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: 2008-02-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: France, Ireland, Latvia, Slovakia, State aid, agricultural product, control of State aid, small and medium-sized enterprises

23.2.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 50/7

NOTICES FROM MEMBER STATES

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

(2008/C 50/05)

XA Number: XA 232/07

Member State: Slovak Republic

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Schéma štátnej pomoci poskytovanej formou odpus-
tenia sankcie alebo povolenia úľavy zo sankcie podľa § 103
zákona SNR č. 511/1992 Zb. o správe daní a poplatkov a o
zmenách v sústave územných finančných orgánov v znení
neskorších predpisov – poskytovanie štátnej pomoci malým a
stredným podnikom pôsobiacim v prvotnej výrobe poľnohospo-
dárskych výrobkov

Legal basis:

— § 103 zákona č. 511/1992 Zb. o správe daní a poplatkov a
o zmenách v sústave územných finančných orgánov v znení
neskorších predpisov

— Zákon č. 231/1999 Z. z. o štátnej pomoci v znení neskor-

ších predpisov

— Commission Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 Decem-
ber 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 and
amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001, published in
OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The esti-
mated amount of State aid which will be provided under the
scheme to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the
primary production of agricultural products will be about
SKK 30 million in 2007 and SKK 50 million annually from
2008 to 2013

Maximum aid intensity:

(EC) No 1698/2005 on support for rural development by
the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
(EAFRD) (OJ L 277, 21.10.2005, p. 1), as designated by
Member States in accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of
that Regulation;

(b) 40 % of eligible investments in other regions;

(c) 60 % of eligible investments in less-favoured areas or in
areas referred to in Article 36(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) of Regulation
(EC) No 1698/2005, as designated by Member States in
accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of that Regulation, and
50 % in other regions, in the case of investments made by
young farmers within five years of setting up;

the environment,

(d) 75 % of eligible investments in regions referred to in
apoint (a) and 60 % in other regions where investments
result in extra costs relating to the protection and improve-
the improvement of hygiene
ment of
conditions of livestock enterprises or the welfare of farm
animals. This increase may only be granted for investments
which go beyond the minimum Community requirements
in force, or for investments made to comply with newly
introduced minimum standards. The increase must be
limited to the extra eligible costs necessary and must not
apply in the case of investments which result in an increase
in production capacity.

The maximum amount of aid granted to an individual enterprise
must not exceed EUR 400 000 over any period of three fiscal
years, or EUR 500 000 if the enterprise is situated in a less-fa-
voured area or in an area referred to in Article 36(a)(i), (ii) or
(iii) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, as designated by
Member States in accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of that
Regulation

Date of implementation: September 2007

(a) 50 % of eligible investments in less-favoured areas or in
areas referred to in Article 36(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) of Regulation

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Until 31 December
2013

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Official Journal of the European Union

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as

Objective of aid: Investment projects of small and medium-
sized enterprises active in the primary production of agricultural
products,
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 and amending
Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

in Article

specified

of

4

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agricultural primary produc-
tion (Annex I to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerstvo financií SR
Štefanovičova 5
SK-817 82 Bratislava
Tel. (421) 02 59 58 11 11

Daňové riaditeľstvo SR
Nová ulica 13
SK-975 04 Banská Bystrica
Tel. (421) 04 84 39 31 11

— Articles 13 to 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,

— Articles 1511-1 et suivants, article 4211-1 du code général

des collectivités territoriales,

— Délibération no 01.24 du Conseil régional du 22 juillet

2005

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
aid granted to the company:
EUR 2 300 000

individual

for

[programme

Maximum aid intensity: This aid scheme is the continuation of
scheme XA 98/06, in conjunction with aid scheme XA 25/07
PIDIL (programme d'installation et de développement des initiatives
locales
setting up and developing local
take the form of overall
initiatives]). The aid scheme will
support for start-up plans submitted by candidates under the
age of 40 who are setting up for the first time away from the
family farm or on a family farm in need of support (1), already
have or are in the process of acquiring the necessary profes-
sional skills and are submitting an economic development
project in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

