Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products
Date: 2007-06-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Austria, Latvia, Spain, State aid, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

26.6.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 141/17

Information communicated by Member States regarding State aid granted under Commission Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006 on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to
small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products

(2007/C 141/06)

XA number: XA 56/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an indi-
vidual aid: Subvenciones destinadas a la mejora de la produc-
ción y de la calidad de los plantones de hortalizas y de las
plantas de vivero, y se efectúa su convocatoria para 2007

Legal basis:
‘Proyecto de orden por la que se establecen las
bases reguladoras para la concesión de subvenciones destinadas
a la mejora de la producción y de la calidad de los plantones de
hortalizas y de las plantas de vivero, y se efectúa su convoca-
toria para 2007’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
EUR 2 730 000

individual aid granted to the company:

Maximum aid intensity:

the species or groups of species for which specific certifi-
cation rules have been approved;

(b) laboratory for analyses relating to health and varieties,
plus analyses which are self-performed or performed by
third parties, relating to health and varieties;

(c) installing, building, equipping or improving facilities used

in the nursery production process;

(d) investment geared towards eliminating and/or exploiting
pollutant residues, and towards introducing and certi-
fying quality-assurance programmes in accordance with
ISO 9000 standards, and environmental programmes in
accordance with ISO 14000 standards;

(e) investment geared towards the improvement, in terms of
plant health, of buildings and facilities used in the
production of nursery plants;

(f) automation
processes.

and

computerisation

of

production

legal persons), groups of

The investment or work approved may be subsidised up to a
maximum of 35 % in the case of individual producers (whether
natural or
individual producers
(whether natural or legal persons or public or private persons
without legal personality), and jointly owned entities, and a
maximum of 40 % in the case of business associations made up
of producers (agricultural cooperatives and agricultural groups
engaged in processing)

2. In order to improve the quality and production of vegetable
propagating and planting material other than seed, subsidies
may be granted for investment and work which includes:

(a) installing, building, equipping or improving facilities used
in the production of vegetable planting material, in par-
ticular for sowing, germination, fertirrigation, air condi-
tioning and environmental monitoring;

Date of implementation: One month after publication of the
rules in the Official Gazette of the Autonomous Community of
Andalusia

(b) investment geared towards the improvement, in terms of
plant health, of buildings and facilities used in the
production of vegetable planting material;

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: One year. The
date planed for payment of the last instalment is 31 December
2007

(c) laboratory for analyses relating to health and varieties,
plus analyses which are self-performed or performed by
third parties, relating to health and varieties;

Objective of aid: The aim of the subsidies is to improve the
quality of production of vegetable planting material and nursery
plants. They are intended for producers of nursery plants and
vegetable planting material and fall within the category ‘invest-
ment in agricultural holdings’, laid down in Article 4 of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006.

The eligible headings included in Article 7 of the draft Autono-
mous Community Order fall within those permitted under
Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

1. In order to improve the quality and production of nursery
plants, subsidies may be granted for investment and work
which includes:

(a) obtaining and testing new varieties and clones of species
or groups of species for which specific certification rules
have been approved, and introducing parent plants
which are catalogued at least as a certified category of

(d) investment geared towards eliminating and/or exploiting
pollutant residues, and towards introducing and certi-
fying quality-assurance programmes in accordance with
ISO 9000 standards, and environmental programmes in
accordance with ISO 14000 standards;

(e) automation
processes.

and

computerisation

of

production

3. In order to encourage the use of vegetable planting material
and nursery plants of certified category, where activities will
be conducted solely by non-profit making associations of
producers of vegetable planting material and of nursery
plants, subsidies may be granted for investment and work
which includes:

(a) increasing awareness of and studying the market in vege-
table planting material and nursery plants of certified
category;

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Official Journal of the European Union

26.6.2007

(b) tests on new varieties and clones of

the species or
groups of species for which specific certification rules
have been approved.

