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: 2004-01-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, State aid, United Kingdom, aid to undertakings, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

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Official Journal of the European Union

23.1.2004

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

Aid No: XS 49/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: West Midlands

(2004/C 18/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

— Transport technologies

— Building technologies

— Food and drink

— Tourism and leisure

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Regional Supply Office ERDF Programme

— High value consumer products

Legal basis: Regional Development Agencies Act 1998

— Specialist business and professional services

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: This new
some GBP 1,65 million
scheme will provide funding of
(EUR 2,66 million)
from February 2003 to 31 December
2003. This comprises both ERDF and UK Government funding.

This funding will be used to support SMEs (who meet the
definition set out in Annex 1 of Commission Regulation EC
70/2001) located in the West Midlands Region

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity will be
50 % of the costs of consultancy services and participation in
trade fairs and exhibitions. The maximum amount available to
any one company will be GBP 15 000 (EUR 24 000) over the
1 year period

Date of implementation: February 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2003

Objective of aid: The objective of this aid is to improve the
competitiveness of a minimum 150 small and medium sized
businesses by providing advice so that they may access new
markets and business opportunities and improve their business
processes.

The objectives will be achieved by dissemination of supply
chain development best practice and by developing networking
opportunities and access to new markets through participation
in trade fairs and exhibitions. Companies will be assisted to
participate in these activities by advisors from Advantage West
Midlands

— Information and communication technologies

— Environmental technologies

— Interactive media for education and entertainment

— Medical technologies

Name and address of the granting authority:

Dean Brotherton
Advantage West Midlands
3 Priestley Wharf
Holt Street
Aston Science Park
Birmingham
West Midlands
B23 7SG

Aid No: XS 68/03

Member State: Spain

Region: Asturias

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Aid scheme for the application of the Rural
Development Programme (PRODER II)
in the Principado de
Asturias for the period 2000-2006

Legal basis:

Economic sector(s) concerned: Economic sectors supported
will be ‘All sectors’ (except SMEs in agriculture, fisheries and
aquaculture).

1. Decreto 46/2001, de 19 de abril, por el que se declara la
aplicación en el Principado de Asturias el Programa de De-
sarrollo Rural.

Companies receiving support will
typically be within the
following clusters as described within the West Midlands
Regional Economic Strategy:

2. Resolución de la Consejería de Medio Rural, de 8 de abril de
2003, por el que se establece una modificación parcial del
Régimen de Ayudas para la aplicación del PRODER II

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: EUR 9
million

Maximum aid intensity: EUR 150 000 of aid max.

Date of implementation: As from publication of the scheme
in BOPA (Boletín Oficial del Principado de Asturias)

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

Objective of aid: To support the indigenous development of
less-favoured rural areas, agricultural diversification, and the
promotion of local microenterprises

Economic sector(s) concerned:

— Firms providing services to rural society

— Processing firms

— New local firms

— Small agri-food businesses

— Rural tourism

— Craftsmen

Name and address of the granting authority:

Instituto de Desarrollo Rural
Consejería de Medio Rural y Pesca
Principado de Asturias

Other information:

1. This type of aid will only apply to firms that can be classed
as microenterprises under Commission Regulation (EC) No
70/2001.

2. The eligible expenditure and the ancilliary investment will
be those that comply with the requirements and definitions
laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1685/2000 of
28 July 2000

Aid No: XS 76/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Veneto

Industry, Agriculture

in
Commerce,
Veneto either directly or indirectly via their special agencies,
the Regional Union and the External Centre

and Crafts

(CCIAA)

Legal basis: Delibere e/o provvedimenti delle CCIAA e/o delle
le loro aziende speciali,
l'Unione regionale e del loro Centro
estero che contempleranno precisa indicazione del Regola-
mento comunitario di esenzione in parola

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 7 819 022. If this total expenditure were to increase by
the Chambers
more than 20 % before the end of 2006,
undertake formally to notify the modification to the scheme
to the Commission

Maximum aid intensity: In accordance with the ceilings laid
down in Article 4 of Regulation 70/2001, the aid will not
exceed:

— for investment:

a) 15 % in the case of small enterprises with fewer than 50
employees and turnover in the year preceding the grant
of the aid of less than EUR 7 million;

b) 7,5 % in the case of medium-sized enterprises.

