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: 2004-03-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Germany, State aid, United Kingdom, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 69/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

19.3.2004

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

(2004/C 69/13)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 34/03

Aid No: XS 91/01

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Yorkshire and Humber

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Advanced Metrology Manufacturing

Legal basis: Local Government Act 2000

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

2003: GBP 22 000;

2004: GBP 20 000;

Total: GBP 42 000

(ERDF + United Kingdom match funding).

The aid will not exceed GBP 2 000 to any one company

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Scotland (Scottish Local Authorities (SLAs))

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Property support for SMEs (Scotland)

Legal basis: Local Government Scotland Act 1973; Section
171, Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: All costs
arising from the scheme, including the costs of any guarantees
called, will be met from the normal resources of SLAs. It is
estimated that annual expenditure of approximately UKL 15
million will be required

Maximum aid intensity: The scheme will support consultancy
for SMEs. The maximum aid intensity will not exceed 50 % for
consultancy costs

Maximum aid intensity: Each award will respect the relevant
aid intensity ceilings stipulated in Commission Regulation (EC)
No 70/2001 for investment aid (Article 4).

Date of implementation: 10 March 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: To 31
December 2004

the costs of an Advanced
Objective of aid: To support
Metrology Manufacturing specialist advice service to SMEs
intended to promote
the use of on-line measurement
equipment in the manufacturing process.

to companies in reviewing their
To give adviser support
existing systems with the objective of helping SMEs to access
new markets and/or improve gross added value productivity

Economic sector(s) concerned: Manufacturing except those
excluded under SME Regulation No 70/2001

Name and address of the granting authority:

David Todhunter
Chief Executive Officer
Kirkdale Industrial Training Services (KITS)
Kirkdale House
Armytage Road
Brighouse
West Yorkshire HD6 1QF
United Kingdom

The amount of aid that can be awarded is variable, depending
on an appraisal of the particular proposal that will assess the
need for the aid and the form in which it may most appro-
priately be provided. Aid will be the minimum necessary for a
project to proceed.

The aid will be limited to eligible expenditures directly and
exclusively related to investment
in the development of
business premises, including:

Land: the actual purchase price or market value, whichever is
lower;

Construction: the construction costs of buildings suitable for
occupation by a range of businesses;

Infrastructure and services: the actual costs of providing infra-
structure and related services specific to the property;

Development fee: a level of fee to the developer which is
appropriate to the type and scale of development and the
risks associated with development
fee is
excluded where the developer is the owner or occupier of
the premises or land);

(the development

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 69/21

Finance charges: interest or similar financing charges directly
and exclusively related to the project;

including design fees,
Professional fees, etc.: all other costs,
marketing and promotional expenses, and sale or letting fees
actually incurred in the course of the development, directly and
exclusively related to the project.

Aid will be calculated as a percentage of eligible expenditures.
The aid intensities must not exceed the following limits.

Qualifying criteria for beneficiary

Maximum aid level

In Article 87(3)(c) areas not qualifying under
sparsity of population — qualifying as 20 %
area under United Kingdom assisted area defi-
nition

20 %
percentage
gross

nge + 10
points

In Article 87(3)(c) areas
maximum nge
assisted area definition

under United

limited to 15 %
Kingdom

In Article 87(3)(c) areas
maximum nge
assisted area definition

under United

limited to 10 %
Kingdom

15 %
percentage
gross

nge + 10
points

10 %
percentage
gross

nge + 10
points

In non-assisted areas
(1-49 jobs)

for

small enterprises

15 % gross

SLAs by an independent chartered surveyor. Grants will
generally be made on condition that all construction works
are competitively tendered, where applicable in accordance
with the EC public procurement rules. Where competitive
tender is not possible or practicable (1), independent chartered
surveyors will verify that the costs do not exceed market levels.

Joint ventures:

Aid may also be given in respect of joint venture projects
carried out between SLAs and the private sector. Generally,
SLAs will seek to act purely as a market investor sharing
risks and rewards with the private partner on a commercial
basis, as verified by an independent chartered surveyor or
accountant. No aid is
circumstances.
However, there may be cases where, in order to secure private-
sector participation, SMEs accept a share of the project returns
which is lower than a market investor would accept. In such
cases the grant equivalent of the aid will be calculated in
accordance with appropriate procedures and verified by an
independent chartered surveyor or accountant. The amount
of the aid should be the minimum necessary to ensure private-
sector participation and must not exceed aid intensity ceilings.

involved in these

selected through a
The private-sector partner must be
competitive process unless the developer also owns or legally
controls the site,
in which case the amount of support
necessary to enable the project to proceed must be verified
by an independent chartered surveyor or accountant.

Medium-sized enterprises in non-assisted area
(50-250 jobs)

7,5 % gross

Development financing aid:

Aid for a particular project may take any form permitted under
EC guidelines including grants,
low-interest loans or interest
rebates, guarantees, equity in joint development projects and
services at concessionary prices. Where aid is given in a form
other than grants,
the aid will be
calculated in accordance with the relevant EC guidelines and
notices.

the grant equivalent of

Grant or loan support towards the cost of financing devel-
opments which would not otherwise be economically viable.
The aid is available for the lifetime of the project and can only
contribute to financing eligible investment costs. The grant or
loan must not exceed aid intensity ceilings.

Date of implementation: 15 October 2001

Development grant:

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

The main type of aid to be provided by the scheme is the
development grant, which is a ‘gap funding’ grant aimed at
bridging the difference between the market value and the
actual cost of a project. Subject always to any award not
exceeding the relevant aid intensity ceiling,
the maximum
amount of award for any project will be the gap between
eligible costs and market value. Aid will be the minimum
necessary for a project to proceed.

