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: 2004-04-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Germany, Italy, State aid, United Kingdom, control of State aid

C 83/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

2.4.2004

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 83/02)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Aid No: XS 6/03

Member State: Austria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: ‘Business dynamism’ scheme — programme to
boost
the innovative potential of small and medium-sized
enterprises — ‘SME innovation programme’

Assumptions of liability for ‘short-term operating loans’, the
taking-over of equity guarantees and assumptions of liability
for
covered by the block
exemption Regulation

‘restructuring loans’ are not

Legal basis:

— Richtlinien des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Ar-
beit der Aktion „Unternehmensdynamik“ — Programm zur
Stärkung des innovativen Potentials von kleinen und mitt-
leren Unternehmen — „KMU-Innovationsprogramm“
(2001—2006) vom 28.11.2002

— Bundesgesetz über besondere Förderungen von kleinen und
mittleren Unternehmen (BGBl. Nr. 432/1996), i.d.g.F.

— Bürgschaftsbedingungen

der Austria Wirtschaftsservice

Ges.m.b.H.

— Garantiebedingungen

der

Austria Wirtschaftsservice

Ges.m.b.H. für Leasingfinanzierungen

— Die Richtlinien für die Aktion „Unternehmensdynamik“
wurden bis 27.11.2002 als „De-minimis“-Förderung abge-
wickelt

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
Estimated budgetary funds for investment premiums

2002: EUR 24,3 million

2003: EUR 24,8 million

2004: EUR 25,5 million

2005: EUR 26,2 million

2006: EUR 26,8 million

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Grant (investment premium)

Calculation of the level of the grant:

A grant of between 5 % and 15 % (in the case of medium-sized
enterprises, only up to a maximum of 7,5 % — though in
national regionally assisted areas the aid intensity ceiling of
15 % still applies) is awarded towards the substantiated costs
the
investment projects that are in line with one of
of
assistance priorities.

Maximum level of
EUR 750 000 and a grant
(including the
share of
amounts to EUR 112 500.

the grant assuming a basic amount of
(investment premium) of 15 %
the aid

relevant province),

the

Maximum aid intensity (present value of grant as percentage of
substantiated eligible costs, gross grant equivalent): 15 % (in the
case of medium-sized enterprises, only up to a maximum of
7,5 % — though in national regionally assisted areas the aid
intensity ceiling of 15 % still applies).

2. Guarantees

Die Austria Wirtschaftsservice Ges.m.b.H. can provide guaran-
tees of up to 80 % in most cases.

Calculation of the aid intensity of the guarantees:

Grant equivalent: maximum 7,93 %, which falls to 1,65 % after
deduction of the guarantee fee required under the guidelines.

Where a grant and a guarantee are combined, compliance with
the maximum aid intensity of 7,5 % or 15 % is ensured

Date of implementation: Date of entry into force of the aid
scheme: 28 November 2002, i.e. aid commitments as from 28
November 2002 are based on Commission Regulation (EC) No
70/2001 of 12 January 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 28 November
2002 (date of aid commitment) — 31 December 2006 (date of
submission of application)

Objective of aid:

Horizontal aid: SMEs

Secondary objective: regional aid — Subject to the ceilings
allowed under the competition rules, higher levels of aid may
be granted by the relevant provinces for projects in areas of
Austria covered by Objective 2 of the EU Structural Funds

The arrangements for awarding grants are laid down in point 6
(‘Type and scale of the aid’).

Economic sector(s) concerned: All sectors except for tourism
and the leisure industry and agriculture and forestry

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 83/3

Name and address of the granting authority:

Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Arbeit
Center 1 Wirtschaftspolitik
Stubenring 1
A-1010 Wien

Contact person:
Alexandra Moser-Witzky
Tel. (43-1) 177 00 58 90

Managing agency:
Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft m.b.H.
Taborstraße 10
A-1020 Wien

Contact person:
Anton Neunteufl
Tel. (43-1) 21 47 57 42 23
Fax (43-1) 214 75 74 45

Aid No: XS 10/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Apulia

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Measures to assist the development of craft
firms

Legal basis:

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

Calendar year

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Amount in EUR million

25

15

15

15

15

Maximum aid intensity: 35 % net grant equivalent plus 15 %
gross grant equivalent

Date of implementation: 1 January 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2006

Objective of aid: The aid will facilitate credit transactions
leasing transactions under Act No
under Act No 949/52,
240/81 and financing transactions,
for investments in the
following:

— Credit transactions (Act No 949/52)

— fitting out, enlarging and modernisation of workshops;

— acquisition,

lease or hire purchase of new machinery

and equipment

— Leasing transactions (Act No 240/81)

— fitting out and/or enlargement of workshops (leasing of
property), with the exception of premises that are not
to be used for the certified craft activity;

