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: 2004-04-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, State aid, United Kingdom, aid to undertakings, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 93/18

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Official Journal of the European Union

17.4.2004

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 93/09)

(Text with EEA relevance)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Aid No: XS 2/02

Member State: Austria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: ERP-Internationalisation Programme

Legal basis: Richtlinien für das ERP-Internationalisierungspro-
gramm

ERP-Fonds
Contact: Elfriede Kober
Tel. (43-1) 150 17 54 66
E-mail: e.kober@erp-fonds.at

Aid No: XS 19/03

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

Member State: United Kingdom

Low-interest loans of approximately EUR 5 million

Grant equivalent: approximately EUR 810 000

Region: West Midlands Objective 2

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Learning and Skills Council Birmingham and
Solihull Investors in People (IIP) Consultancy

Maximum aid intensity:

Legal basis:

— 7,5 % (gross) in the case of medium-sized enterprises

— 15 % (gross) in the case of small enterprises

Date of implementation: From 1 January 2002

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

Objective of aid:

— Employment Act 1973, Sections 2(1) and 2(2), as substan-
tiated by Section 25 of the Employment and Training Act
1998

— Learning Skills Act 2000

— Local Government Act 2000

— Industrial Development Act 1982, Sections 7 and 11

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

Assistance for direct investment abroad.

— Total public expenditure: GBP 414 000

Note: Account is taken of the scope as defined in Regulation
(EC) No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001; this means that no aid
may be granted to the following sectors:

— 2002: GBP 138 000

— 2003: GBP 276 000

— activities

relating to the manufacture, processing and
marketing of goods listed in Annex 1 to the EC Treaty,

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum grant will be 50 % of
IIP consultancy costs. The maximum grant to any one SME is
GBP 20 000

— aid for export-related activities,

i.e. aid which is directly
the setting-up and
related to the exported quantities,
operation of a distribution network or current expenditure
on an export activity,

— aid which is conditional on the use of indigenous products

rather than imported goods

Economic sector(s) concerned: All manufacturing and all
services

Date of implementation: 1 September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Until 31
December 2003

identified in the

Objective of aid: To provide consultancy support on IIP to
SMEs
strategy. The
regional
technique of IIP is a tool to improve productivity and overall
economic performance. This will improve the flexibility of the
workforce and safeguard jobs in the region

economic

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C 93/19

Economic sector(s) concerned:

Manufacturing: automotive supply chain (non-vehicle manu-
facture or first-tier suppliers), engineering,
food and drink
(excluding Annex I).

In areas eligible for regional aid covered by the Objective 2
SPD for Umbria, 20 % gge of the total cost of the eligible
investments (less than the intensity allowed by the regional
aid map, which is 10 % gge + 8 % nge).

— Medium-sized firms: 7,5 % gge of the total cost of the

Other services: creative industries, tourism and leisure.

eligible investments.

Without prejudice to the regulations on sensitive sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Paul Cornick
Sector Co-ordinator Birmingham and Solihull LSC
Chaplin Court
80 Hurst Street
Birmingham B5 4TG
United Kingdom
Tel. (44-121) 345 46 00

Other information: The organisation delivering consultancy
to SMEs is Business Link Birmingham and Solihull
(Small
Business Service), which is a public-sector-funded organisation
and acts as a conduit of funds to SMEs

Aid No: XS 42/03

Member State: Italy

Region: Umbria

In areas eligible for regional aid covered by the Objective 2
SPD for Umbria, 15 % gge of the total cost of the eligible
investments (less than the intensity allowed by the regional
aid map, which is 6 % gge + 8 % nge)

Date of implementation: 14 February 2003.

Aid will be granted only on presentation of
suitable
applications by the firms concerned, which may be submitted
the notice. Only
from the day following publication of
investments made after presentation of
the aid application
will be eligible

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid will be
granted in respect of investments made by firms up to 31
December 2006,
the deadline for eligibility of expenditure
charged to the Objective 2 SPD 2000-2006 for Umbria

investment by small and
for
Objective of aid: Support
medium-sized firms in the Objective 2 and phasing-out areas
of Umbria. The investment covered by this scheme relates to:

(a) new plant, equipment and machinery connected with the

firm's production cycle in the multimedia business;

(b) patents for innovative technologies;

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Regional aid scheme to promote investment by
SMEs in the multimedia business

(c) computer programs and specialist

software connected

exclusively with the firm's multimedia business;

Legal basis:

— Determinazione Dirigenziale 5 febbraio 2003 n. 703.