Prior to any offer of a development grant, an appraisal of
market value and estimated costs will be made on behalf of

(1) Wholly competitive procurement may not be practicable when
relationships with
long-established working
companies have
building contractors, professional advisers and suppliers. These
companies may be willing to proceed with an investment only if
they are able to work through their established relationships.
Within the constraints of such relationships, much of the cost
remains subject to competitive procurement in the selection of
subcontracting arrangements.
the
market value of the remaining costs. The Commission decision of
25 October 2000 on state aid No 656/99 accepts that, under such
circumstances, wholly competitive procurement may not be
possible.

Independent

experts

verify

C 69/22

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Official Journal of the European Union

19.3.2004

in furtherance of

Objective of aid: SLAs have a number of statutory functions
including furthering the development of Scotland's economy.
The purpose of the property support scheme for SMEs is to
stimulate private-sector property development and investment
these functions. The scheme
by SMEs,
operates to address market failure in the provision of industrial
and commercial property by supporting SME developers
through a range of aid instruments. Both speculative and
bespoke development may be assisted. Over the longer term,
the aim is to promote a self-sustaining property market
throughout Scotland.

Applicants assisted under the scheme will comply with the
definition of SMEs contained in Annex I to Regulation (EC)
No 70/2001. SMEs are defined as enterprises which:

— have fewer than 250 employees,

— have either an annual

million or an annual balance-sheet
EUR 27 million, and

turnover not exceeding EUR 40
total not exceeding

— conform to the criterion of independence defined in Annex

I.

Where it
medium-sized enterprises,
with the definition contained in Annex I

is necessary to distinguish between small and
the ‘small enterprise’ will comply

sector(s)

concerned: The

aimed
Economic
primarily at the property sector, in particular SME developers
of ‘speculative’ property where the occupier of the property is
not known in advance of the development being carried out. In
addition, ‘bespoke’ development by SMEs for their own occu-
pation may also be assisted.

scheme

is

Assistance will be provided to the following sectors only to the
extent
there is no conflict with the relevant sectoral
that
guidelines.

— motor vehicles,

— synthetic fibres,

— transport.

Aid No: XS 107/02

Member State: Austria

Region: Carinthia (Wolfsberg/Lavanttal; Objective 2 area)

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Contract of 26.9.2002/15.10.2002; Curat
Immobilien GmbH and Thermalbad Weißenbach GmbH

Legal basis: Vertrag vom 26.9.2002/15.10.2002 zwischen der
Stadtgemeinde Wolfsberg und der Curat Immobilien GmbH
und der Thermalbad Weißenbach GmbH

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

2003: EUR 157 121 twice;

2004: EUR 157 121

Maximum aid intensity: 37,39 % in accordance with EU
competition law

Date of implementation: 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

1. Part payment after 50 % completion of

the project, no

earlier than 31.3.2003

2. Part payment after 75 % completion of

the project, no

earlier than 31.8.2003

3. Part payment after 100 % completion of the project, no

earlier than 31.1.2004

Objective of aid: Promotion of innovation

Economic sector(s) concerned: Other services

Assistance will not be granted under this scheme to the
following sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority:

— agriculture,

— fisheries and aquaculture,

— shipbuilding,

— coal and steel

Name and address of the granting authority:

Owen Wilton
Senior Executive
Renfrewshire Council
Cotton Street
Paisley PA1 1LL
United Kingdom
Tel. (44-141) 842 54 16
United Kingdom

Stadtgemeinde Wolfsberg
Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Quai 1
A-9400 Wolfsberg (Kärnten)

Aid No: XS 115/01

Member State: Germany

Region: Saxony-Anhalt

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Guidelines issued by the Land of Saxony-Anhalt
on grants to promote cooperation and networks

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 69/23

Legal basis: Mittelstandsförderungsgesetz (MFG) vom 27. Juni
2001 (GVBl. LSA Nr. 27/2001) Verwaltungsvorschriften zu
§ 44 der Landeshaushaltsordnung (VV-LHO, RdErl. des MF
vom 9.8.1991, MBl. LSA S. 721, zuletzt geändert durch RdErl.
des MF vom 1.2.2001, MBl. LSA S. 24)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 1,25 million

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of eligible expenditure

Date of implementation: Immediate

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

Objective of aid: Promotion of business cooperation while
maintaining the operational
independence of the firms. The
assistance is provided as a grant in the form of consultancy
and investment aid. Any additional expenditure incurred by the

for cooperation purposes is eligible. Expenditure
applicant
incurred by the
their own
outgoings during participation in cooperation arrangements is
not eligible for assistance

cooperating firms

to cover

Economic sector(s) concerned: All economic sectors covered
by Article 1(1) of the exemption Regulation

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie des Landes
Sachsen-Anhalt
Hasselbachstraße 4
D-39104 Magdeburg

Other information: Grant recipients must submit the usual
proof of the use of the aid required under the budget law of
the Land of Saxony-Anhalt. The annual report must include
information on the success of the measures and achievement
of the aid objectives

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

Cases where the Commission raises no objections

(2004/C 69/14)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Date of adoption of the decision:

16.12.2003

Member State:

Aid No:

Title:

Objective:

Legal basis:

Finland

N 306/03

Disposal of end-of-life vehicles

Environmental aid

Valtionavustuslaki
sesta romuajoneuvojen hävittämiseen

(688/2001)

ja hallituksen asetus avustuk-

Statsunderstödslagen (688/2001) och statsrådets förordning
om bidrag till skrotning av uttjänta fordon

Aid intensity or amount:

EUR 10 000 000 per annum

Duration:

Three years

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

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