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: 2008-04-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Ireland, Slovakia, Spain, State aid, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, exchange of information, small and medium-sized enterprises

24.4.2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 102/13

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 102/06)

Aid No: XA 299/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

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

Third level non-degree courses in Equine Science at the Interna-
tional Equine Institute (IEI), University of Limerick (UL)

Legal basis:

National Development Plan 2007-2013

Name and address of the granting authority:

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

Website:

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=schemes/equine_ndp/
IEI/terms.xml

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
aid granted to the company:
EUR 2,411 million in respect of eligible costs incurred over the
period 2007-2013

individual

Aid No: XA 300/07

Member State: Ireland

Region: Entire Member State

Maximum aid intensity: 100 % of eligible costs

Date of implementation: 20 October 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2013

Objective of aid: The scheme aims to develop and deliver third
level non-degree courses in Equine Science to meet the needs of
the horse industry.
include on-campus and distance
learning courses to Certificate/Diploma-level as well as other
information courses, seminars and educational services.

It will

This aid is provided in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006 — Provision of technical support in the
agricultural sector

Sector(s) concerned: Equine

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

Depopulation Grant Scheme (Bovine TB and Brucellosis)

Legal basis:

Diseases of Animals Act 1966

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

Overall amounts of aid payable under this scheme is dependent
on the level of disease which, in turn, determines the numbers
of reactors disclosed and holdings restricted with Bovine TB and
Brucellosis. In view of this, it is not possible to predict the level
of expenditure over the period 2007-2013. Accordingly, the
figures given below for planned expenditure are based on
current disease levels and expected expenditure in 2007:

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

(EUR)

Depopulation Grant (TB)

0,675 million

0,675 million

0,675 million

0,675 million

0,675 million

0,675 million

0,675 million

Depopulation Grant (BR)

0,025 million

0,025 million

0,025 million

0,025 million

0,025 million

0,025 million

0,025 million

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Objective of aid:

Date of implementation: 1 November 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The Depopula-
tion scheme is implemented on an on going basis as it is
directly linked to the level of TB and Brucellosis disease in
Ireland. This scheme will remain in place until these two diseases
have been eradicated

To compensate farmers for losses arising from the disclosure
and removal of animals deemed to be Tuberculosis or
Brucellosis reactors. The depopulation grants provide the herd-
owner with an income during the restriction period.

To discourage the non-disclosure of disease.

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.4.2008

This aid is provided in accordance with Article 10(2) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006 — Aid in respect of animal and
plant disease and pest infestations

Sector(s) concerned: Bovine animals

Name and address of the granting authority:

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Maynooth Business Park
Maynooth, Co. Kildare
Ireland

Website:

(b) up to 40 % of the calculated loss where the producer is not

insured against adverse climatic events

Date of implementation: October 2007

Duration of aid scheme or individual aid award: Until
31 December 2013

Objective of the aid:

The objective of the aid is to support small and medium-sized
enterprises in the crop products sector and to reduce the risk to
agricultural produce arising from adverse climatic events.
Adverse climatic events equivalent to natural disasters are:

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animal_health/ERAD/ERAD_comp_
scheme07.doc

(a) frost (spring frost, late frost, early frost, wind chill);

Aid No: XA 307/07

Member State: Slovak Republic

Title of aid scheme:

Schéma štátnej pomoci na úhradu straty spôsobenej nepriazni-
vými poveternostnými udalosťami na poľnohospodárskych
plodinách

Legal basis:

— § 13 nariadenia vlády Slovenskej republiky č. 369/2007 Z.
z. z 8. augusta 2007 o niektorých podporných opatreniach
v pôdohospodárstve,

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

ších predpisov,

— Articles 11(1) and 2(8) of Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006 of 15 December 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
amending Regulation (EC)
No 70/2001

and

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme:

(b) hail;

(c) ice (ice storm);

(d) rain (heavy rainstorm);

(e) drought;

(f) windstorm;

(g) and combinations of individual climatic events

Economic sectors: Primary production of
products listed in Annex I to the EC Treaty

the agricultural

Name and address of granting authority:

Granter of aid:

Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva SR
Dobrovičova ul. č. 12
SK-Bratislava 812 66
Tel. (421) 59 26 61 11

Website:

http://www.land.gov.sk/index.php?navID=153&id=412

Author of scheme:

Pôdohospodárska platobná agentúra
Dobrovičova ul. č. 12
SK-Bratislava 815 26
Tel. (421) 59 26 61 11

The amount of funding earmarked for this scheme is published
by the Ministry on its website: www.mpsr.sk

Website:

The amount of funding allocated under the scheme for 2007 is:
SKK 100 million.

The amount of funding allocated under the scheme for one year
as from 2008 is: SKK 200 million.

