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
Date: 2008-04-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Italy, Slovenia, Spain, State aid, agricultural product, 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

18.4.2008

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

(2008/C 97/05)

Maximum aid intensity:

Aid No: XA 144/07

Member State: Italy

Region: Marche

Title of aid scheme:

«Fondo per lo sviluppo della meccanizzazione in agricoltura per
la concessione di prestiti a tasso agevolato per l'acquisto di
macchine e attrezzature di cui all'articolo 12 della legge 27
ottobre 1966, n. 910».

The beneficiaries of the aid scheme are SMEs that do not find
themselves in financial difficulty and falling into the following
categories:

1.

individual or associated professional farmers whose holdings
are located in the region of Marche and receiving manage-
ment subsidies;

2.

individual or associated farmers whose holdings are located
in the region of Marche

Legal basis:

Legge 910/1966 — art. 12 — che ha istituito il «Fondo per lo
sviluppo della meccanizzazione agricola» finalizzato alla conces-
sione di prestiti a tasso agevolato per l'acquisto di macchine ed
attrezzature agricole che opera secondo il regolamento di attua-
zione approvato con D.P.R. 19 ottobre 1977, n. 1106 e
secondo apposite convenzioni stipulate con gli istituti di credito.

Schema di deliberazione della Giunta regionale delle Marche n.
… del … con oggetto: «Linee di indirizzo e criteri per la conces-
sione di prestiti a tasso agevolato a valere sul Fondo per lo
sviluppo della meccanizzazione in agricoltura di cui all'articolo
12 della legge 27 ottobre 1966, n. 910»

Interest relief,
that must be capitalised in accordance with
Article 2(6) of the exemption regulation, may in no case exceed
50 % of eligible investments in less favoured areas and 40 % in
other areas. These figures may be increased to 60 % and 50 %
respectively for young farmers within a five-year period after
setting-up

Date of implementation:

The aid scheme will be implemented after the Commission has
confirmed to have received this summary information. Payments
will be made after the aid has been granted

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Aid must be granted not later than 31 December 2013

Objective of aid:

1. Investments in agricultural holdings.

2. The

relevant Articles

the
aid scheme are Articles 4 and 2(6) of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006.

implementation of

the

for

3. Only expenditure not

lower than EUR 20 000 and not
higher than EUR 130 000 is eligible if incurred to purchase
technologically
equipment
advanced machinery
commensurate with the holding's real needs after aid has
been granted and if it is properly and economically used in
the agricultural holding.

and

In conformity with the current legislation on safety at the work-
place, investments must have one of the following objectives:

— reduction of production costs,

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

— improvement and re-deployment of production,

Financial assistance will be granted with the overall
fund
advances referred to in Law No 910/1966 allocated to the
Region of Marche. Loans, which may be granted as one yearly
payment or spread over the 2007-2013 period, may in no case
exceed EUR 6 million

— improvement of quality,

— protecting and improving the environment, hygiene condi-

tions or animal welfare.

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The following shall not be eligible:

— investments for the purchase of machinery and equipment
used to produce, process or market agricultural and livestock
products,

— ‘replacement

investments’,

investments only aimed at
i.e.
replacing machinery, or parts thereof, with new and state-of-
the-art machinery,

— investments for the construction of irrigation equipments
and work, unless they enable water consumption to be cut
by at least 25 % in comparison with previous consumption,

— investments

lower

than EUR 20 000 or

exceeding

EUR 130 000

Sector(s) concerned:

Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Marche

Website:

www.agri.marche.it

Other information:

Article 12 of Law No 910/1966 established the ‘Fund for the
development of agricultural mechanisation’ for the granting of
low-interest loans to purchase agricultural machinery and equip-
ment, which is governed by the implementing regulation
adopted by Decree of the President of the Republic No 1106 of
19 October 1977 and by special agreements signed with credit
institutions.

