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: 2008-05-01
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Belgium, France, Slovenia, Spain, State aid, agricultural holding, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, investment aid

C 110/22

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

1.5.2008

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

(2008/C 110/10)

Internet address:

http://www.cfnavarra.es/agricultura/COYUNTURA/AyudasEstado/
pdfs/STNO07067%20OF.pdf

Aid No: XA 383/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Navarra

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving an indi-
vidual aid: Ayudas a las inversiones, en régimen asociativo, en
equipamiento informático y material de apoyo a las explota-
ciones agrarias

Legal basis: Orden Foral de la Consejera de Desarrollo Rural y
Medio Ambiente por la que se establecen las normas regula-
doras que regirán la concesión de ayudas a las inversiones, en
régimen asociativo, en equipamiento informático y material de
apoyo a las explotaciones agrarias

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
aid granted to the company:
amount of
EUR 200 000 annually, with the exception of 2007 when there
was an annual expenditure of EUR 160 000

individual

Maximum aid intensity: Aid of up to 40 % of eligible invest-
ments in agricultural undertakings

Date of application: 1 December 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 1 December
2007 to 31 December 2010

Objective of aid:

The main objectives of the aid are the following:

(a) To promote the use of efficient electronic communication
systems and access to information systems for agricultural
entrepreneurs.

(b) To ensure access to co-ordinated computer systems that
common management

establishment of

a

allow the
network.

(c) To ensure that the agricultural sector benefits from cutting-
edge technology in the fields of management, advice and
customer services to promote the adoption of the new infor-
matics and communication technologies.

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006: Investment in agri-
cultural holdings. Eligible expenses: Article 4(4)(b) Aid for the
purchase of equipment, including computer software

Sector(s) concerned: The primary agricultural production
sector

Name and address of the granting authority:

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

Other information:

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

Aid No: XA 385/07

Member State: Belgium

Region: Vlaanderen

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Vlaams Centrum voor Agro- en Visserijmarketing vzw
(VLAM)

Legal basis: Decreet van 22 december 2006 houdende de uitga-
venbegroting van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap voor het begro-
tingsjaar 2007,
inzonderheid artikel 12, gewijzigd bij het
decreet van 29 juni 2007

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

A grant of EUR 120 000, broken down as follows for the three
programmes:

— EUR 62 000 for consultancy services provided,

— EUR 11 000 for organising forums for the exchange of

knowledge,

— EUR 47 000 for publications

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is 100 %

Date of implementation: Aid will start on 19 December 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Aid amounting
to EUR 120 000 will be granted for activities carried out
between 19 December 2007 and 31 July 2009

Objective of aid:

The non-profit organisation VLAM wishes to undertake acti-
vities to encourage producers to participate in the PDO/PGI/TSG
schemes.

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C 110/23

By running this campaign, VLAM wishes to provide encourage-
ment and guidance to producer groups and advise them on how
to compile and submit an application dossier.

VLAM intends to undertake the following activities:

1. providing consultancy services by, for example, giving infor-
mation, support and encouragement to producer groups;

2. organising forums for the exchange of knowledge, which will
include organising information meetings for the benefit of
producers;

3. compiling and disseminating publications containing factual
information on the producers of a given product by, for
example, publishing articles in the specialist farming press
and the gastronomic press and developing a website.

The aid is granted under Article 15 of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006 and complies with that Article:

Article 15(2)(c): concerning consultancy services provided by
third parties, the fees for services which do not constitute a
continuous or periodic activity nor relate to the enterprise's
usual operating expenditure, such as routine tax consultancy
services, regular legal services or advertising.

Article 15(2)(d): concerning the organisation of and participa-
tion in forums to share knowledge between businesses, competi-
tions, exhibitions and fairs.

Article 15(2)(f): publications such as catalogues or websites
presenting factual
information about producers from a given
region or producers of a given product, provided the informa-
tion and presentation is neutral and that all producers
concerned have equal opportunities to be represented in the
publication

Sector(s) concerned: The arable and livestock sectors

Name and address of the granting authority:

Departement Landbouw en Visserij
Duurzame Landbouwontwikkeling
Ellips, 6e verdieping
Koning Albert II laan 35, bus 40
B-1030 Brussel

Internet address:
http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/article_body.pl?
numac=2007036508&caller=list&article_lang=N&row_id=1&nu-
mero=18&pub_date=2007-10-04&set3=set+character_variant+%
27dutch.ftl%27&ddfm=12&dt=DECREET&language=nl&choix1=-
EN&choix2=EN&fromtab=+montxt&nl=n&trier=afkondiging&dd-
dda=2006&sql=dt+%3D+%27DECREET%27+and+dd+between
+date%272006-12-22%27+and+date%272006-12-22%27
+&rech=18&tri=dd+AS+RANK
+&ddfa=2006&dddj=22&dddm=12&ddfj=22&set1=set+stopfile+
%27MON.stp%27

Other information:
Without this State aid, it would not be possible to achieve the
programme's objective and it would be impossible to carry out
the project.

