid
application was submitted is eligible.

Mediocredito Centrale SpA — Servizio Ricerca e Innovazione
Via Piemonte, 51
I-Roma

The aid is granted after an examination to check the relevance
industrial
and eligibility of
failure by the parties concerned.

the costs and the prospects of

A further precondition for the aid grant is that the investment
must be financed by a bank which has checked the firm's
creditworthiness and development prospects.

The aid intensity may not exceed the permissible maximum
intensities.

The table below shows intensities in terms of gross grant
equivalent for transactions carried out using a reference rate
of 6 %.

Aid No: XS 49/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Molise

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: New entrepreneurs and self-employment

Legal basis: L.R. dell'8.5.1995, n. 24 — Titolo II

Subsidised aid to competition
(maximum 50 %)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 12 911 422 (EUR 2 582 284 a year for five years)

Grace period

1

2

3

Interest subsidy

15,45 %

16,98 %

18,49 %

Capital grant

29,62 %

29,62 %

29,62 %

Maximum aid intensity: 20 % net grant equivalent + 10 %
gross grant equivalent

Total

45,06 %

46,60 %

48,11 %

Date of implementation: 30 January 2002

Date of implementation: 1 May 2001

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

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: June 2007

Objective of aid: Aid to investment/Consultancy

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Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors,
with Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

in accordance

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Molise
Via XXIV Maggio, 130
I-86100 Campobasso
Tel. (39) 08 74 42 96 10
molisegiunta@regione.molise.it

Aid No: XS 60/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
for integrated
individual aid: Aid for planned investment
corporate plans

regionale

Legal basis: Delibera Consiglio regionale n. 283 del 28 dicem-
economico
bre 2000 «Piano
2001-2005», ai sensi della L.R. 20 marzo 2000, n. 35 «Disci-
plina degli interventi regionali in materia di attività produttive»
— Misura 1.1 — Decisione Giunta regional n. 13 dell'11 luglio
2001 «Reg. 1260/99 — Docup Ob. 2 anni 2000-2006 —
Direttive per l'attuazione dei regimi di aiuto»

dello sviluppo

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 10 000 000

Maximum aid intensity: An interest rate subsidy equal to
60 % of the reference rate on bank funding for an amount
investment can be granted
equivalent
towards the investment
to
40 % for medium-sized enterprises. For the remaining 35 %,
a capital injection can be granted, calculated as follows:

for small enterprises, and equal

to 40 % of the total

1.

innovation: 7,5 % gge for
investments in technological
medium-sized enterprises and 15 % gge for small enter-
prises;

If the regions concernd by the programme are eligible for
exemption under Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty, the aid may
be increased within the limits provided for in the Commission
decision.

Aid granted may not be combined with aid under other
schemes for the same investment costs.

Date of
implementation:
Commission received the notification

July 2001, date on which the

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2001 to 2006

Objective of aid:

The scheme is intended to support firms located in the eligible
regions by funding ‘integrated corporate plans’ for tangible and
intangible investments as well as services and consultancy
services in connection with:

1. technological innovation;

2. organisation and commercial innovation;

3.

industrial and pre-competitive R & D;

4. environmental protection;

5. safety in the workplace

Economic sector(s) concerned:

ISTAT Codes 1991:

— Section C — Mining,

— Section D — Manufacturing,

— Section F — Construction,

— Section K — Realty,

information technology,
rentals,
research, other professional activites (Divisions 72 and 74
only).

The following sectors are excluded from the concessions:
the manufacture of
transport,
synthetic
and the
production, processing and marketing of agricultural products

iron and steel, shipbuilding,
fibres,

automobile

industry,

coal

the

2. consultancy and other

services
commercial innovation: 50 % gge;

for organisational and

Name and address of the granting authority:

3. consultancy and other services for industrial R & D and

precompetitive research: 35 % gge;

Regione Toscana
Via di Novoli, 26
I-50127 Firenze

4. consultancy services for environmental protection — EMAS

II and ISO 14001 certification: 30 % gge;

5. consultancy services for safety at the workplace: 30 % gge.

Aid No: XS 65/01

The intensity of the aid to each firm may not exceed 15 %
gross grant equivalent for small firms and 7,5 % gge of total
investment costs for medium-sized firms.

Member State: Italy

Region: Piedmont

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Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: SPD 2000-2006 for the Piedmont region,
Measure 4.1 — Social
inclusion operations, Line 4.1.b —
Refundable aid for supporting economic activities

Legal basis: Atto deliberativo della giunta reginonale n.
12-3626 del 31 luglio 2001 «Reg. 1260 Ob. 2. DOCUP Re-
gione Piedmont, periodo di programmazione 2000/2006». Ap-
provazione progetti di aiuto in esenzione ai sensi del reg. (CE)
n. 70/2001 — Allegato 5 — 4.1.b Regime di aiuto rimborsa-
bile per il sostegno di attività economiche

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Piemonte — Assessorato Industria, Lavoro, New
Economy, Formazione Professionale, Politiche Comunitarie,
Affari Internazionali, Commercio interno ed estero
Via Pisano, 6
I-Torino

Contact person: Dott. Vito Valsania, Via Pisano, 6, I-Torino —
tel. (39) 011 43 23 195 — fax (39) 011 43 23 483 — e-mail:
direzione16@regione.piemonte.it

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The
amounts relate to the aid scheme ‘Line 4.1.b — Refundable
aid for supporting economic activities (Regulation (EC) No
70/2001)’

Other information: The SPD identifies the Piedmont region as
the implementing body with responsability for carrying out the
measure via a managing body to be selected in accordance
with the Community rules on public service contracts.

