Summary information on State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of  23 December 2003  on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty on State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products
Date: 2006-05-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, Italy, Spain, State aid, United Kingdom, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 104/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

3.5.2006

Summary information on State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of
23 December 2003 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty on State aid to small
and medium-sized enterprises active in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural
products

(2006/C 104/03)

Aid No: XA 50/04

Member State: Italy

Region: Marche

Title of aid scheme: Aid granted to consortia for the costs
involved in starting up activities concerning the registration,
monitoring and use of designations of origin

Legal basis: Art. 7 della legge regionale 10 dicembre 2003, n.
23. «Interventi per il sostegno dei sistemi di certificazione della
qualità e della tracciabilità delle produzioni agricole ed agroali-
mentari.»

Maximum expenditure planned: The total amount planned
in the 2004 budget of the legal basis is EUR 774 685,35, of
which a maximum of EUR 200 000 is earmarked for aspects
covered by this aid scheme. The legal basis stipulates that
annual spending in the years to follow may reach a ceiling of
EUR 2 000 000, of which a maximum of EUR 500 000 is
earmarked for aspects covered by this aid scheme

Maximum aid intensity: Start-up aid for the consortia to
begin administrative activities and significantly expand its
work, as provided for under Article 10(5) of the exemption
regulation, is to cover a maximum period of five years with the
following ceilings for eligible costs: 100 % for the first year,
80 % the second year, 60 % the third year, 40 % the fourth
year and 20 % the fifth year. The amount of such aid, which
for brevity can be defined as start-up aid, must not exceed
EUR 100 000.

Activities granted aid must be carried out uninterruptedly for
five years, except for cases of force majeure.

The aid may not be paid in respect of costs incurred after the
fifth year, or paid following the seventh year after recognition
of the producer organisation. This is without prejudice to grant
aid towards eligible expenses limited to and resulting from a
year-on-year increase in turnover of a beneficiary by at least
30 % where this is due to the accession of new members and/
or the coverage of new products.

Aid will not be granted to consortia whose objectives are
incompatible with the Council Regulation establishing a
common organisation of the market

Duration of scheme: The duration is unspecified and is linked
to annual budget allocations set by the Marche Region

Objectives of aid: To help establish consortia and promotion
committees for the registration, monitoring and use of designa-
tions of origin

Reference article in Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of the
European Commission: Article 10

Beneficiaries: Promotion committees and consorzi di
tutela,
consortia set up as product associations under the definition of
small and medium-sized enterprises under Regulation (EC) No
70/2001

Eligible costs: The following costs are eligible for aid: the rent
of appropriate premises,
the purchase of office equipment,
including computer equipment (hardware and software), staff
costs, general costs and legal and administrative costs. In the
case of the purchase of premises, eligible costs are limited to
rental prices at market rates.

In the case of significant expansion of activities, only costs
associated with new members and new products are eligible.

Eligibility of costs will commence on the date the aid is granted

Sectors concerned: The aid scheme applies to all agricultural
and agri-food production contained in Annex 1 of the Treaty

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Marche — Servizio Sviluppo e Gestione Attività Agri-
cole e Rurali e Servizio Sistema Agroalimentare, Ambiente
rurale e Foreste

Web address: www.agri.marche.it

Aid No: XA 52/04

Member State: Italy

Region: Marche

Date of implementation: From 2004 and, in any case, ten
working days after submission of this form, in accordance with
Article 19(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

Title of aid scheme: Aid granted to consortia for protected
designation of origin (PDO) wines for the administrative and
technical aspects involved in starting up activities

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Legal basis:

Decreto del Ministro delle Risorse Agricole Alimentari e Fore-
stali 4 giugno 1997, n. 256. Regolamento recante norme sulle
condizioni per consentire l'attività dei consorzi volontari di
tutela e dei consigli interprofessionali delle denominazioni di
origine e delle indicazioni geografiche tipiche dei vini;

Decreto del Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali 29
maggio 2001: «Controllo sulla produzione dei vini di qualità
prodotti in regioni determinate (V.Q.P.R.D.)»; con cui si prov-
vede al rilascio delle autorizzazioni a svolgere l'attività di vigi-
lanza ai sensi dell'art 21 della stessa L.n. 164/92

Decreto del Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali 21
marzo 2002:
«Approvazione dello schema di piano dei
controlli, delle relative istruzioni e del prospetto tariffario ai fini
dell'applicazione del decreto ministeriale 29 maggio 2001,
recante il controllo sulla produzione dei vini di qualità prodotti
in regioni determinate (V.Q.P.R.D.)»;

«Sospensione del

Decreto del Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali 31
luglio 2003:
termine previsto dall'art. 4,
comma 4, del decreto ministeriale 29 maggio 2001, concer-
nente il controllo sulla produzione dei vini di qualità prodotti
in regioni determinate (V.Q.P.R.D.)»;

