Summary information communicated by Member States regarding 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 to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products.   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2006-12-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, France, State aid, agro-industry, control of State aid, exchange of information, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 293/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

2.12.2006

Summary information communicated by Member States regarding 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 to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the produc-
tion, processing and marketing of agricultural products.

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/C 293/03)

XA-Number: XA 90/06

Member State: Austria

Region: Burgenland

Title of aid scheme: Guidelines concerning the provision of
guarantees for credit and loans to small and medium-sized
enterprises active in the production, processing and marketing
of agricultural products under the law of 24 March 1994,
published in Burgenland's provincial law gazette No 33/1994,
on measures to encourage economic development in Burgen-
land (Landes-Wirtschaftsförderungsgesetz 1994 — WiföG)

Legal basis: Gesetz vom 24. März 1994 über Maßnahmen zur
Gewährleistung der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung im Burgen-
land (Landes-Wirtschaftsförderungsgesetz 1994 — WiföG),
LGBl. Nr. 33/1994,
in der Fassung des Gesetzes LGBl.
Nr. 64/1998.

Duration of scheme: This scheme is valid until 31 December
2006.

Objective of aid: To improve the regional economic infra-
structure of SMEs engaged exclusively in the processing and
marketing of agricultural products.

The main focus of the scheme is on:

— special aid for enterprises which place a strong emphasis on

growth

— making companies in Burgenland more internationally-

oriented.

— encouraging small-scale projects by such companies that
show good signs of growth or which are expected to add
value in the long term.

The only costs which are eligible are those which fall under the
following articles:

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: Year 2006:
Liability limit in EUR: 500 000

— Article 7 — investment in processing and marketing

Maximum aid intensity: The grant equivalent of the guar-
antee is calculated using the evaluation method laid down in
the Commission Notice on the application of Articles 87 and
88 of the EC Treaty to State aid in the form of guarantees (OJ
C 71 of 11 March 2000, p. 14).

The amount of the guarantee is in principle 50 % of principal
plus interest.
In cases where Burgenland has a particular
interest in the implementation of the project, the amount of
the guarantee can be up to a maximum of 75 %.

The calculated grant equivalent of the liability has to be consid-
ered in conjunction with other aid measures, in which case the
following ceilings apply:

— Article 14 — provision of technical support in the agri-

cultural sector

Sector(s) concerned: This scheme covers all economic sectors
involved in the processing and marketing of agricultural
products, except the tourism and leisure sector and primary
agricultural and forestry production.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Land Burgenland
Europaplatz 1
A-7001 Eisenstadt

Internet Address: www.wibag.at

Nordburgenland: 30 %

Mittelburgenland: 35 %

Südburgenland: 35 %

Premiums of +15 % can be awarded.

XA-number: XA 98/06

Member State: France

The level of support is subject to the limit set by Regulation
(EC) No 1/2004.

Region: Languedoc-Roussillon

Date of implementation: The aid may be awarded once the
scheme has been published in the Burgenland official gazette.
Such publication is planned at the earliest for 10 working days
after notification of this summary.

Title of aid scheme: Programme d'appui à la création et à la
transmission des exploitations en agriculture (PACTE-agriculture):
aid
investissements matériels — (PACTE-agriculture:
volet
programme for the creation and transfer of agricultural hold-
ings, material investment

2.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 293/5

Legal Basis:

— Articles 4 et 8 du règlement (CE) no 1/2004 de la Commis-

sion

— Articles 4 à 9 du règlement (CE) no 1257/1999 du Conseil

— Articles 9.2.4, 9.2.5 et 9.3.2 du plan de développement
rural national (décision de la Commission C 3948 du 7
octobre 2004)

— Aide N 184/2003 — France: programme pour l'installation

et le développement des initiatives locales (PIDIL)

— Articles L 1511-1 et L 1511-2 code général des collectivités

territoriales

— Délibération no 01.24 du Conseil régional du 22 juillet

2005

Annual
me: EUR 670 000

expenditure

planned

under

the

sche-

Maximum Aid Intensity: The aid scheme will take the form
of overall support for set-up plans submitted by candidates —
whether outside or within a farming family structure (duly
substantiated (1)) — who are setting up their first holding, are
under 40, already have or are in the process of acquiring the
requisite professional capacity, and who are submitting a viable
plan in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

PACTE-agriculture requires signature of a global
contract, which includes, in particular,

installation

— aid of 30 % for investments over EUR 15 000 excluding tax

up to a ceiling of EUR 4 600

— a repayable advance of 35 % for

investments under

EUR 15 000

Technical and financial monitoring is implemented across the
board.

Date of
receipt by the European Commission.

implementation: Following acknowledgement of

Duration of scheme: Unlimited, subject to budget resources

Objective of aid: The objective is, in accordance with Articles
4 and 8 of the Regulation (EC) No 1/2004, to encourage the
creation of small and medium agricultural enterprises in the
region by young farmers starting up. The region hopes in this
way to ease the generational transition in agriculture by main-
taining the number of active farmers and thus boosting the
local economy. With agriculture employing 6 % of the working

population in the area, it is an economic sector to be sustained
and developed. PACTE-agriculture will support competitiveness
in rural areas and will therefore contribute to maintaining and
creating jobs in these areas.

The investment section of PACTE-agriculture aims to sustain
the financial start-up of holdings by allowing investment in
heavy equipment necessary for installation purposes.

PACTE-agriculture's conditions of access are defined by the
national criteria for access to installation aid. In this way, assis-
tance from the State and the Regional Council will be harmo-
nised.

For investment aid over EUR 15 000 the conditions outlined in
scheme N 184/2003 notified by France will be respected.

Material investments less than EUR 15 000 are key to installa-
tion and designed to improve working conditions on the
holding. Aid will take the form of a repayable advance, of
which the grant equivalent will be at most EUR 190. Failure to
repay the advance will lead to the regional authority ordering
full repayment of aid received under PACTE-agriculture.

Systematic checking of each application is implemented with
the DDAFs (Departmental Agriculture and Forestry Directo-
rates) in order to avoid any double-funding, in particular for
investment aid. In this way, if an investment aid application is
made to the State for an amount higher than 15 000 under the
PIDIL programme, any application for an equivalent amount of
aid under PACTE-agriculture will be rejected, and vice versa.

Sectors(s) concerned: All of the candidates for installation in
the Languedoc-Roussillon region, all areas and all production
sectors.

Name and address of the granting authority:

Monsieur le Président du Conseil Régional Languedoc-Rous-
sillon
Direction de l'Économie Rurale, Littorale et Touristique —
Service Gestion de l'Espace Rural et Littoral
201 avenue de la Pompignane
F-34 064 Montpellier Cedex 2

Internet address: www.cr-languedocroussillon.fr

(1) The relevant situation is that before the holding is taken over. If the
farm has not attained the viability criteria before this but the candi-
date demonstrates that modernisation/adaptation/enlargement will
allow these criteria to be achieved within three years, viability will
be deemed to be achievable.