Jules VAN LIEFFERINGE
Secretary-General

Aid No: XA 386/07

Member State: France

Region: Centre

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid:
«Aide à la création de maisons de cultures destinées à la produc-
tion agricole»

A growing shed is a building in which agricultural production is
carried out. It allows production to be carried out independently
of weather conditions, while facilitating harvest and guaran-
teeing the health of the crop. The building has thermal insula-
tion and controlled internal temperature, humidity and air flow.
A group of buildings may also be equipped with a picking line

Legal basis:

— Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

— Code général des collectivités territoriales (partie législative):

articles L 1511-1 et L 1511-2

— Délibération de la commission permanente régionale du 12

octobre 2007

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

(EUR)

Forecasts

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Grants

200 000

200 000

200 000

200 000

200 000

200 000

200 000

Aided investments

500 000

500 000

500 000

500 000

500 000

500 000

500 000

Number of holdings

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

These amounts relate to the agricultural sector for the Centre
region only

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

Under Article 4(4) of Regulation No 1857/2006 aid may be
provided for investments to create growing sheds and in particu-
lar:

(a) the construction, acquisition or improvement of immovable

property;

(c) general costs linked to expenditure under points (a) and (b),
such as architects, engineers and consultation fees, feasibility
studies, the acquisition of patents and licences

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Maximum aid intensity:
The maximum amount
for which aid may be granted is
EUR 150 000 per labour unit. A maximum of two labour units
will be covered per holding. However, the limit is six labour
units for holdings using labour-intensive production systems.

Under Article 4(9) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006,
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

favoured area or in areas referred to in Article 36(a)(i), (ii) or (iii)
of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, as designated by
Member States in accordance with Articles 50 and 94 of that
Regulation.

Only holdings meeting the conditions laid down in Article 4(5)
of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 are eligible for aid.

The gross aid intensity increases as
increases:

the total

investment

Holdings limited to two labour units

Holdings limited to six labour units

Total investment

Gross aid intensity

Up to EUR 300 000

Up to EUR 900 000

EUR 300 001 to EUR 337 500

EUR 900 001 to EUR 1 012 500

EUR 337 501 to EUR 375 000

EUR 1 012 501 to EUR 1 125 000

EUR 375 001 to EUR 412 500

EUR 1 125 001 to EUR 1 237 500

EUR 412 501 to EUR 450 000

EUR 1 237 501 to EUR 1 350 000

EUR 450 001 to EUR 487 500

EUR 1 350 001 to EUR 1 462 500

EUR 487 501 to EUR 525 000

EUR 1 462 501 to EUR 1 575 000

EUR 525 001 to EUR 562 500

EUR 1 575 001 to EUR 1 687 500

EUR 562 501 to EUR 600 000

EUR 1 687 501 to EUR 1 800 000

Over EUR 600 000

Over EUR 1 800 000

20 %

22,5 %

25 %

27,5 %

30 %

32,5 %

35 %

37,5 %

40 %

40 %

is responsible for half of the gross aid
The Regional Council
intensity. The General Councils of
the Centre Region may
provide additional funding for the scheme up to the authorised
limits

Date of
receipt by the European Commission

implementation: Following acknowledgement of

Duration of scheme or individual aid: Until 31 December
2013, the date until which Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006
applies

Objectives of aid: To make holdings more competitive,
improve product quality and reduce production costs (extension
of the aid scheme registered under XA 16/05)

Sectors concerned: All agricultural production sectors except
for horticultural and market garden greenhouses receiving or
having received financial assistance under schemes already noti-
fied (N 572/01 and N 523/01)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Conseil régional du Centre
9, rue St Pierre Lentin
F-45041 Orléans cedex 1
Tél.: (33) 02 38 70 30 30
Fax: (33) 02 38 70 31 18
E-mail: Amanda.Tibble@regioncentre.fr

Web address:

www.regioncentre.fr

Click on ‘le guide des aides’