— new machinery and equipment

— Legge 25 luglio 1952, n. 949, articolo 37 e Legge 21
il Fondo

maggio 1981, n. 240, articolo 23, concernenti
contributo in conto interessi

Economic sector(s) concerned: The aid is intended only for
craft firms

— Legge 19 luglio 1993, n. 237, articolo 2, comma 5, con-

cernente la determinazione dei tassi agevolati

— Decreto legislativo 31 marzo 1998, n. 112, concernente il
funzioni e compiti amministrativi dello

conferimento di
Stato alle Regioni e gli Enti locali

— Decreto legislativo 31 marzo 1998, n. 123, concernente la
interventi di sostegno pubblico delle

realizzazione degli
imprese

— Decreto del Ministero del Tesoro 21 dicembre 1994, con-

cernente la determinazione del tasso di riferimento

— Legge Regione Puglia n. 3 del 4.1.2001

Name and address of the granting authority: Regione Puglia

Aid No: XS 73/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Piedmont

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

in Piedmont

— Delibera Giunta Regionale Pugliese n. 544/2002

— Delibera Giunta Regionale Pugliese n. 1992/02

Legal basis: Delibere e/o provvedimenti delle CCIAA e/o delle
loro aziende speciali, Unioni regionali e dei loro Centri esteri,
che completeranno precisa indicazione del Regolamento comu-
nitario in parola

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Official Journal of the European Union

2.4.2004

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 8 123 000

Aid No: XS 103/03

Member State: United Kingdom

Maximum aid intensity:

— for investment:

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,

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

— for consultancy and other services and activities:

50 % of the eligible costs in accordance with Regulation
70/2001, and in particular Article 5 thereof.

No one project will receive aid exceeding EUR 50 000

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

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

Objective of aid: To facilitate the development of
the
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

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

Region: West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 area

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Supporting Environmental Goods and Service
Businesses

Legal basis: Welsh Development Agency Act 1975

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

2003: GBP 15 000

2004: GBP 122 700

2005: GBP 238 800

2006: GBP 81 000

Maximum aid intensity:
In West Wales and the Valleys
Objective 1 area, 50 % of eligible costs. Both consultancy
and investment costs (Article 87(3)(a) areas + 15 percentage
points) are covered. No other area is eligible

Date of implementation: 1 October 2003

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2006

Objective of aid: To improve the competitiveness of environ-
mental goods and service businesses throughout West Wales
and the Valleys Objective 1 region.

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

No aid will be granted in respect of investment in vehicles and
transport equipment by enterprises operating mainly in the
transport sector.

five years

Overall, the market for environmental goods and services has
doubled in the last
from GBP 170 billion to
GBP 320 billion and is the size of pharmaceutical market.
The scheme is intended to assist businesses in West Wales
and the Valleys Objective 1 area in continuing to gain
market share in this growing market by:

Investments made for activities linked to 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

— providing 50 % of consultancy costs to help businesses
expand activities in this market or move into the market,
normally subject to a limit of GBP 4 000 per company per
year,

Name and address of the granting authority:

Chambers of Commerce,
(CCIAA) in Piedmont

Industry, Agriculture and Crafts

Other information: In accordance with Article 7 of the Regu-
lation, 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, Agriculture and Crafts and the latter has delivered a
favourable opinion

— providing up to 50 % of investment costs, normally subject
to a maximum of GBP 15 000 per company per year.

This will be a gap-funding scheme and businesses will initially
be directed to existing schemes. The costs of investment in
land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and transfer of tech-
nology relating to the start-up of a new business or the
expansion of an existing business will be eligible for aid. Aid
may also be provided towards the costs of rationalisation and
investment where these exceed normal expected operating
costs, e.g. to improve a product or service provided that the
investment includes an innovative element,
i.e. a product or
process new to the business or the sector

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Economic sector(s) concerned: Environmental goods and
service sector; without prejudice to those sectors governed by
other specific rules

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2006

Name and address of the granting authority:

Welsh Development Agency
North Division, Unit 7
St Asaph Business Park
Ffordd Richard Davies
ST ASAPH
LL17 OLJ, Wales
United Kingdom

Contact person: Cath Peasley

Aid No: XS 108/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Measure 1 ‘Boosting economic competitiveness
in Lombardy’ Submeasure 1.1.D ‘Incentives for the purchase or
leasing of machine tools and/or production equipment under
Act 1329/65’