In the region of Marche the credit institutions under contract
are Banca Antonveneta Padova, Banca Popolare di Ancona,
Monte dei Paschi di Siena, ICCREA SpA di Roma and Banca di
Roma

The director
Vincenzo Cimino

Aid No: XA 298/07

Member State: Spain

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid:

(Real Decreto no 997/1999, de 11 de junio, sobre fomento de
las razas autóctonas españolas de protección especial en peligro
de extinción, Ayuda N 705/98), al cambio normativo en
materia de ayudas estatales al sector agrario con el nuevo Regla-
mento (CE) no 1857/2006 de la Comisión de 15 de diciembre
de 2006, sobre la aplicación de los artículos 87 y 88 del
Tratado CE a las ayudas estatales para las pequeñas y medianas
empresas dedicadas a la producción de productos agrícolas y
por el que se modifica el Reglamento (CE) no 70/2001.

Asimismo, se amplían las ayudas para comprender también los
gastos administrativos de la creación y mantenimiento de Libros
Genealógicos, para incluir los gastos de educación y formación
en materia zootécnica y de organización de concursos, subastas,
exposiciones nacionales e internacionales y ferias, y los costes
ocasionados por la participación en tales actividades, y para
adaptar la normativa al nuevo Reglamento de la Ley de Subven-
ciones, aprobado por Real Decreto no 887/2006, de 21 de julio,
motivo por el cual se han introducido pequeños retoques en la
misma

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

The maximum planned public expenditure to be granted to
beneficiaries as a whole is EUR 3 400 000 in respect of 2008
and similar amounts for subsequent years in line with the sums
and limits laid down

Maximum aid intensity:

Grant amounts, taken alone or together with one or more other
aid payment or grant from any other administration, public
body or natural or legal person, may not exceed the following
limits, as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

(a) setting up frozen germ plasm, semen and embryo banks or

reserves of live animals: maximum 40 %;

(b) drawing up and implementing conservation and genetic

improvement programmes: maximum 70 %;

(c) establishment and maintenance of herd books: maximum

100 %;

(d) education and training in animal science and the organisa-
tion/holding of competitions, auctions, national and interna-
tional exhibitions and fairs, and the costs arising from parti-
cipation in such events: maximum EUR 100 000 over three
years.

In addition, the amount of aid from the general State budget
may not exceed EUR 60 000 per breed per year

Subvenciones destinadas a las asociaciones y organizaciones de
criadores de razas ganaderas puras, para el fomento de las razas
autóctonas en peligro de extinción

Date of implementation:

From 2008

Legal basis:

Proyecto de Real Decreto no … /2007, por el que se establecen
las bases reguladoras de las subvenciones destinadas al fomento
de las razas autóctonas en peligro de extinción (pendiente de
publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado). Esta modificación
se realiza para adaptar la normativa anteriormente aplicable

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Until 31 December 2013, except for the setting-up of frozen
germ plasm, semen and embryo banks or reserves of
live
animals, which will be eligible until 31 December 2011. The aid
will be subject to annual renewal

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Objective of the aid:

tion of agricultural products and amending Regulation (EC)
No 70/2001

Grants to SMEs (organisations and associations of breeders of
to promote endangered
endangered pure indigenous breeds)
indigenous breeds. The grants come under
the following
provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

(a) Article 15(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: expendi-
ture relating to education and training in animal science;

Aid No: XA 304/07

(b) Article 15(2)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: organisa-
tion/holding of and participation in competitions, auctions,
national and international exhibitions and fairs, and the
costs arising from participation in such events;

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Municipality of Tišina

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid:

(c) Article 16(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: adminis-
trative costs of establishing and maintaining herd books;

Ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Tišina
2007–2013

(d) Article 16(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:
carrying-out of studies on the ethnological, animal science
and production aspects of
the species, as well as their
morphological and reproductive characteristics; compiling
statistics on productivity, population structures for locating
herds, lines and strains, and animals' ages and reproductive
capacity; drawing up and implementing conservation and
genetic improvement programmes;

