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 EC Treaty to State aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001
Date: 2007-08-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, Netherlands, Slovenia, State aid, agricultural holding, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, exchange of information, small and medium-sized enterprises

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Official Journal of the European Union

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NOTICES FROM MEMBER STATES

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 EC Treaty to State aid to
small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products and amending
Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2007/C 194/02)

XA Number: XA 84/07

Member State: Netherlands

Region: Provinces (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland,
Friesland, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht,
Zeeland, South Holland, South Limburg)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Provinciale subsidieverordeningen (omschrijving steun:
De infrastructuur voor de ontwikkeling/aanpassing van land-
bouw, onderdeel bedrijfsverplaatsingen).

Legal basis:

— Artikel 11, derde lid, Wet inrichting landelijk gebied;

— Provinciewet: artikel 105, artikel 145, artikel 158;

Provinciale subsidieverordeningen:

— Drenthe: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening Inrichting

Landelijk Gebied

— Gelderland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling vitaal Gelder-

land 2007

— Groningen: artikel 9 van de Uitvoeringsregeling subsidies

inrichting landelijk gebied 2006

— Flevoland: artikel 2 van de Subsidieregeling inrichting lande-

lijk gebied Flevoland

— Friesland:

artikel 2 van de Kadersubsidieverordening

Inrichting Landelijk Gebied provincie Fryslân 2007

— Noord-Brabant:

artikel 2 van de

Subsidieverordening

inrichting landelijk Gebied 2007

— Noord-Holland:

artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening

inrichting landelijk gebied Noord-Holland 2007

— Overijssel: artikel 6.10 en artikel 8.3 van het Uitvoerings-

besluit subsidies Overijssel

— Zeeland: artikel 2 van de PMJP Subsidieregeling Inrichting

Landelijk Gebied Zeeland

— Zuid-Holland: artikel 7.8 van de Algemene subsidieveror-

dening Zuid-Holland

— Zuid-Limburg:

artikel 2 van de

Subsidieverordening

inrichting landelijk gebied Limburg

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid is
financed from the top-up amount
(EUR 78 million) under
measure sheet 125 of
the 2007-2013 Rural Development
Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: With regard to aid granted on the
basis of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: 10 % of
the eligible costs of purchasing new farmland (other than land
for construction purposes) as referred to in Article 4(8) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006 and never more than the equivalent
of:

— the number of hectares of

farmland at the old location
transferred by the agricultural holding to the Office for the
Management of Farmland, multiplied by EUR 3 000, plus

— 6 % of the purchase price of the farmland at the new loca-

tion.

With regard to aid granted on the basis of Article 6 of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006: 100 % of the costs, as referred to in
Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, resulting directly
from the relocation of farm buildings.

Date of implementation: Payments will not be made before
the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme has been
approved.

— Utrecht: artikel 3 van de Subsidieverordening inrichting

landelijk gebied provincie Utrecht 2006

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Up to and including
31 December 2013.

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Objective of aid: The objective of the aid is to improve the
spatial structure of agriculture in regions with Natura 2000 and
other national ecological network areas by relocating livestock
holdings from the immediate vicinity of those valuable nature
areas to locations further away/elsewhere,
thereby reducing
ammonia emissions and related ammonia deposits in those
nature areas. Within that
framework, agricultural holdings
located in the immediate vicinity of Natura 2000 areas and
national ecological network areas can be encouraged by the
authorities to set up elsewhere. Agricultural holdings sell all the
farmland at the old location to the Office for the Management
of Farmland at free-market value (representative market value)
and buy new farmland elsewhere.

Aid granted on the basis of Article 4 of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006: The costs eligible for aid are the costs incurred
by the agricultural holding for the purchase of new farmland
(other than land for construction purposes). The aid comprises
10 % of the eligible costs of that investment and never more
than the equivalent of:

provinces are to lay down (provincial)
subsidy ordinances
in relation to measures which, under Regulation (EC)
No 1698/2005, are eligible for part-financing from the EAFRD.
Under Article 11(3) of the Law on the structure of rural areas,
those subsidy ordinances have to be approved by the Minister
for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. This cannot take place
until after the European Commission has approved the Dutch
Rural Development Programme. The (parts of the) provincial
the Dutch 2007-2013
subsidy ordinances which implement
Rural Development Programme therefore still have to be
approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food
Quality.

— the number of hectares of

farmland transferred by the
agricultural holding to the Office for the Management of
Farmland, multiplied by EUR 3 000, plus

XA Number: XA 85/07

Member State: Netherlands

— 6 % of the purchase price of that same number of hectares

of farmland at the new location.