— In attuazione della Misura 2.1. — Sostegno allo sviluppo
dei sistemi produttivi locali — Azione 2.1.3. — Regime di
aiuti regionale a sostegno degli investimenti delle PMI —
del Docup Obiettivo 2 2000-2006 per la Regione dell'Um-
bria, approvato dalla Commissione Europea con Decisione
C(2001) 2119 del 7 settembre 2001

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company: A
maximum of EUR 1 000 000 per year in accordance with
the funding plan in the programming complement
to the
Objective 2 single programming document (SPD) 2000-2006
for
a maximum total of
region,
EUR 7 000 000 for the duration of the scheme

the Umbria

giving

(d) royalties or

copyright on material

to be used for
multimedia projects, in accordance with the specific eligi-
bility datasheets for costs for the purposes of Regulation
(EC) No 1685/2000

Economic sector(s) concerned: Firms engaged in production
activities and the provision of production services identified by
the following codes in the 1991 Italian Statistical Office
(ISTAT) classification:

22.31 — Reproduction of sound recordings

22.32 — Reproduction of video recordings

72.60.1 — Telematics, robotics and imaging services

72.60.2 — Other computer related services

Maximum aid intensity:

92.11 — Motion picture and video production

— Small

firms: 15 % gge of

the total cost of

the eligible

investments.

Further
mandatory Community rules

restrictions may be imposed as required by new

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Name and address of the granting authority:

Aid No: XS 88/03

Regione dell'Umbria — Giunta Regionale
Servizio Politiche di Sostegno alle Imprese
Via Mario Angeloni 61
I-06100 Perugia
Tel. (39) 07 55 04 57 09
Fax (39) 07 55 04 55 69
E-mail: servizio9@regione.umbria.it

Aid No: XS 79/03

Member State: Ireland

Region: All regions

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Prolongation of Town Renewal Scheme

Legal basis: Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 as amended by
Finance Act 2000 and 2001. Finance Act 2003, which
became law on 28 March 2003, has extended the end-date
of the qualifying period for the scheme to 31 December 2004

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
Estimated EUR 10 million in tax foregone over the period of
tax
the scheme. Total cost
the extension of
foregone for the scheme now estimated to be of the order of
EUR 25 million

in terms of

Maximum aid intensity: 11,20 %

Date of implementation: 6 April 2001

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 6 April 2001
to 31 December 2004

Objective of aid: Extension of the qualifying period for the
scheme of investment aid to support renewal projects by small
and medium-sized enterprises in 100 small towns in Ireland

Economic sector(s) concerned: The sectors of
industrial
activity where special rules and frameworks of Community
law apply (among which are those falling under the ECSC
Treaty, shipbuilding, motor vehicles, synthetic fibres, transport,
fisheries
and
marketing of agricultural products listed in Annex I of the
EC Treaty (OJ C 29, 2.2.1996, p. 4)) are excluded, as are the
financial services and property development sectors

and agriculture,

the processing

including

Member State: Italy

Region: Liguria

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Competition to encourage investment by SMEs
in the Province of Savona aimed at the introduction of quality
systems, the certification of those systems and of products,
equipment and machines, and the acquisition of certificates
of qualification from certification companies
in
(DPR) No 34 of 25
accordance with Presidential Order
January 2000

(SOAs)

Legal basis: Delibera n. 73 del 23.5.2003 della giunta della
Camera di commercio IAA di Savona e relativi provvedimenti
attuativi

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 105 000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid consists of a grant of no
more than 30 % of the eligible expenditure, net of VAT, and no
more than EUR 2 582,28 for any one firm

Date of implementation: Date of this notification

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

Objective of aid: To promote better production quality and to
enhance
in the marketplace by
developing the introduction of quality systems and certification
of products and businesses

competitiveness

firms'

Economic sector(s) concerned: SMEs in industry, crafts, agri-
culture, the distributive trades and services, with their place of
the time of
business in the Province of Savona, who at
application are
chamber of
entered on the
commerce register of firms and whose subscriptions are paid
up.

regularly

For purposes of this competition,
‘small and medium-sized
enterprises’ means those within the definition in Commission
Recommendation 96/280/EC of 3 April 1996, published in OJ
L 107, 30.4.1996

Name and address of the granting authority:

Name and address of the granting authority:

Revenue Commissioners
Dublin Castle
Dublin 2
Ireland

Camera di commercio IAA di Savona
Via Quarda Superiore 16
I-17100 Savona
Tel. (39) 01 98 31 41
Fax (39) 019 85 14 58
E-mail: camcom@sv.camcom.it

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In the case of

firms operating in the
Other information:
processing and marketing of agricultural products within the
scope of Annex I to the EC Treaty (Annex 6 to this notifi-
cation), the grant will be given under the Community rules on
aid to agricultural enterprises via the Italian system of
chambers of agriculture (state aid measure Italy 241/01).

relevant

application was

For grants towards investment programmes launched before
the
the Community
system applicable is Regulation (EC) No 69/2001 on de
minimis aid measures, which does not, however, apply to
transport or to the processing and marketing of agricultural
products within the scope of Annex I to the EC Treaty

submitted,

Aid No: XS 93/02

Aid may be granted for the following types of investment
project:

— setting-up of an establishment,

— extension of an establishment if the number of long-term
full-time jobs is increased by 15 % as compared with the
situation before the start of the investment,

— rationalisation, diversification or modernisation of an estab-
lishment if this serves to ensure the continued existence of
the business and the maintenance of most of the jobs,

— acquisition of an establishment

threatened with closure,

provided that this is done under market conditions.