Legge Regionale 27 luglio 1998, n. 23 inerente la «Gestione
della riserva regionale dei diritti di reimpianto» (ex Aiuto di
Stato N 183/98 — Italia (Marche) Misure d'aiuto nel settore
vitivinicolo — Comunicazione della Commissione Europea del
2.8.1999);

Date of implementation: From 2004 and, in any case, ten
working days after submission of this form, in accordance with
Article 19(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

Duration of scheme: Five years. Expiry date: 31 December
2008

Objectives of aid: To help with the technical and administra-
tive aspects involved in starting up DOC wine consortia
through projects designed to:

— set up internal monitoring services: to monitor compliance
with production rules and/or standards for DOC users;

— set up protection services: monitoring the correct use of

designations;

— set up promotion services: advice and support

to raise
production standards to meet market needs and to launch
product marketing initiatives

Reference article in Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of the
European Commission: Article 10 ‘Aid for producer groups’

Eligible costs: The following costs are eligible for aid:

— costs incurred by the recipient to cover the administrative
and technical aspects involved in starting up activity, within
the limits set out in the rules governing aid, specifically:

— the rent of appropriate premises;

— the purchase of office equipment, including computer

equipment (hardware and software);

Deliberazione di Giunta Regionale n. 581 dell'1.6.2004

— staff costs;

Annual expenditure planned: EUR 180 759,91

— general costs totalling 12 % of total eligible costs;

Maximum aid intensity: Aid is granted in the form of capital
two years
transfers for
from the date the application is
approved.
is disbursed in yearly instalments up to a
It
maximum of 50 % of eligible costs incurred.

Total aid may not exceed EUR 100 000 per recipient to cover
costs incurred during the first year. For investments totalling
more than the allowed amount, the excess will be borne in full
by the recipient, who must commence all authorised activities
contained in the application, which will be subject to regular
checks.

If sufficient funding is not available, priority will be given to
the following eligible costs: start-up costs up to a maximum of
100 %, the purchase of computer equipment, the payment of
staff and/or consultants up to a maximum of 80 % and lastly,
general operating costs, as much as possible given the available
financial resources.

— legal and administrative costs.

— Costs incurred after the date the aid was granted are

eligible.

— Costs to cover structural work are not eligible.

Beneficiaries: I consorzi di tutela, consortia set up as product
associations under the definition of small and medium-sized
enterprises under Regulation (EC) No 70/2001 that have been
authorised to carry out monitoring activities under Decreto del
Ministro delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali of 29 May 2001 and
whose purpose is to establish monitoring and certification
schemes for quality production

Sectors concerned: The wine sector. The purpose of
the
scheme is to monitor and certify quality production of DOC
and psr wine

Aid will not be granted for expenses incurred after the fifth
year of activity nor seven years after authorisation from the
Ministry.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Marche — Via Tiziano 44 — I-60100 Ancona

Aid will not be granted to consortia whose objectives are
incompatible with the Council Regulation establishing a
common organisation of the market

Web address: www.agri.marche.it

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Official Journal of the European Union

3.5.2006

Aid No: XA 55/04

Member State: Spain

Region: Cantabria

Title of the aid scheme: Aid to livestock farmers and those
working in the beef/veal sector affected by the destruction of
animal carcases they own because of their contact with the
slaughter chain of animals testing positive for BSE using rapid
diagnosis tests, slaughtered in Cantabria

Legal basis:

(Proyecto) Orden de … de …2004, por la que establece y
regula un régimen de ayudas por la destrucción de la canal
inmediatamente anterior y las dos inmediatamente posteriores
a la que de positivo en las pruebas de diagnóstico rápido de
encefalopatía espongiforme bovina (EEB), en la misma cadena
de sacrificio

Consejería de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca del Gobierno de
Cantabria

C/ Gutierrez Solana s/n. Edificio Europa. E-39011 Santander.
(Cantabria)

Web address: http://boc.gobcantabria.es/boc/default.htm

Aid No: XA 58/04

Member State: Belgium

Region: Flanders

Title of aid scheme: Amendment of the regulations governing
[Flemish agricultural
the Vlaams
investment fund] (VLIF) to extend the scope for state guarantees
for investment in agriculture and horticulture

Landbouwinvesteringsfonds

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
individual aid granted to the company:
amount of
EUR 25 000 (total annual amount of budgetary provision)

Legal basis:

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation:
publication of the Order

from the day following that of

Duration of scheme or the individual aid award: The same
as that of Annex III, Chapter A.I, 6.5 of Regulation (EC) No
999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22
May 2001 concerning certain transmissible spongiform ence-
phalopathies.

The epidemiological data so far available suggest that bovine
spongiform encephalopathy may be eliminated within about
six years. However, since Commission Regulation (EC) No
1/2004 expires on 30 June 2007, the aid scheme may last until
that date

for

sector

Objective of the aid:
In accordance with Article 16(c) of
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, the aid granted is
intended to compensate livestock farmers and those working in
the beef/veal
the losses sustained through the
destruction of the carcase immediately preceding and the two
carcases immediately following the one testing positive using
rapid diagnosis tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) in the same slaughter chain pursuant to Article 13(4) of
Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and
the Council concerning certain transmissible spongiform
of
encephalopathies

Besluit van de Vlaamse regering van 24 november 2000 betref-
fende steun aan de investeringen en aan de installatie en een
bijhorend ministerieel besluit van dezelfde datum (maatregel
goedgekeurd bij de EU-Commissie als steunmaatregel N 501/
00).