Region: —

Aid granted on the basis of Article 6 of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006: The eligible costs comprise solely the costs
involved in relocating farm buildings. These may be:

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Regeling LNV-subsidies (omschrijving steun: Moderni-
sering landbouwbedrijven, onderdeel jonge landbouwers).

— 100 % of the assessed value of the farm buildings to be

vacated,

Legal basis:

— demolition costs for the farm buildings to be vacated,

— notarial costs,

— land registry costs,

— costs

incurred in connection with (advisory) work by

experts (estate agents, accountants),

— removal costs.

Sector(s) concerned: All primary agricultural
producing products referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty

enterprises

Name and address of the granting authority:

Provincies (Drenthe, Gelderland, Groningen, Flevoland, Friesland,
Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
Zuid Holland, Zuid-Limburg)

Web address:

— Regeling LNV-subsidies: artikel 1:2, artikel 1:3, artikel 1:20,
artikel 2:1, artikel 2:2, artikel 2:37, artikel 2:42, artikel 2:44,
artikel 2:45;

— Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid is
financed from the top-up amount (EUR 76,60 million) under
measure sheet 121 of
the 2007-2013 Rural Development
Programme.

Maximum aid intensity: 40 % of the expenditure referred to in
Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,
taking into
account the maximum aid amount referred to in Article 4(9) of
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 (EUR 400 000 per three fiscal
years per enterprise).

On the basis of Article 2:45 of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Nature and Food Quality subsidy scheme, the recipient of aid
with a view to investment is to conclude a written loan agree-
ment with a term of at least three years; the aid comprises at
most
to a maximum of
EUR 100 000).

the amount of

loan (subject

that

http://www.regiebureau-pop.nl/nl/info/4/57/provinciale-subsidie-
verordeningen/

Other information: On the basis of Article 11(3) of the Law
on the structure of rural areas, provincial states of the various

Date of implementation: The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature
and Food Quality subsidy scheme enters into force on 1 April
2007. Payments will not be made before the 2007-2013 Rural
Development Programme has been approved.

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Duration of scheme or individual aid: Up to and including
31 December 2013.

Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 (EUR 400 000 per three fiscal
years per enterprise).

Objective of aid: The objective is to encourage investment in
improvements and modernisation on holdings, aimed at making
production more efficient, producing new or better products
and/or increasing the quality and sustainability of production
processes and products. This component is aimed solely at
young farmers, who in many cases have insufficient financial
possibilities for carrying out extra investment in order to keep
the holding sustainable and viable.

The aid complies with the conditions stipulated in Article 4 of
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The eligible costs comprise the
costs of investment.

Sector(s) concerned: All primary agricultural
producing products referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty

enterprises

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
Postbus 20401
2500 EK Den Haag
Nederland

Web address: www.minlnv.nl/loket

Other information: —

Date of implementation: The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature
and Food Quality subsidy scheme enters into force on 1 April
2007, but this component has not been opened.

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Up to and including
31 December 2013.

and modernisation on holdings,

Objective of aid: The objective is to encourage investment in
improvements
aimed at
increasing the quality and sustainability of production processes
and products. The investment may also be aimed at producing
new or better products and/or making production more effi-
cient.

The aid complies with the conditions stipulated in Article 4 of
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The eligible costs comprise the
costs of investment.

Sector(s) concerned: All primary agricultural
producing products referred to in Annex I to the EC Treaty

enterprises

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
Postbus 20401
2500 EK Den Haag
Nederland

Web address: www.minlnv.nl/loket

Other information: —

XA Number: XA 86/07

Member State: Netherlands

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Regeling LNV-subsidies (omschrijving steun: Moderni-
sering landbouwbedrijven, onderdeel verduurzaming land- en
tuinbouw).

Legal basis:

— Regeling LNV-subsidies: artikel 1:2, artikel 1:3, artikel 1:20,

artikel 2:1, artikel 2:2, artikel 2:37;

— Openstellingsbesluit LNV-subsidies.

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The aid is
financed from the top-up amount (EUR 76,60 million) under
measure sheet 121 of
the 2007-2013 Rural Development
Programme.

XA Number: XA 87/07

Member State: France

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Aides à l'assistance technique dans le secteur de l'éle-
vage.

Legal basis:

Code Rural, partie législative, articles L 621-1 à L 621-11.

Projet d'arrêté du Ministre de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche.

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of aid
granted to the company: EUR 26 million/year

Maximum aid intensity: Up to 100 %

Maximum aid intensity: 40 % of the expenditure referred to in
Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,
taking into
account the maximum aid amount referred to in Article 4(9) of

Date of implementation: The aid scheme will be implemented
as from the date of
the Commission's acknowledgement of
receipt, subject to the relevant funds being available.