(e) Article 16(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:
setting-up of frozen germ plasm, semen and embryo banks
or reserves of live animals

Sector(s) concerned: Breeders of all endangered indigenous
livestock breeds

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju pomoči za ohranjanje in
razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Tišina

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

2007: EUR 12 519

2008: EUR 12 900

2009: EUR 13 300

2010: EUR 13 700

2011: EUR 14 100

2012: EUR 14 500

2013: EUR 14 900

Name and address of granting authority:

Maximum aid intensity:

Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
C/ Alfonso XII, 62
E-28014 Madrid

Website:

1. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— the amount of municipal co-financing is the difference
between the
insurance
premiums from the national budget and up to 50 % of
eligible costs of an insurance premium for insuring crops
and fruit and insuring livestock against disease.

co-financing of

amount of

http://rasve.mapa.es/Publica/InformacionGeneral/Legislacion/
legislacion.asp

2. Aid for land reparcelling:

Other information:

The grants will be compatible with any others that may be
granted by other public administrations, public bodies attached
to or subordinate to them, be they national or international,
and other, private, natural or legal persons. However, grant
amounts, taken alone or together with one or more other aid
payment or grant from any other administration, public body or
natural or legal person, may not exceed the above limits or in
any event the limits laid down in 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 produc-

— up to 100 % of actual

legal and administrative costs

incurred

Date of implementation:

October 2007 (The aid will not be granted until a summary has
been published on the European Commission's website.)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Until 31 December 2013

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

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Reference to Articles in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and
eligible costs:

Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting aid for the conserva-
tion and development of agriculture and rural areas in the
municipality of Tišina includes 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 12: Aid towards

the payment of

insurance

premiums,

— Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Občina Tišina
Tišina 4
SLO-9251 Tišina

Website:

http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=200793&-
dhid=91980

Other information:

The measure for the payment of insurance premiums to insure
crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic events
which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost, hail,
lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006 relating to the measures to be adopted by
the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps
preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and moni-
toring of aid)

Signature of person responsible
Jožef POREDOŠ
Mayor

Aid No: XA 306/07

Member State: Italy

Region: Emilia-Romagna (Camera di Commercio di Bologna)

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an indi-
vidual aid award:

Legal basis: Regolamento della Camera di Commercio di
Bologna approvato con deliberazione del Consiglio camerale
n. 16 del 24 luglio 2007

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

The maximum annual amount for primary agricultural produc-
tion is EUR 150 000

Maximum aid intensity:

10 % of the eligible costs. The average contribution is 5 % of
the eligible costs

Date of implementation: Upon submission of applications,
following the notification of ceilings to the guarantee bodies,
but not before 17 September 2007

Duration of scheme:

Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid:

The Bologna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Craft Trades and
Agriculture, aware of the difficulties faced by local small and
medium-sized enterprises in accessing credit, provides outright
grants
in the form of a single payment calculated as a
proportion of the total discounted interest due on medium to
long-term bank loans, with the aim of extending the average
duration of loans and consolidating the enterprises' finances.

The investment must pursue the following objectives in particu-
lar:

(a) reduction of production costs;

(b) improvement and redeployment of production;

(c) improvement in quality;

(d) preservation and improvement of the natural environment,
or the improvement of hygiene conditions or animal welfare
standards.

The scheme constitutes a form of support for investment in
farms under Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006.

For enterprises engaged in primary agricultural production, the
following costs are eligible:

(a) construction, acquisition or

improvement of

immovable

property;

(b) purchase or lease-purchase of machinery and equipment,
including computer software, up to the market value of the
asset;

(c) overheads relating to expenditure under (a) and (b), such as
architects', engineers' and consultation fees, feasibility studies
and the acquisition of patents and licences.