The long-term jobs created must be maintained for at least five
years after payment of the grant.

Member State: Germany

The aid takes the form of investment grants.

Region: Lower Saxony (rural district of Goslar)

All depreciable fixed assets relating to physical and intangible
assets are eligible

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Goslar rural district rules on the allocation of
grants for joint financing of individual firms by the EU

Legal basis: § 108 der Niedersächsischen Landkreisordnung
(NLO) in der Fassung vom 22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Ge-
setz- und Verordnungsblatt S. 365) i. V. mit § 65 der Nieder-
sächsischen Gemeindeordnung (NGO)
in der Fassung vom
22.8.1996 (Niedersächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt
S. 382)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
individual aid granted to the company:
EUR 300 000

Maximum aid intensity: The whole of the rural district of
Goslar lies within the national regional aid map approved by
the Commission with an authorised gross aid intensity of 28 %
for SMEs. The gross aid intensity amounts to 20 % of eligible
investment expenditure, but not exceeding EUR 10 000. The
rules on the cumulation of aid are complied with

Date of implementation: 1 September 2002

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 September
2002 to 31 December 2006

Objective of aid: The aid is intended to promote the competi-
tiveness and adaptability of small and medium-sized enterprises
in the rural district of Goslar, encourage the creation of new
jobs and help safeguard existing ones, thus bringing about
structural improvements.

Rescue and restructuring aid for firms in difficulty (within the
meaning of the Community guidelines on state aid for rescuing
and restructuring firms in difficulty: OJ C 288, 9.10.1999) is
not covered by the measure.

in manufacturing,

Economic sector(s) concerned: The following are eligible:
SMEs
the distributive
the craft
trades, building, transport and the hotel trade whose place of
business is in the rural district of Goslar. Aid may not be
granted to firms in sensitive sectors

sector,

Name and address of the granting authority:

Landkreis Goslar
Klubgartenstraße 6
D-38610 Goslar

Other information:

Ms Dippold
Tel. (49-5321) 762 53
Fax (49-5321) 769 92 53

Aid No: XS 100/02

Member State: Italy

Region: Sicily

Title of aid scheme or name of the company receiving an
individual aid: Aid for investment

Legal basis:

— Intervento previsto dall'art. 27, della L.R. 23.12.2000, n.

32.

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— L'intervento è

inoltre

contemplato nel P.O.R. Sicilia,
2000/2006 e relativo Complemento di programmazione,
misura 4.01a, sottomisura 4.01.a1 «potenziamento delle
P.M.I.»

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

The measure will be financed under sub-measure 4.01.a1 of the
2000-2006 regional operational programme for Sicily, which
provides for a total cost of EUR 47 777 500 for the entire
programme.

The scheme started with the publication of the appropriate
notice in the Supplement
the
European Communities of 13 September 2002 with a budget
of EUR 32 670 354, broken down as follows:

to the Official

Journal of

2002: —

2003: EUR 11 000 000

2004: EUR 11 000 000

2005: EUR 10 670 354

Maximum aid intensity: The maximum aid intensity is 35 %
nge + 15 % gge, for eligible costs

Date of implementation: 13 September 2002 (date of publi-
cation of call for applications)

and/or
planning new production initiatives
consolidate their production base by introducing innovations
in processes and products, energy saving and diversification
measures and, in particular, firms giving priority to measures
to reduce the quantity and hazardousness of production waste

to increase

Economic sector(s) concerned: The investment programmes
of extractive and manufacturing firms may relate to one or
several of the production sectors listed in Section C ‘Extraction
of minerals’ and Section D ‘Manufacturing activities’ of the
ISTAT '91 Classification of
activities, without
prejudice to prohibitive or restrictive measures under current
EU rules.

economic

Firms providing services may promote investment programmes
only in one or several of the sectors listed in the annex under
1).

Investment programmes of companies operating in the elec-
tricity,
steam and hot water generation and distribution
industry and belonging to categories 40, 10 and 40.30 of
the ISTAT '91 Classification of economic activities are eligible
only in respect of plant using renewable or equivalent sources
of supply, with a capacity not exceeding 50 MW electric and
with an energy index of not less than 0,60.

For the list of sectors subject
to prohibitive or restrictive
measures under current EU legislation, reference should be
made to point 2.6 of Industry Ministry Circular No 900315
of 14 July 2000 and the relevant annexes

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

Name and address of the granting authority:

Objective of aid: The measure is intended to strengthen the
existing production system by improving competitiveness and
promoting the setting-up of new firms by helping SMEs

Regione Siciliana
Assessorato Industria
Viale Regione Siciliana 4580
I-90146 Palermo