The total budget allocation for reimbursing annual
premiums over the period 2008-2013 is: SKK 1 200 million

insurance

Maximum aid:

A gross amount of aid may be granted to a crop producer as
follows:

(a) up to 80 % of the calculated loss, less outstanding claims,
is insured against adverse climatic

where the producer
events;

http://www.land.gov.sk/apa/index.php?p=DP_metpok

Further information:

Aid may be granted only to small and medium-sized enterprises
under the terms of Annex I to Commission Regulation (EC)
No 70/2001 of 12 January 2001 on the application of Arti-
cles 87 and 88 of
the Treaty to State aid to small and
medium-sized enterprises. Aid will be granted as a lump sum in
the gross amount laid down.

Approved by: Ing. Ľubomír Miček, PhD, Director-General, Rural
the Slovak
Development Section, Ministry of Agriculture of
Republic

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 102/15

Aid No: XA 308/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Navarra

Website:

http://www.cfnavarra.es/agricultura/COYUNTURA/AyudasEsta-
do/pdfs/STNO0746 %20OF.pdf

Other information:

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

Ayudas al fomento de procesos de integración cooperativa, en el
marco de la reestructuración del sector de cooperativas agrarias

Dirección General de Desarrollo Rural y Medio Ambiente
C/ Tudela, 20
E-31003 Pamplona
Tel. (34) 848 42 29 33
E-mail: izabalzv@cfnavarra.es
Gobierno de Navarra

Legal basis:

Orden foral de la consejera de desarrollo rural y medio
ambiente, por la que se establecen las normas que regirán la
concesión de ayudas al fomento de procesos de integración
cooperativa, en el marco de la reestructuración del sector de
cooperativas agrarias

Aid No: XA 309/07

Member State: Spain

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
aid granted to the company:
EUR 1,187 million

individual

Maximum aid intensity: EUR 250 000 for start-up expendi-
ture on the constitution of producer groups.

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

Subvenciones destinadas a las asociaciones y organizaciones de
criadores de razas ganaderas puras, para la conservación, selec-
ción, mejora y fomento de las razas puras de ganado de produc-
ción

Up to 50 % to cover the provision of technical support in the
agricultural sector

Legal basis:

Date of implementation: 15 November 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 15 November
2007 to 31 December 2013

Objective of aid: Start-up aid for the constitution of producer
groups. Article 9(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Eligible
costs: the acquisition of office equipment, including computer
hardware and software, administrative staff costs, overheads and
legal and administrative fees. Renting offices at market rates. If
premises are purchased, the eligible expenditure must be limited
to rental costs at market rates.

Aid on the provision of technical support in the agricultural
sector. Article 15(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. Eligible
costs: consultancy services provided by third parties which do
not constitute a continuous or periodic activity by the enterprise
or relate to its usual operating expenditure: notarial costs, regis-
tration costs,
licences, audits, and studies on financing the
project on the amalgamation of cooperatives

Sector(s) concerned: Agricultural cooperatives

Name and address of the granting authority:

Proyecto de Orden APA/…/2007, por la que se establecen las bases
reguladoras de las subvenciones destinadas a las organizaciones y
asociaciones de criadores para la conservación, mejora y fomento de las
razas puras de ganado de producción (Draft Order APA/…/2007
laying down the basic rules on grants to organisations and asso-
ciations of livestock breeders for the conservation, improvement
and promotion of pure-bred productive livestock breeds) (to be
published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spanish Official
Gazette)). This amendment is being made to adjust the rules
previously in force (APA/956/2005 of 30 March 2005 laying
down the basic rules on grants to organisations and associations
of livestock breeders for the conservation, selection and promo-
tion of pure-bred livestock breeds to take account of the change
in the rules brought about by the replacement of Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1/2004 of 23 December 2003 on the appli-
cation 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, on which the
Spanish Order was based, by Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006 of 15 December 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 agri-
cultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001.

A number of minor adjustments have also been introduced,
reflecting the fact that the Order laying down the basic rules
must comply with the new provisions of the Law on grants, as
approved by Royal Decree No 887/2006 of 21 July 2006

Gobierno de Navarra. Departamento de Desarrollo Rural y
Medio Ambiente
C/ Tudela, 20
E-31003 Pamplona

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 benefici-
aries as a whole is EUR 14 million a year

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.4.2008

Maximum aid intensity:

Grants, taken alone or together with one or more other aid
payments or grants from any other administration, public body
or natural or legal person, may not exceed EUR 1 million per
breed and may not exceed the following limits:

individual

scheme or

Duration of
aid award: Until
31 December 2013, except for the eligible activities referred to
in Article 4(5) (Aid to promote genetic improvement by means
of investments in testing centres, breeding centres and other
facilities), which can be financed only until 31 December 2011.
Proposals for aid will be invited annually

(a) education and training in animal science. The maximum aid

is 100 % of expenditure;

Objective of aid:

(b) organisation of and participation in competitions. The
maximum aid is 100 % of expenditure. However, the sum of
this aid and that granted under
(a) may not exceed
EUR 100 000 over three financial years, and a maximum of
EUR 250 per cash prize for winning breeders is eligible for
aid;