Headings that will not be eligible:

Internet address: http://www.cap.junta-andalucia.es

Other information: The aim of the present Annex is to ensure
compliance with Article 3(2)(c) as regards the submission of the
summary information provided for in Article 20(1)

The following investment will not qualify for the subsidies
established in the Order:

Directora General de la Producción Agraria
Fdo.: Judit Anda Ugarte

(a) high-voltage connections for electrification

(b) sinking of wells or abstraction from wells

(c) reservoirs for regulating and storing irrigation water

(d) access routes to installations

(e) office buildings and their

fittings, except

for computer

equipment

(f) commonly used machinery, and tools in general

(g) charges or taxes, whether recoverable by the beneficiary or

not

(h) financial expenses incurred as a result of the investment

(i) investment in used equipment

(j) investment which is considered to be ineligible under Com-

munity, State or Autonomous Community rules

The draft Order meets the requirements applicable under Article
18(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15
December 2006

Sector(s) concerned: Plant production: production of nursery
plants and vegetable planting material

Name and address of the granting authority:

Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca de la Junta de Andalucía
Tabladilla s/n
E-41071 Sevilla

XA number: XA 57/07

Member State: Spain

Region: —

Title of aid scheme: Orden por la que se establecen las bases
reguladoras y se aprueba la convocatoria de ayudas para reparar
los daños causados en uva de mesa por las lluvias generalizadas
durante el otoño de 2006 en la Comunidad Autónoma de la
Región de Murcia

Legal basis:
‘Orden APA/…/2007, de … de abril, por la que se
establecen las bases reguladoras y se aprueba la convocatoria de
ayudas para reparar los daños causados en uva de mesa por las
lluvias generalizadas durante el otoño de 2006 en la Comunidad
Autónoma de la Región de Murcia’

Annual
EUR 1 500 000 (in 2007)

expenditure

planned

under

the

scheme:

Maximum aid intensity: the maximum aid intensity will not
exceed 80 % of the recorded losses resulting from the adverse
climatic event. The aid will be calculated by holding.

The following will be taken into consideration for the aid calcu-
lation:

aid = average production × average price × ( % damage – 20 %)

To calculate the damage, the harvested production in the year when the adverse climatic event took place is
used, relative to the average for the last three years. Thus:

% damage ¼

average production (cid:0) harvested production
average production

× 100

A non-reducible excess of 20 % is applied in order to guarantee
that the maximum aid limit does not exceed 80 % of the losses.

The expenditure guaranteed by the insurance companies in rela-
tion to other risks covered by the insurance will be deducted
from the amount of aid calculated

Date of implementation: the aid may be granted within a six-
month period from the into force of the Order

Objective of aid: the objective of the aid is to compensate
table grape producers from the Autonomous Community of the
Region of Murcia who suffered major losses in production as a
result of heavy rainfall in November 2006.

The ripening of
table grapes in 2006 was delayed by the
climatic conditions which occurred in the area. As a result,
harvesting took place later than in normal marketing years.

Agricultural
insurance provides guarantees against the risk of
rain up to 31 October, the normal date for harvesting. The

delayed ripening, however, meant that the grapes had still not
been harvested by the time the rainfall occurred (first days in
November), since they had not yet reached optimal physiological
maturity.

Consequently, the heavy rainfall which took place caused major
damage to production (widespread occurrence of split grapes
and proliferation of acid rot and other forms of secondary rot,
with botrytis present), which was not covered by the agricultural
insurance because it occurred after the guarantee period had
expired. Consequently, these losses could not be covered by the
insurance policies taken out by the producers.

It is therefore necessary to introduce an aid scheme to compen-
sate for the damage which the rainfall caused to production
since, in spite of being insured, no guarantees, etc. have been
available in respect of the latter.

