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: 2003-08-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, State aid, Wales, aid to undertakings, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

6.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 186/23

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

(2003/C 186/12)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 101/02

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Wales

The consultancy provided will not be a continuous or periodic
activity

The sustainable reduction of business costs is a major issue
affecting competitiveness and the ability of an SME to grow

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Cost Down Programme

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, without prejudice
to special rules in regulations and directives concerning state
aid in certain sectors

Legal basis: Welsh Development Agency Act 1975, as
amended

Name and address of the granting authority:

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The
scheme will provide the following funding to support SMEs
over a three-year period:

2002/3: GBP 90 000

2003/4: GBP 110 000

2004/5: GBP 110 000

2005/6: GBP 40 000

Mike Firth
Welsh Development Agency
Principality House
The Friary
Cardiff
CF10 3FE
United Kingdom

Other information: Larger companies may be provided with
similar support under the de minimis rule

The funding will support a maximum of 90 SMEs which meet
the definition in Annex 1 to the SME Block Exemption

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity will be
47 % of the consultancy costs. It is estimated that no one SME
will receive more than GBP 3 900 worth of aid

Aid No: XS 61/02

Member State: Italy

Date of implementation: 19 August 2002

Region: Autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31 July
2005

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Investment aid for industry and craft businesses

Objective of aid: The scheme involves specialist consultancy
support
to SMEs. This consultancy aims to assist SMEs in
pinpointing cost-reduction opportunities. The consultants will
be using a proven process commencing with a cost audit to
identify targets for cost reduction followed by one or more
cost-reduction projects. This covers both in-house costs and
the costs of bought-in materials or services.

Legal basis: Azione 2.1.1 del complemento di programma-
zione del Docup obiettivo 2 2000-2006 approvato con DGR
n. 846 del 22.3.2002, da attuare tramite bandi

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

2000

—

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Total

12 638 985

15 044 350

14 662 159

12 331 456

11 908 923

10 932 280

77 518 153

(EUR)

C 186/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

6.8.2003

Maximum aid intensity:

15 % for small firms; 7.5 % for medium-sized firms

For firms in areas exempted under Article 87(3)(c) of the EC
Treaty: 8 % nge + 10 % gge for small firms; 8 % nge + 6 % gge
for medium-sized firms

Date of implementation: 31 May 2002 (date of publication
of the first notice inviting applications)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Up to 31
December 2006

SMEs

in the

investments by

sector and SMEs

Objective of aid: The measure is intended to assist tangible
and intangible
industrial
production and services
in the crafts
production and services sector aimed at setting up and/or
establishing new business initiatives as well as the consoli-
dation, enhancement and technological updating of existing
firms. The aim is to promote and foster the expansion of the
production base and make businesses more competitive as well
as providing stable employment

Economic sector(s) concerned: Manufacturing and service
SMEs in the industrial and crafts sectors, with the exception
of specific activities in agrifoodstuffs, synthetic fibres, motor
vehicles, shipbuilding and coal and steel

Name and address of the granting authority:

For craft SMEs:

Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia-Giulia
Direzione regionale del Lavoro e della Previdenza, della
cooperazione e dell'artigianato
Servizio per lo sviluppo dell'artigianato
Via Giulia, 75/1
I-34100 Trieste
E-mail: lavoro.coop.art@regione.fvg.it

For industrial SMEs:

Regione autonoma Friuli Venezia-Giulia
Direzione regionale dell'industria
Servizio dello sviluppo industriale
Via Trento, 2
I-34100 Trieste
E-mail: s.svil.ind@regione.fvg.it

Aid No: XS 81/02

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Midlands (Objective 2)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total
costs: GBP 1 918 000 over three years

2002/03: GBP 659 000

2003/04: GBP 659 000

2004/05: GBP 600 000

No company will receive aid exceeding GBP 70 000

Maximum aid intensity: No company will receive consultancy
advice exceeding 50 % of the value of the project. For any
to more than
individual company,
GBP 70 000

this will never amount

Date of implementation: 1 September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31
August 2005

Objective of aid: To provide SMEs with consultancy services
in order to form and promote an Advanced Engineering
Cluster Network and mini networks to play a key role in
developing business, competitiveness and performance in the
advanced engineering sector.