Title: Miestne príslušné daňové úrady, ktorých pôsobnosť je
ustanovená zákonom č. 150/2001 Z. z. o daňových orgánoch
a ktorým sa mení a dopĺňa zákon č. 440/2000 Z. z. o správach
finančnej kontroly v znení neskorších predpisov

Address:

www.drsr.sk/daňová správa/územné členenie-kontakty

Website address:

http://www.drsr.sk/drsr/slovak/legislativa/statna_pomoc/schpp.
doc

www.finance.gov.sk

Further information: —

Igor ŠULAJ
Director-General, Tax Directorate of the Slovak Republic

In particular, the scheme provides for the following:

— For the region and the departments: working capital aid or a
local supplement to the Young Farmers Grant amounting to
between EUR 5 000 and EUR 10 000, subject to the limits
set by Article 22 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

— For the region: aid amounting to 30 % for investments of
over EUR 15 000 (excluding tax), up to a ceiling of
EUR 4 600.

— For the region: a repayable advance of 35 % for investments

of less than EUR 15 000 (excluding tax).

— For the region: aid for deferred land purchases amounting to
80 % of the carrying cost, up to a ceiling of EUR 10 000.

Subject
support
programme,
provided during the first three years after start-up

to the funding conditions laid down by the PIDIL
routinely

and financial

technical

is

XA Number: XA 234/07

Member State: France

Region: Languedoc-Roussillon (Conseil
généraux de la région Languedoc-Roussillon)

régional et Conseils

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Programme d'appui à la création et à la transmission
des exploitations en agriculture (PACTE Agriculture): volet inves-
tissements et dispositifs départementaux de soutien à l'installa-
tion en agriculture

Legal basis:

— Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 of 20 September

2005,

— Commission

Regulation

(EC)

No

1974/2006

of

15 December 2006,

Date of implementation: From confirmation of receipt by the
Commission

Duration of
31 December 2013

scheme or

individual

aid award: Ends

Objective of aid: In accordance with Articles 4, 7 and 15 of
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006, the objective is to encourage
young farmers to set up small and medium-sized agricultural
holdings.

In this way, the region and the departments hope to encourage
generational renewal in farming, so as to maintain the number
of active farmers and thus boost the regional economy. With
agriculture employing 6 % of the working population in the
region, it is an economic sector to be sustained and developed.
Both PACTE-agriculture and the departmental measures will
support competitiveness in rural areas and will therefore contri-
bute to maintaining and creating jobs in those areas.

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The investment section of PACTE-agriculture is designed to
provide financial start-up support by allowing farmers to invest
in the heavy equipment needed to start up a farm.

Legal basis: Noteikumi par valsts atbalstu lauksaimniecībai un
tā piešķiršanas kārtību, kas izdoti saskaņā ar Lauksaimniecības
un lauku attīstības likuma 5. pantu

The eligibility criteria for PACTE-agriculture are based on the
national eligibility criteria for start-up aid. This is intended to
ensure that aid grants from the State, the Regional Council and
the Local Councils complement each other.

Capital investments of less than EUR 15 000 must be invest-
ments that are vital to the start-up and are intended to improve
working conditions on the holding. The aid will take the form
of a repayable advance with a grant equivalent of no more than
EUR 1 000. Failure to repay the advance will
lead to the
regional authority demanding full repayment of all aid received
under the PACTE-agriculture scheme.