Regolamento camerale per l'assegnazione alle imprese della
provincia di Bologna di contributi
in conto abbattimento
interessi

Costs relating to leasing contracts other than those listed in (b),
such as tax,
interest, refinancing costs, over-
heads and insurance, are not eligible.

lessor's margins,

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Simple replacement investments are not eligible. Aid may not
be granted for the manufacture of products which imitate, or
can be substituted for, milk or milk products. Purchases may
not be made before the aid application is approved by the guar-
antee bodies. Applications shall be considered to be approved
on the date of the decision of the guarantee body

Sector(s) concerned: All sectors involved in primary agri-
livestock farming and
cultural production (land cultivation,
forestry).

The scheme also provides for support to other sectors to which
Regulation (EC) No 1998/2006 on de minimis aid applies

Name and address of the authority granting the aid:

Camera di Commercio I.A.A. di Bologna
Piazza Mercanzia, 4
I-40125 Bologna

Website:

http://www.bo.camcom.it/intranet/ALTRI-SERV/DIRITTO-AN/
Consorzi-F/index.htm

Other information:

This aid scheme replaces State aid scheme N 108/04

Bologna, 30 July 2007.

President of the Bologna Chamber of Commerce
Gian Carlo SANGALLI

Aid No: XA 317/07

Member State: Slovenia

Region: Municipality of Markovci

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid:

Podpore programom razvoja kmetijstva in podeželja v občini
Markovci 2007–2013

Legal basis:

Pravilnik o dodeljevanju državnih pomoči za ohranjanje in
razvoj kmetijstva in podeželja v občini Markovci

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

2007: EUR 20 864

2008: EUR 20 864

2009: EUR 30 000

2010: EUR 30 000

2011: EUR 32 000

2012: EUR 32 000

2013: EUR 33 000

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in less-favoured areas,

— up to 40 % of eligible costs in other areas,

— up to 50 % of eligible costs in other areas in the case of
investments made by young farmers within five years of
setting up, where the investment is contained in a busi-
ness plan.

Support is granted in respect of investment in the restoration
of farm features and the purchase of equipment to be used
for agricultural production, and for investment in permanent
crops, farmland improvement and pasture management.

2. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— municipality support in line with the Decree on co-finan-
cing of insurance premiums for agricultural production
for the current year brings the balance of aid to up to
50 % of eligible costs incurred on insurance premiums.

3. Aid to encourage the production of quality agricultural products:

The aid is to be granted in the form of subsidised services
and must not involve direct payments of money to produ-
cers. Co-financing is up to 100 % of eligible costs.

4. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs concerning education and
training of farmers, consultancy services, the organisation
of forums, competitions, exhibitions and fairs, publica-
tions, catalogues and websites, and of the cost of replace-
ment services. The aid is to be granted in the form of
subsidised services and must not involve direct payments
of money to producers

Date of implementation:

October 2007 (The aid will not be granted until the summary is
published on the European Commission's website.)

Duration of scheme or individual aid award:

Until 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: To support SMEs

Reference to Articles of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and
eligible costs:

includes measures

The Draft Rules on granting State aid for the preservation and
development of agriculture and rural areas in the municipality
of Markovci
constituting State aid in
accordance with the following Articles of 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 Regu-
lation (EC) No 70/2001 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

— Article 4: Investment in agricultural holdings,

— Article 12: Aid towards

the payment of

insurance

premiums,

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— Article 14: Aid to encourage the production of quality agri-

Other information:

cultural products,

— Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural

sector

Sector concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:
Občina Markovci
Markovci 43
SLO-2281 Markovci

Website:
http://www.lex-localis.info/KatalogInformacij/VsebinaDoku-
menta.aspx?SectionID=77231107-a74d-4d47-8944-
2c6523d8e344

The measure concerning the payment of insurance premiums to
insure crops and fruit includes the following adverse climatic
events which can be assimilated to natural disasters: spring frost,
hail, lightning, fire caused by lightning, storm and floods.

The municipality's Rules meet the requirements of Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006 concerning the measures to be adopted by
the municipality and the general provisions applicable (steps
preceding grant of aid, cumulation, transparency and moni-
toring of aid)

Signature of responsible person
Franc KEKEC
Mayor of the municipality of Markovci