De besluiten zijn gepubliceerd in het Belgisch Staatsblad: het
besluit van de Vlaamse regering op 14 februari 2001; het
ministerieel besluit op 12 mei 2001.

De besluiten zijn getroffen in uitvoering van artikel 12 van het
Decreet van 22 december 1993 houdende oprichting van een
Vlaams Landbouwinvesteringsfonds (VLIF)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: A supple-
mentary state guarantee for investment may cover a maximum
of 80 % of an eligible loan up to €1m, whereby the latter
amount may be increased to a maximum of EUR 2 million
with the guarantee rate being progressively reduced in inverse
proportion from 80 % to 50 % of the total amount of the guar-
anteed loan.

[x % = 80 % — 30 x (I — 1) %; x = VLIF guarantee; I = invest-
ment in EUR million, limited to EUR 2 million]

Although the scheme extends the scope for obtaining a state
guarantee,
the associated risks are limited by the greater
assumption of responsibility by the banks as the guarantee rate
decreases.

In addition, a fee is payable for the state guarantee:

Sector(s) concerned: The aid is targeted at the beef produc-
tion sector

— 0,35 % of the guarantee granted;

Name and address of granting authority:

— plus 0,015 % per year of the duration of the guarantee

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Official Journal of the European Union

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This scheme (covering 2 to 3 horticultural businesses a year)
does not entail any direct expenditure for the Flemish region. It
comes into effect only in the event of the insolvency or bank-
ruptcy of the horticulture or agriculture business concerned
and then only after the complete liquidation of the business

Maximum aid intensity: The scheme does not involve the
granting of direct aid. The subsidy equivalent of the extended
VLIF guarantee is reduced in relative terms as the assumption
of responsibility by the banks increases, so that the limits of
Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 are observed at all
times

Date of implementation: After approval of the enclosed draft
the Flemish government and the accompanying
decree of
ministerial decree,
the scheme in
accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

following notification of

Duration of scheme: The scheme comes under the operation
of the VLIF and will apply at least until the end of 2006

Objective of aid: Agricultural and horticultural businesses, in
particular glasshouse businesses, are to be supported in their
development to enable them to grow to a scale corresponding
to the optimum economic size of glasshouse businesses in Flan-
ders.

The scheme extends the scope for state guarantees to cover
eligible investments up to EUR 2 million. The financial aid in
the form of interest subsidies and/or capital grants remains
unchanged and is restricted to a tranche of eligible investment
amounting to EUR 1 million (current scheme)

Economic sectors concerned: Agricultural production sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

Vlaams Landbouwinvesteringsfonds
Leuvenseplein 4, 3e verdieping
B-1000 Brussel

Website: www2.vlaanderen.be/ned/sites/landbouw

Other information: none

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The total
budget of the scheme will be GBP 3 000 000. This will be split
over 3 financial years:

14.12.2004 — 31.3.2005: GBP 850 000

1.4.2005 — 31.3.2006: GBP 1 000 000

1.4.2006 — 31.3.2007: GBP 1 150 000

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation: 14 December 2004

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme
closes to new applicants on 31 March 2007. The last date for
submitting grant claims is 31 May 2007

Objective of aid: Sector development — the aim of
the
scheme is to encourage collaboration between businesses and
provide technical support to clusters of agricultural and land-
based businesses for the purposes of assisting their develop-
ment and improving business efficiency.

The eligible costs will be consultancy services in line with
Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2004

Sector(s) concerned: The scheme applies to all agricultural
businesses,
including production, processing and marketing.
The scheme is open to all sub-sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

The statutory body responsible for the scheme is:

South West Regional Development Agency
Sterling House
Dix's Field
Exeter
EX1 1QA
United Kingdom

The organisation operating the scheme is:

Business Link Devon and Cornwall
Tamar Science Park
Derriford
Plymouth
PL6 8BT
United Kingdom

Aid No: XA 69/04

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: South West of England

Title of Aid scheme or name of company receiving an
individual aid: Rural Enterprise Gateway (South West of
England): Doing Things Differently Programme

Legal basis: Section 5 of the Regional Development Agencies
Act 1998

Web-Address:
www.defra.gov.uk/farm/state-aid/setup/exist-exempt.htm. Click
on ‘Rural Enterprise Gateway (South West of England): Doing
Things Differently Programme’. Alternatively, you can go direct
to http://defraweb/farm/state-aid/setup/schemes/doingdifferent-
ly.pdf

Other information: The scheme will be made available to all
rural businesses, not just agricultural businesses. Aid to non-
agricultural businesses will be paid with regard to Commission
Regulation (EC) No 69/2001 on de minimis aid