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 141/19

The aid is to be granted pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006 and corresponds to ‘Aid for losses due to
adverse climatic events’ in accordance with Article 11(2) to (6),
(9) and (10)

Sector(s) concerned: the aid is intended for the table grape
sector in the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia

Name and address of the granting authority:

Entidad Estatal de Seguros Agrarios (ENESA),
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
Miguel Ángel, 23 — 5a planta
E-28010 Madrid

Internet address: enesa@mapya.es

Other information: —

Madrid, abril de 2007
El Director
Fdo.: Fernando J. Burgaz Moreno

XA number: XA 58/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Andalucía

Title of aid scheme: Subvenciones a las explotaciones del
olivar gravemente afectadas por las heladas en los meses de
enero, febrero y marzo de 2005, en el marco del Plan especial
para la capacidad reproductiva del olivar

Legal Basis:
‘Orden que modifica la Orden de 20 de noviembre
de 2006, por la que se establecen las bases reguladoras para la
concesión de subvenciones a las explotaciones del olivar grave-
mente afectadas por las heladas en los meses de enero, febrero y
marzo de 2005, en el marco del Plan especial para la recupera-
ción de la capacidad productiva del olivar, y se efectúa su convo-
catoria.’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

Three-year aid plan with a budget of:

Year

2007

2008

2009

Estimated total aid under the plan
(EUR)

32 434 191

22 377 659

13 922 346

TOTAL

68 734 196

The Government of Andalusia is to provide 50 % of the budget,
with the remaining 50 % coming from the central government

Maximum Aid Intensity:

Under Article 6(4) of the Order, total aid, including where this
aid is cumulated with other public aid, may not, under any
circumstances, exceed the percentage of 80 % laid down in
Article 11(2) of
the exemption Regulation (Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006).

The annual compensatory aid varies according to the work
carried out and is calculated as follows:

Work

Intensive pruning

2007
(EUR/ha)

2 250

2008
(EUR/ha)

2009
(EUR/ha)

Radical pruning

2 363

2 137

Top pruning

2 480

2 356

1 914

Bottom pruning

3 029

2 992

2 979

Replanting

700

675

625

In no case may the intensity of the aid exceed 80 % of the loss
of income from the sale of the product suffered because of frost
and within that limit may not exceed EUR 63 000 for regenera-
tion measures (with a maximum area of 7 ha) and EUR 6 000
for replanting measures (with a maximum area of 3 ha)

Date of implementation: The Order will enter into force on
the day following its publication in the Boletín Oficial de la Junta
de Andalucía (Official Journal of the Government of Andalusia).
In accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/
2006, the Order will be published ten days after the submission
of this Annex to the Commission.

This aid complies with Article 11(10) of the exemption Regu-
lation in that it is being introduced within three years of the
occurrence of the expense or loss

Duration of scheme: This is a three-year scheme, covering the
2007, 2008 and 2009 financial years. The aid complies with
Article 11(10) of the exemption Regulation in that it is being
paid within four years of the occurrence of the expense or loss

Objective of aid: To compensate SMEs for
the effects of
adverse weather conditions: frosts during January, February and
March 2005.

Aid is paid to offset part of the loss of income suffered by olive
growers affected by frost after carrying out the following work:

— Intensive pruning: work carried out in groves because of
frost damage, involving pruning to remove tertiary branches
and at least one secondary branch.

— Radical pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost
a number of

damage,
secondary branches and several primary branches.

involving pruning to remove

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Official Journal of the European Union

26.6.2007

— Top pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost
damage, involving pruning to remove all primary branches.

Legal basis: NÖ Landwirtschaftsgesetz

— Bottom pruning: work carried out in groves because of frost
damage, involving cutting off the trunk or trunks of olive
trees at a height of less than 40 cm above ground.

