Authorisation for State aid pursuant to Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty — Cases where the Commission raises no objections
Date: 2003-12-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, State aid, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, environmental protection

C 296/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

6.12.2003

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

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2003/C 296/02)

Date of adoption of the decision: 11.11.2003

Aid intensity or amount:

Member State: Germany

Aid No: N 436/03

Title: Programme of aid for agricultural holdings and fish
farms whose existence is under threat as a result of
the
extremely dry and hot weather in 2003

Investment aid to farmers: 40 to 75 %

Aid for the processing/marketing of agricultural products: 40
or 50 %.

Start-up or expansion aid: 100 % the first year, falling to zero
by means of annual reductions of 20 percentage points.

Objective: To safeguard the existence of holdings affected by
the extremely dry and hot weather in 2003. The aid will
compensate the holdings for losses incurred as a result of the
dry weather

Aid for carrying out quality checks: 100 % the first year, falling
to zero by means of annual
reductions of about 16.7
percentage points.

Legal basis: Verwaltungsvereinbarung zwischen Bund und Län-
dern über die Beteiligung des Bundes an Hilfsprogrammen der
Länder für landwirtschaftliche Unternehmen und Betriebe der
Aquakultur, die durch die Folgen der extremen Trockenheit
oder Hitze 2003 in ihrer Existenz gefährdet sind

Budget: EUR 90 million

Aid intensity or amount: The aid is to be paid in the form of
direct grants or interest subsidies for capital market loans. The
aid intensity is variable

Duration: One-off aid

Aid for testing organic products and verifying mandatory
labelling systems: 100 %.

Technical assistance for promoting the marketing of quality
products: up to EUR 100 000 per recipient or three-year
case of SMEs,
period, or 50 % of
whichever is higher.

expenditure

in the

Technical assistance except for promoting the marketing of
recipient or
quality products: up to EUR 100 000 per
three-year period, or 50 % of
SMEs,
whichever is higher.

expenditure

for

Aid for advertising: 50 % (75 % for products of SMEs situated
in Objective 1 regions).

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Research aid: 50 % or 100 %

Duration: Unspecified

Date of adoption of the decision: 11.11.2003

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

Member State: Italy

Aid No: N 381/03

Title: Sectoral contract arrangements

Date of adoption of the decision: 11.11.2003

Objective: Encourage the creation of agricultural supply chains

Member State: Germany (Saxony)

Legal basis: Decreto del Ministro delle politiche agricole e
forestali recante criteri, modalità e procedure per l'attuazione
dei contratti di filiera, in attuazione della legge 27 dicembre
2002, n. 289, articolo 66, commi 1 e 2

Aid No: N 265/03

Title: Individual aid for Leppersdorf dairy

Budget: EUR 300 million for 2003-2005

Objective: To finance
marketing milk and milk products.

investments

in processing

and

6.12.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 296/3

Legal basis: Investitionszulagengesetz

Budget: EUR 40 035 579

the Austrian authorities that the aid intensity varies between ca
23 and 36 %

Aid intensity or amount: The aid will be granted in the form
of direct subsidies. The maximum aid intensity is 22,8 % of
eligible expenditure

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

Duration: Unlimited

Duration: Until 31 December 2004

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids

Date of adoption of the decision: 11.11.2003

Date of adoption of the decision: 11.11.2003

Member State: Finland

Aid No: N 138/03

Member State: Austria (Upper Austria)

Title: Aid for removing tree stumps

Aid No: N 203/03

Title: Amendment of the grassland protection program Upper
Austria

Objective: Preservation of field forage cultivation. The difficult
income situation of milk and beef producers have led to a
situation where grass
land with field forage growing is
replaced by other cultures of higher yields, especially by
silage maize and cereals. The environmental consequences of
such development are increased erosion,
impoverishment in
plant and animal species and the use of pesticides. The
danger of erosion is particularly associated with the cultivation
of silage maize, which is the most common plant replacing
field forage growing. In order to encourage farmers to continue
field
for
support
commitments concerning field forage growing of grass ley
(Kleegras), clover (Klee), alfalfa (Luzerne), forage grasses (Futter-
gräser) or seeded pastures (Wechselwiesen)

growing

granted

forage

could

be

Legal basis: Richtlinien des Landes Oberösterreich für die Ge-
währung von Beihilfen nach dem Oberösterreichischen Grün-
landsicherungsprogramm mit der Programmergänzung „Feld-
futterbau“ ab 2003

Budget: The annual costs of
estimated at 1,42 Mio EUR

the amendment have been

Objective: The purpose of the measure is to provide aid for
mechanical prevention against annosus root rot (Hetrobasidion
annosum). The notified aid measure partly covers the cost of
mechanically removing the tree stumps in regeneration felling
(clear cutting in infected areas) instead of treating the stumps
chemically. The aid is limited to the amount that the treating of
the tree stumps with pesticides would costs (the cost of the
prevention chemicals and of their application)

Legal basis:

— Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön asetus juurikäävän torjun-

nasta

— Jord- och skogsbrukministeriets bestämmelse om förebyg-

gande av rotticka

Budget: Approximately EUR 200 000

Aid intensity or amount: EUR 0,44 per solid cubic meter of
harvested stock

Duration: Unlimited

The authentic text(s) of the decision, from which all confi-
dential information has been removed, can be found at

Aid intensity or amount: The amount of aid is 37 EUR per
ha field forage area. It appears from the examples provided by

http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgb/state_aids