Year

2002

2003

2004

Expenditure in euro

3 500 000

2 100 000

1 400 000

Maximum aid intensity: Loans from the fund may not exceed
50 % of the investment, with a maximum of EUR 500 000,
and will be granted interest-free. They will be combined with
loans for the same amount granted at normal market rates by
credit institutions under contract. The loan is to be reimbursed
in 48 equal monthly instalments, possibly preceded by a
12-month grace period.

For firms in the hotel sector the maximum loan from the fund
is EUR 1 million.

The aid may not exceed 7,5 % gge for medium-sized firms and
15 % gge for small firms.

The top-ups for Article 87(3)(c) areas are not applied

Date of implementation: 10 December 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 30 June 2007

Objective of aid: Aid for investment

Under the single programming document (SPD) 2000-2006 for
the Piedmont region (Priority 4 — Social cohesion, Measure
4.1 — Social inclusion operations, Line 4.1.b — Refundable
aid for supporting economic activities), the scheme in question
will contribute to the strategic objective of the measure, which
is aimed at urban renewal
the emergence of
the provision of structures
conditions leading to exclusion,
for the reception and training of disadvantaged persons, and
support for the development of economic activities.

to prevent

In particular, Line 4.1.b provides for a scheme of refundable
aid for supporting investments in productive activities (SMEs,
craft enterprises, retail businesses, tourism, cooperatives, service
activities, personal care)

retail,

The scheme will apply to small and medium-sized firms in the
tourism and service
industrial, construction, crafts,
sectors, as defined in Annex I
to Regulation (EC) No
70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Articles
87 and 88 of the Treaty to state aid to small and medium-sized
enterprises (OJ No L 10, 13.1.2001) located in an Objective 2
area, a phasing-out area and/or an Article 87(3)(c) area, with
specific features such as the activities that must be located or
planned in run-down or socioeconomically vulnerable districts,
derelict historical centres, municipalities belonging to mountain
communities or disadvantaged upland municipalities.

The run-down or socioeconomically vulnerable urban district
and derelict historical centres must be covered by an urban
renewal project steered by the local authorities so as to
ensure
to synergy
between a large number of public and private operations.

regeneration thanks

effective, overall

The aid will be granted without prejudice to regulations,
directives and guidelines under the EC Treaty governing the
granting of state aid in specific sectors within the meaning
of Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 70/2001. If applications
for aid are received from firms in the sectors governed by
specific Community rules on State aid,
the implementing
body will examine them in the light of the rules applicable
and will comply with their requirements.

Aid from the ERDF will not be granted to firms producing,
processing or marketing agricultural products (Annex I to the
Treaty)

Aid No: XS 76/01

Member State: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Aid for the overall demand for services

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regionale

Legal basis: Delibera Consiglio regionale n. 283 del 28 dicem-
bre 2000 «Piano
economico
2001-2005», ai sensi della L.R. 20 marzo 2000, n. 35 «Disci-
plina degli interventi regionali in materia di attività produttive»
— Misure 1.6.5 e 1.6.6 — Decisione Giunta regionale n. 13
dell'11 luglio 2001 «Reg. 1260/99 — Docup Ob. 2 anni
2000-2006 — Direttive per l'attuazione dei regimi di aiuto»

dello sviluppo

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Toscana
Via di Novoli, 26
I-50127 Firenze

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
individual aid granted to the company:
amount of
EUR 1 500 000

Aid No: XS 90/01

Member State: Italy

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of
purchasing the services of external consultants

the costs incurred in

Date of
implementation:
Commission received the notification

July 2001, date on which the

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2001 to 2006

Objective of aid: External consultancy services which are not
continuous or periodic or related to the enterprise's usual
operating expenditure.

In the case of participation in trade fairs and exhibitions, the
amount of aid is measured against the additional costs incurred
in renting, setting up and running a stand. Aid may also be
granted for participation in years following the first notified
year of participation.

Aid granted may not be combined with aid under other
schemes for the same investment costs

Economic sector(s) concerned: Firms and consortia in the
following sectors (ISTAT Codes 1991):

— Section C — Mining,

— Section D — Manufacturing,

— Section F — Construction,

— The ISTAT codes for tourism in application of Law No
to Regional Executive

488/92 in Tuscany pursuant
Decision (GR) No 349 of 2 April 2001 (Annex A).

The following sectors are excluded from the concessions:
the manufacture of
transport,
synthetic
and the
production, processing and marketing of agricultural products

iron and steel, shipbuilding,
fibres,

automobile

industry,

coal

the

Region: Emilia Romagna (Province of Bologna) — Bologna
Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Interest subsidies for small and medium-sized
enterprises operating in the road transport sector

Legal basis: Regolamento per la concessione di contributi in
conto abbattimento interessi per PMI operanti nel settore
dell'autotrasporto a fronte di investimenti in beni materiali e
immateriali approvato dal Consiglio della Camera di commer-
cio di Bologna con provvedimento n. 19 del 23 luglio 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 130 000 (ITL 251 715 100)

Maximum aid intensity: A 4 % interest rate reduction (4,5 %
for enterprises covered by Italian Law No 215/92), with a
maximum of 7,5 % (gross grant equivalent) of eligible costs
incurred by medium-sized enterprises and 15 % (gross grant
equivalent) of eligible costs incurred by small enterprises

Date of implementation: 1 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2005

Objective of aid: To sustain growth and innovation in the
road transport sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Transport

Name and address of the granting authority:

industria, artigianato e agricoltura di

Camera di commercio,
Bologna
Piazza della Mercanzia, 4
I-40125 Bologna

Other information: Costs relating to the acquisition of means
of
transport and transport equipment are not eligible for
assistance under the scheme