— for consultancy and other services and activities:

50 % of the eligible costs in accordance with the Regu-
lation, and in particular Article 5 thereof.

No one project will receive aid exceeding EUR 3 500 000,
without prejudice to the higher ceilings laid down in Article
6 of the Regulation

Date of implementation: From the date of transmission of
this notice

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

the
Objective of aid: To facilitate the development of
economic activities of small and medium-sized enterprises in
the manner, for the reasons and with the aims set out in recital
(5) to Regulation 70/2001; apart from the aid for investment,
for expenditure on
the scheme provides aid in particular
innovation; quality,
consultancy relating to technological
environmental
inter-
nationalisation; market surveys and research; and participation
in fairs and exhibitions

and safety certification;

friendliness

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Scheme of aid for SMEs
in Veneto for
investment in tangible and intangible fixed assets, consultancy
and other services and activities, in particular first-time partici-
pation in fairs and exhibitions, granted by the Chambers of

Economic sector(s) concerned: All SMEs of any kind located
for
in Veneto are eligible for
those
this scheme, except
associated with the products listed in Annex I
to the EC
Treaty, fishing, shipbuilding and ECSC steel products.

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Only tangible investments in land, buildings, machinery and
equipment will be eligible for aid under the scheme.

culture and Crafts and the latter has delivered a favourable
opinion.

No aid will be granted in respect of investment in vehicles and
transport equipment by enterprises operating mainly in the
Investments made for activities linked to
transport sector.
exporting, i.e. the actual exporting of goods, the establishment
and operation of a foreign distribution network and other
expenditure linked to exporting, are likewise excluded.

In accordance with Article 7 of the Regulation, aid will be
granted only where, before work on the aided project
is
started,
the beneficiary firm has submitted an appropriate
application to the local Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agri-

Name and address of the granting authority:

The individual Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture
and Crafts in Veneto.
The agency coordinating this scheme is Unione Regionale delle
Camere di Commercio del Veneto
Via Sansovino, 9
I-30173 Mestre (VE)
Tel. (39) 04 12 58 16 66
Fax (39) 04 12 58 16 00
E-mail: europa@eicveneto.it

COMMISSION OPINION

of 22 January 2004

concerning the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of the
Bradwell Nuclear Power Station located in the United Kingdom, in accordance with Article 37 of
the Euratom Treaty

(2004/C 18/03)

(Only the English text is authentic)

On 1 August 2003, the European Commission received from the Government of the United Kingdom, in
accordance with Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, General Data relating to the plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning of the Bradwell Nuclear Power Station.

On the basis of these data, and following consultation with the group of experts, the Commission has
drawn up the following opinion:

(a) The distance between the plant and the nearest neighbour Member State,

in this case France,

is

approximately 110 km.

(b) During normal operation, discharges of liquid and gaseous effluents will not cause an exposure of the

population in other Member States that is significant from the point of view of health.

(c) Solid intermediate level radioactive wastes are stored at the site. Low level radioactive wastes and
irradiated fuel elements are stored at the site before being transported off-site for disposal or repro-
cessing in facilities within the UK. Non-radioactive solid waste or residual materials which are released
from regulatory control will be released for disposal as conventional waste or for reuse or recycling, in
all cases complying with the criteria laid down in the Basic Safety Standards (Directive 96/29/Euratom).

(d) In the event of unplanned discharges of radioactive waste, which may follow an accident of the type
and magnitude considered in the General Data, the doses likely to be received by the population in
other Member States would not be significant from the point of view of health.

In conclusion, the Commission is of the opinion that the implementation of the plan for the disposal of
radioactive waste in whatever form arising from the decommissioning of the Bradwell Nuclear Power
Station in the United Kingdom, both in normal operation and in the event of an accident of the type and
magnitude considered in the General Data, is not liable to result in radioactive contamination, significant
from the point of view of health, of the water, soil or airspace of another Member State.