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Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 7 years

Name and address of the granting authority:

Objective of aid: This system of aid is covered by Article 15 of
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

Office National Interprofessionnel de l'Élevage et de ses Produc-
tions
80, avenue des Terroirs de France
F-75 607 Paris Cedex 12

The Office national interprofessionnel de l'élevage et de ses productions
will set up aid programmes geared to providing farmers in the
livestock sector with ad hoc technical assistance relating —
depending on the individual programmes — to the following
issues:

Web address: www.office-elevage.fr

Other information: —

and requirements of

— prevention of animal diseases, food safety and traceability, in
particular for application of the ‘hygiene package’
(Regu-
lation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general
principles
establishing
the European Food Safety Authority and laying down
food safety, Regulation (EC)
procedures
the
No 852/2004 of
Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, and
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific
hygiene rules for food of animal origin),

the European Parliament and of

in matters of

food law,

— lessening the need to remain on standby, improving work

ergonomics and building design,

— improving practices conducive to respect for the environ-

ment and animal welfare,

— assistance for genetic improvement,

— market

segmentation,
supporting quality campaigns.

in particular by launching and

These aid programmes will
involve the financing of advisory
services provided by producer groups or other organisations
helping livestock farmers in the context of collective protocols
providing for individual tailored assistance in the above areas.
There will also be support for the advisory programmes leading
to the drawing-up and monitoring of these protocols.

XA Number: XA 88/07

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Ljubljana city municipality

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an indi-
vidual aid: Programi razvoja podeželja v Mestni občini Ljubljana
2007-2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju državnih pomoči za
programe kmetijstva v Mestni občini Ljubljana (II. Poglavje)

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

2007: EUR 136 314

2008: EUR 140 000

2009: EUR 145 000

2010: EUR 145 000

2011: EUR 160 000

2012: EUR 160 000

2013: EUR 170 000

The aid scheme will cover the costs of technical help and advice
given in this framework — these will not exceed the actual
expense of providing the services concerned. No aid will be paid
to the farmers themselves.

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in farms for primary production:

It will be ensured that farmers will benefit from a subsidised
technical assistance service only if their farm complies with the
Community criteria for
small or medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs). Subject to this caveat, the aid will be granted in the
form of subsidised services available to all
livestock farmers
regardless of whether they belong to a producers' organisation
or another structure.

Sector(s) concerned: Livestock sector

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in less-favoured areas and up
to 40 % of eligible costs for investment in other areas;

2. For conserving traditional buildings:

— up to 75 % in less-favoured areas or areas under
and (iii) of Regulation (EC)
Article 36(a)(i),
No 1698/2005, defined as such by Member States in
accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of that Regulation,
and up to 60 % of eligible costs in other areas;

(ii)

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3. For land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of actual costs incurred in legal and admin-

istrative procedures;

4. To encourage the production of quality agricultural products:

— up to 100 % of the costs of market research activities,
product conception and design, including aid granted for
the preparation of applications for recognition of desig-
nations of origin or certificates of specific character in
accordance with the relevant Community regulations;

5. For providing technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 100 % of costs for farmers' education and training,
consultancy services and to organise forums, competi-
tions, exhibitions, fairs, publications, catalogues, websites
and to disseminate scientific knowledge.

Date of implementation: Starts May 2007 (or the day the
Rules enter into force).

Duration of
31 December 2013.

scheme or

individual

aid award: Ends

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs.

Reference to Articles of Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006 and eligible costs: Chapter II of the draft Rules
on granting State aid for rural development programmes in the Ljubl-
jana city municipality, including measures constituting State aid in
accordance with the following Articles of Commission Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 2006 on the appli-
cation of Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to State aid to small
and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agri-

cultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001
(OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

— Article 4 of Commission Regulation:

Investment in agri-

cultural holdings,

— Article 5 of Commission Regulation: Conservation of tradi-

tional landscapes and buildings,

— Article 13 of Commission Regulation: Aid for land reparcel-

ling,

— Article 14 of Commission Regulation: Aid to encourage the

production of quality agricultural products,

— Article 15 of Commission Regulation: Provision of technical

support in the agricultural sector.

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture: Arable and live-
stock farming

Name and address of granting authority:

Mestna občina Ljubljana
Mestni trg 1
Ljubljana

Website:

http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=200741&dhid=89365

Other information: —

Signature of the person responsible in the Ljubljana city munici-
pality:

Director
Vanja Rangus