(c) creating and keeping herd books. The maximum aid is

100 % of expenditure, subject to the following limits:

1. the maximum eligible gross annual salary of the execu-
tive secretary is EUR 38 000; EUR 25 000 for a univer-
sity graduate (long cycle), engineer, doctor or equivalent;
EUR 21 000 for a university graduate (short cycle), tech-
nical engineer or equivalent and EUR 18 000 for an
administrator;

2. the maximum payable for the rental of premises serving

as the herd-book office is EUR 22 000;

(d) tests to determine the genetic quality or performance of live-
stock and screening tests on young horses under improve-
ment plans for horse breeds. The aid is limited to 70 % of
expenditure and the maximum eligible cash prize payable to
winning breeders is EUR 250;

(e) aid for investments in testing centres, breeding centres and

holdings. The maximum aid is 40 % of expenditure.

Notwithstanding the above, the maximum amount per person
and per day for board and lodgings is that corresponding to a
Group 2 allowance as laid down in Royal Decree No 462/2002
of 24 May 2002 on the reimbursement of expenses incurred
during the performance of duties, and the maximum travel
costs are those laid down in Article 17 of that Royal Decree.

For computing equipment, the maximum is 20 % of the total
amount of aid granted.

Financial costs, the cost of legal or financial advice, legal fees,
registration charges and the cost of expert opinions for carrying
out aided projects, specific administrative expenditure and the
cost of bank guarantees are eligible for aid provided they are
directly related to the activities for which a grant is awarded and
are essential to those activities or the satisfactory preparation
thereof

Date of implementation: From 1 November 2007

Grants to SMEs (national organisations and associations of bree-
ders of pure-bred productive livestock breeds)
to encourage
measures for the selection, preservation and promotion of live-
stock breeds. These measures come under the following provi-
sions of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

(a) Article 15(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: educa-
tion and training in animal sciences (speakers' fees, including
travel costs, board and lodgings, etc.);

(b) Article 15(2)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: organisa-
tion of competitions (the cost of the site, premises or instal-
lations where the competition is held, including rents and
taxes of all kinds; the cost of publications; cash prizes to the
winner in each category, subject to a limit of EUR 250 per
prize) or participation therein (entry fees demanded by the
organising body; the cost of insuring participating animals,
etc.);

(c) Article 16(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006:

the
administrative costs of creating or keeping herd books (the
cost of the rental, purchase or lease-purchase of, or the cost
of mortgage payments on, premises or offices, the purchase,
leasing, financial leasing or lease-purchase of computers and
computing equipment and its maintenance or updating, the
cost of hiring and employing technical and administrative
staff, etc.);

(d) Article 16(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: tests to
determine the genetic quality or performance of livestock,
and screening tests on young horses under horse breed
improvement plans (tests to check the meat yield of live-
stock: costs relating to the control of any of the characteris-
tics used in the evaluation of the genetic quality of animals
used or to be used for breeding purposes, the drawing up
the selection plan and the
by a Genetic Department of
the
improvement plan,
improvement plan, genetic evaluation and the carrying out
of genetic analyses to detect and prevent genetic disorders
and chromosome events that could impact on the produc-
tion or breeding indices; the organisation and performance
of screening tests on young horses in connection with horse
breed improvement plans,
in accordance with the official
timetable approved by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food);

the developing and updating of

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(e) Article 16(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: aid for
investments in testing centres, breeding centres and holdings
(construction of or improvements to buildings and the
purchase of equipment to be used exclusively for carrying
out
screening tests and performance tests on animals
subject to genetic evaluation under a selection plan, as well
as
innovative
livestock-breeding techniques and practices)

investments on holdings

to introduce

Sector(s) concerned: Breeders of all species of productive live-
stock

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
Secretaría General de Agricultura y Alimentación (Dirección
General de Ganadería)
C/ Alfonso XII, 62
E-28014 Madrid

Website:

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

Other information:

The grants will be compatible with any others that may be
granted by other public administrations, public bodies, be they
national or international, attached to or subordinate to them,
and other private, natural or legal persons, with the exception
of those referred to in Royal Decree No 997/1999 of 11 June
1999 on the promotion of specially protected native breeds in
danger of extinction. However, grants, taken alone or together
with one or more other aid payments or grants from any other
administration, public body or natural or legal person, may not
exceed the limits set out above or those laid down in Commis-
sion Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 of 15 December 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
and amending Regulation (EC)
No 70/2001.

agricultural products

In any event, if the expenditure actually incurred is less than
that initially budgeted, or other aid is obtained which, when
cumulated, exceeds the financing percentages, the decision will
be amended and the aid reduced in proportion to that granted
in the relevant decision and, provided funds are available, the
amounts may be readjusted in line with the applications
received, which will have to justify the proposed activities