Legal basis: Legge 1329/65 «Sabatini» contributo in conto
interessi per l'acquisto o il leasing di nuove macchine utensili
o di produzione; Docup Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 Lombardia
approvato con decisione C(2878) del 10.12.2001;
legge
legge 19.12.1983, n. 696, articolo 3;
28.11.1965, n. 1329;
legge 16.2.1987, n. 44; decreto del ministro dell'Industria,
del Commercio e dell'Artigianato del 21.2.1973; decreto del
ministro del Tesoro del 30.4.1987; decreto legislativo
31.3.1998, n. 112, articolo 19; decreto legislativo 31.3.1998,
n. 123; regolamento (CE) n. 70 del 12.1.2001; decreto del
direttore generale del 22.7.2002 n. 13835

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to facilitate the purchase
or leasing of new machine tools or manufacturing equipment
made in Italy or abroad, for a unit or total cost in excess of
EUR 500 000,
ancillary
equipment, accessories, fixed or self-propelled machinery and
equipment
transporting and lifting materials
(cranes and overhead travelling cranes, trolleys, belt conveyors,
etc.) in the factory or yard, and air-conditioning equipment.

including machine

for handling,

systems,

the logistical

The machine tools and production equipment must form part
structure of production units located in
of
Lombardy and registered with the Chamber of Commerce,
Industry, Crafts and Agriculture (CCIAA) and should not be
invoiced prior to the date on which the contract is concluded,
where the equipment is purchased outright, or the handover
document signed, where the equipment is leased.

Vehicles, vessels and aircraft entered in public registers are not
covered

sector(s)

concerned:

Economic
to the
exclusions and limitations laid down by the Community rules
for the steel
industry, shipbuilding, synthetic fibres, motor
manufacturing and the transport industry.

subject

SMEs,

The scheme does not apply to activities
linked to the
production, processing or marketing of products listed in
Annex I to the Treaty

Other information: Investments in excess of EUR 1,6 million
are not eligible

the

establishment

the actual exporting of
Activities linked to exporting,
goods,
foreign
distribution network and other current expenditure linked to
exporting are excluded, and the aid is not conditional on the
preferential use of domestic rather than imported products.

and operation of

i.e.

a

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

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

2001:

2002:

2003:

2004:

2005:

2006:

Objective 2
EUR 1 173 488

Phasing out
EUR 147 816

EUR 1 425 841

EUR 164 506

EUR 1 451 592

EUR 135 896

EUR 1 359 633

EUR 92 983

EUR 1 381 690

EUR 62 785

EUR 1 403 770

Aid No: XS 110/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Lombardy

Maximum aid intensity: 15 % gge for small enterprises and
7,5 % gge for medium-sized enterprises

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Priority 1, measure 1.8, promoting associations
and networks of firms

Date of implementation: 27 August 2002 (no aid will be
granted in any event before this summary has been notified
to the Commission)

Legal basis: Docup Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 Lombardia; Ap-
provato con decisione C(2878) del 10.12.2001

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2.4.2004

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

Aid No: XS 129/02

Objective 2

EUR 529 181
EUR 642 980

EUR 654 591

EUR 613 125

EUR 623 070

EUR 633 027

2001:
2002:

2003:

2004:

2005:

2006:

Phasing out

EUR 66 658
EUR 74 184

EUR 61 283

EUR 41 929

EUR 28 312

Maximum aid intensity:

Medium-sized enterprises 7,5 %

Small enterprises 15 %

Date of implementation: 27 August 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 2000-2006

Objective of aid: To support the formation of associations
and networks between firms, with a view to developing
systemic strategies,
facilitating the acquisition of high-level
capabilities and exploiting the advantages of the information
society.

The measures are designed in line with the definitions in
Article 2(c) and (d) and Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No
70/2001

Economic sector(s) concerned: Trades and crafts

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Lombardia
Struttura Ricerca e Politiche Comunitarie
D.G. Artigianato, Nuova economia, Ricerca e Innovazione
tecnologica
Piazza Duca D'Aosta, 4
I-Milano

Member State: Germany

Region: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Guidelines for the promotion of advisory
services for craft services provided by their chambers

Legal basis: Haushaltsrecht des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpom-
mern

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 194 000 (annual overall amount of the budget appro-
priations for two areas covering approximately 17 500 enter-
prises)

Up to EUR 1 500 within a given three-year period for each
enterprise receiving advice

Maximum aid intensity: 50 % of the costs incurred, with a
maximum of EUR 100 per working day and a maximum of
15 working days within a given three-year period

Date of implementation: The scheme was announced on
16 December 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Unlimited; but
not longer than that of the underlying exemption regulation,
Commission Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 (currently 31
December 2006), plus any extensions

Authorisation is
granted on a
twelve-month period from: 1 January to 31 December)

yearly

basis

(for

the

Objective of aid: To encourage small craft enterprises to use
the advisory services provided by craft chambers

Economic sector(s) concerned: The measure applies to all
sectors provided the relevant sectoral guidelines and regulations
so permit

Name and address of the granting authority:

Wirtschaftsministerium Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Johannes-Stelling-Straße 14
D-19053 Schwerin