Each application is subjected to a system of routine checks,
which was set up in conjunction with the DDAFs (Departmental
Agriculture and Forestry Directorates)
in order to avoid any
duplication of funding, particularly with regard to investment
aid. Consequently, if an aid application for investments of over
EUR 15 000 is
the PIDIL
programme, an equivalent aid application submitted under the
PACTE-agriculture scheme will be rejected, and vice versa

submitted to the State under

Sector(s) concerned: All candidates wishing to start up in the
region, all areas and all sectors of agricultural production

Name and address of the granting authority:

Monsieur le Président du Conseil Régional Languedoc-Roussillon
Direction de l'Economie Rurale, Littorale et Touristique —
Service Gestion de l'Espace Rural et Littoral
201, avenue de la Pompignane
F-34064 Montpellier Cedex 2

Website address:

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted to the company: The total
amount available under the aid scheme is LVL 600 000

Maximum aid intensity: —

Date of implementation: 1 January 2008

Duration
30 December 2012

of

aid

scheme

or

of

individual

aid:

Objective of aid: The purpose of the aid measure is to foster
the development of organic farming.

The aid will be used to provide theoretical and practical training
for
those involved in the production of organic farming
produce, so as to foster the development of organic farming. As
part of the training, seminars will be organised both in Latvia
and abroad. Competitions, open days and seminars will be orga-
nised on farms in order to promote organic farming.

Aid may be granted to cover 100 % of the following eligible
costs:

1. concerning education and training of

farmers and farm

workers:

1.1. costs of organising the training programme;

1.2. travel and subsistence expenses of participants;

2. concerning the organisation of, and participation in, forums
to share knowledge between businesses, competitions, exhibi-
tions and fairs:

2.1. participation fees;

2.2. travel costs;

2.3. costs of publications;

http://www.cr-languedocroussillon.fr/3502-installation-en-agri-
culture.htm

2.4. the rent of exhibition premises;

(1) Whether the holding is in need of support is assessed on the basis of
the situation before the takeover. If the farm fails to meet the viabi-
lity criteria before the takeover and the candidate demonstrates that
modernisation/adaptation/expansion will enable it to become viable
within three years, the need for support is deemed to have been
substantiated.

XA Number: XA 235/07

Member State: Latvia

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Atbalsta shēma “Atbalsts bioloģiskās lauksaimniecības
veicināšanai”

3. symbolic prizes awarded in the framework of competitions,

up to a value of EUR 250 per prize and winner.

This is in conformity with Article 15 of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006

Economic sector(s) concerned: The aid is intended for small
and medium-sized enterprises

Name and address of institution responsible:

Latvijas Republikas
Zemkopības ministrija
LV-1981 Riga

Website address:

http://www.zm.gov.lv/index.php?sadala=836&id=5261

Other information: —

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XA Number: XA 236/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an indi-
vidual aid: Livestock Expo 2008

Legal basis: National Development Plan 2007-2013

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
aid granted to the company:
individual
EUR 511 000 for Livestock Expo 2008

Maximum aid intensity: Up to 100 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation: September 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: September
2007-December 2008

Objective of aid: International Show of Pedigree cattle entitled
Livestock Expo 2008. The primary objective of Livestock Expo
2008 is a forum to share knowledge and information in relation
to pedigree livestock,
their semen, ova and embryos. The
proposed event would give cattle breeders the opportunity to
showcase the technologically advanced testing and genetic
evaluation systems in operation and to allow the dissemination
of knowledge between farming businesses.

This aid is provided in accordance with Article 15(2)(c),
Article 15(2)(d)(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), and Article 15(2)(f) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006 — Provision of technical support for
the agricultural sector.

Eligible costs will be those associated with:

— consultancy services provided by third parties,

— the organisation of and participation in competitions, trade
fairs, shows and forums to share knowledge between busi-
nesses which will
travel costs,
costs of publications, the rent of exhibition premises and
other organisational costs,

include participation fees,

— general

information about pedigree livestock, their semen,

ova and embryos,

— publications

such as catalogues or websites containing
impartial information about pedigree livestock, their semen,
ova and embryos, provided all producers are given an equal
opportunity to be included in the publication or website

Sector(s) concerned: Bovines — beef

Name and address of the granting authority:

Department of Agriculture and Food
Agriculture House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2, Ireland

Website address:

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/Livestock_Expo

(Conditions of the Scheme will be available on this weblink
when the scheme is to be implemented)