— Replanting: work carried out

frost
damage, involving grubbing up the roots of dead olive trees
and replacing them with new seedlings. The cost of the new
seedlings planted or to be planted is not covered

in groves because of

Sectors(s)
(holdings involved in olive growing)

concerned: The primary olive-growing

sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca
Avda. Tabladilla s/n
E-41013 Sevilla

Internet address: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/agriculturay-
pesca/portal/opencms/portal/portada.jsp

Other information: In accordance with Article 11(7) of the
exemption Regulation, the frosts occurring in January, February
and March 2007 were officially recognised as an adverse
climatic event which can be assimilated to a natural disaster by
Royal Decree-Law 1/2005 of 4 February 2005 adopting urgent
measures to alleviate the damage caused in the agriculture sector
by frost in February 2005.

The explanatory introduction to the Royal Decree expressly
states that ‘The extent of the damage caused constitutes a situa-
tion that can be assimilated to a natural disaster in the terms
established by the Community guidelines for State aid in the
agriculture sector and calls for the immediate adoption by the
public authorities of palliative measures to ensure a gradual
return to economic normality in the affected areas’.

Subsequently, Royal Decree-Law 6/2005 of 8 April 2005 imple-
menting Royal Decree-Law 1/2005 lays down that
‘Royal
Decree-Law 1/2005 of 4 February 2005 adopting urgent
measures to alleviate the damage caused in the agriculture sector
by frost in February 2005 shall also apply in the case of the
damage caused by the frosts occurring in February and March
2005’.

La Secretaria General de Agricultura, Ganadería y Desarrollo
rural
Teresa Sáez Carrascosa

XA Number: XA 59/07

Member State: Austria

Region: Niederösterreich

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Richtlinie für die Förderung der Qualitätsverbesserung
der Niederösterreichischen Rinderzucht — „NÖ — Genetik
Programm“

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: Up to
EUR 600 000 a year

Maximum aid intensity: 80 % of the costs

Date of implementation: May 2007

Duration of
December 2013

scheme or

individual

aid award: Until

cover

support

Objective of aid: The guidelines
to the
Lower Austrian cattle breeding associations as regards the costs
arising in respect of keeping and constantly updating herd
books and in respect of advising herd-book holdings on opera-
tional and quality management. Support is also available for
organising and holding trade fairs and shows for high-quality
breeding cattle.

The guidelines are based on Article 15 (provision of technical
support in the agricultural sector) and Article 16 (support for
the livestock sector)

Sector(s) concerned: Cattle breeding

Name and address of the granting authority:

Amt der Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung
Abteilung Landwirtschaftsförderung LF3
Landhausplatz 1
A-3109 St. Pölten

Internet address: http://www.noe.gv.at/

Other information: —

XA Number: XA 63/07

Member State: Latvia

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an indi-
vidual aid: Atbalsta shēma ‘Atbalsts apdrošināšanas prēmiju
daļējai segšanai’

Legal basis: Ministru kabineta 2007. gada 23.
janvāra notei-
kumi Nr. 78 ‘Noteikumi par valsts atbalstu lauksaimniecībai
2007. gadā un tā piešķiršanas kārtību’ 10. pielikuma I. atbalsta
programma

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: Total
amount under the aid scheme in 2007: LVL 200 000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid is granted at a rate of 50 %
of the cost of contracts concluded by insurance companies and
insurance policy holders, but not exceeding LVL 25 per unit
(hectare or livestock unit), not exceeding LVL 50 for potatoes
and vegetables, and not exceeding LVL 150 for fruit trees and
berry plants

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Date of implementation: 1 April 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Until 30 December
2007

Objective of aid: The objective of the aid is to reduce the
production risk in plant and livestock production by partly
offsetting the costs of taking out an insurance policy.

The measure conforms to Article 12 of Commission Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: The aid is
small and
medium-sized enterprises active in agriculture. The aid is
intended for the livestock and plant production sectors.

intended for

Name and address of the granting authority:

Latvijas Republikas Zemkopības ministrija
LV-1981 Rīga

Internet address: www.zm.gov.lv

Other information: —