This sector has been identified as one of the sectors with
highest growth potential
region and has been
approved as part of the structural funds SPD by the Regional
Policy DG.

in the

To raise productivity in companies and organisations in the
advanced engineering sector by facilitating access to specialist
inputs (consultancy) and enhancing access to information.

To increases companies' and organisations'
innovate

incentives

to

sector(s)

Economic
concerned: Other manufacturing
(advanced engineering sector), without prejudice to the regu-
lations on sensitive sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Government Office for the West Midlands
77 Paradise Circus, Queensway
Birmingham B1 2DT
United Kingdom

Other information:

Responsible Officer
Dr. Alan Collins
University of Wolverhampton
01902 321780

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Telford/Wolverhampton High-Tech Corridor,
Advanced Engineering Cluster 2002 to 2005

Aid No: XS 82/02

Legal basis: Sections 5 and 6 Regional Development Agencies
Act 1998, Greater London Authority Act 1999 and Leasehold
Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Midlands

6.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 186/25

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: SME Internationalisation Envelope WM 2002
to 2006

Legal basis: Industrial Development Act 1982, Sections 7 and
11

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total
funding GBP 5 million

2002: GBP 1 million

2003: GBP 1,25 million

2004: GBP 1,5 million

2005: GBP 0,75 million

2006: GBP 0,5 million

Maximum aid intensity: 50 %

No one company will receive more than GBP 60 000 of public
assistance under this programme

Date of implementation: 1 September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 March
2006

the aid is to provide
Objective of aid: The objective of
consultancy to SMEs. This consultancy will help improve the
competitiveness of SMEs through advice on:

(i) development of new products;

(ii) development of new markets;

(iii) improvement of business processes.

Without assistance, SMEs in many sectors lack the necessary
skills and knowledge to develop strategies and plans relating to
international trade and developing new markets.

This consultancy support will enable SMEs to invest and
diversify more, safeguarding old jobs and creating new ones
in the process.

The aid will not be used to assist in the establishment and
operation of
export-related
activities

a distribution network,

e.g.

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors, without prejudice
to special rules, in regulations and directives concerning State
aid in certain sectors

United Kingdom
+44 0 (121) 380 35 00
+44 0 (121) 380 35 01
E-mail: info@advantagewm.co.uk

Aid No: XS 98/02

Member State: Spain

Region: Extremadura

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Aid to promote access to industrial property in
sectors not covered by Annex I to the EC Treaty, excluding
activities linked to exporting and any projects depending on
the use of national producers to the detriment of Community
producers

Legal basis: Decreto 106/2002, de 23 de julio, de Promoción
de la Propiedad Industrial en Extremadura (Diario Oficial de
Extremadura no 88, de 30 de julio de 2002)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 30 051

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the external consultancy
costs necessary for gaining access to industrial property

Date of implementation: 31 July 2002 (entry into force; no
aid has yet been granted)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2006

Objective of aid:

(a) Helping SMEs in Extremadura to gain access to industrial

property

(b) Facilitating access to industrial property as a means of
information and a
protection, a source of technological
method of boosting the competitiveness of SMEs in Extre-
madura

Economic sector(s) concerned: Other
(excluding steel,
motor vehicles and industries covered by Annex I
Treaty). Other
services)

sectors
synthetic fibres, coalmining,
to the
(excluding financial and transport

shipbuilding,

industrial

services

Name and address of the granting authority:

Name and address of the granting authority:

Pat Laughlin
Director Business Growth
Advantage West Midlands
3 Priestly Wharf
Holt Street
Aston Science Park
Birmingham B7 4BN

Director General de Promoción Empresarial e Industrial
Consejería de Economía, Industria y Comercio — Junta de
Extremadura
Paseo de Roma, s/n.
mgonzalez@eic.juntaex.es
Tel. 924-005485
E-06800 Mérida (Badajoz)