Aid No: XA 399/07

Member State: Spain

Region: Cataluña

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Ayudas para la incentivación de la mejora de la
eficiencia energética en invernaderos agrícolas y en explota-
ciones de porcino

Legal basis: Orden ARP/XXX/2007, de 23 de octubre, por la
que se aprueban las bases reguladoras de las ayudas para la
incentivación de la mejora de la eficiencia energética en inverna-
deros agrícolas y en explotaciones porcinas, y se convocan las
correspondientes al año 2007

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of individual aid granted: For 2007: EUR 478 800

Maximum aid intensity:

The maximum subsidy per application will be 25 % of the
eligible investment. It may be increased by:

— 5 % when the applicant is a young farmer,

— 2 % when the applicant is a woman

Date of application: October 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 30 June 2008

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Objective of the aid:

Maximum aid intensity:

The objective of the aid is to assist investment in agricultural
improving energy efficiency in
holdings for the purpose of
greenhouses used for agricultural production and in pig produc-
tion (Article 4).

Investment relating to the improvement of installations, insula-
tion and covering, heating systems, ventilation and materials is
eligible, as is any improvement which involves a quantifiable
saving and improvement in energy efficiency in greenhouses
used for agricultural production and on pig holdings.

The eligible costs are specified in Article 4(4)(a) and (b),
i.e. those relating to construction, acquisition or improvement
of installations, plus those relating to the purchase or lease-
purchase of equipment and machinery needed to improve effi-
ciency in greenhouses used for agricultural purposes and in pig
holdings.

Overheads linked to the above expenditure, such as architects',
engineers' and consultants' fees, feasibility studies and the acqui-
sition of patents and licences, are not eligible

Sector(s) concerned: Production of products listed in Annex I
to the Treaty, except
fishery and aquaculture products
covered by Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 and products
falling within CN codes 4502, 4503 and 4504 (cork products)

for

Name and address of the granting authority:

Departamento de Agricultura, Alimentación y Acción Rural
Generalitat de Catalunya
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 612-614
E-08007 Barcelona

Web address:

http://www.gencat.net/darp/c/serveis/ajuts/ajut.htm

1. Investment in agricultural holdings:

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

to 40 % of eligible costs in other areas.

The purpose of the aid is investment to purchase machinery
and equipment to be used for agricultural production, to
invest in permanent crops and to improve farmland.

2. Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings:

— for investment in non-productive features, up to 100 %

of actual costs,

— for investment in productive assets on farms, up to 60 %
of actual costs, or 75 % in less-favoured areas, provided
that the investment does not entail any increase in the
production capacity of the farm,

— additional aid may be granted at a rate of up to 100 % to
cover the extra costs incurred by using traditional mate-
rials necessary to maintain the heritage features of build-
ings.

3. 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

Other information: —

4. Aid for land reparcelling:

Aid No: XA 400/07

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Območje občine Žužemberk

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Dodeljevanje
in razvoj
kmetijstva v občini Žužemberk za obdobje 2007–2013

sredstev za ohranjanje

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju sredstev iz naslova
finančnih intervencij za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva v občini
Žužemberk za programsko obdobje 2007–2013 (II. Poglavje)

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

2007: EUR 70 000

2008: EUR 66 750

2009: EUR 67 500

2010: EUR 67 875

2011: EUR 68 250

2012: EUR 68 625

2013: EUR 69 000

— up to 100 % of actual

legal and administrative costs

incurred.

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

— up to 100 % of actual costs incurred;

this is to be
provided in the form of subsidised services and must not
involve direct payments of money to producers.

6. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 100 % of eligible costs concerning farmers' educa-
tion and training, consultancy services, the organisation
of forums, competitions, exhibitions, fairs, publications
and catalogues, the dissemination of scientific knowledge
and the costs of replacement 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 a summary has been published on the European
Commission's website)

Duration of
31 December 2013

scheme or

individual

aid award: until

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 under financial
measures for the preservation and development of agriculture in
the municipality of Žužemberk for the programming period
2007-13 includes measures constituting State aid in accordance
with the following articles 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 agri-
cultural products and amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001
(OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

— Article 4 of the Commission Regulation: Investment in agri-

cultural holdings,

— Article 5 of the Commission Regulation: Conservation of

traditional landscapes and buildings,

— Article 12 of the Commission Regulation: Aid towards the

payment of insurance premiums,

— Article 13 of
reparcelling,

the Commission Regulation: Aid for land

— Article 14 of the Commission Regulation: Aid to encourage

the production of quality agricultural products,

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of granting authority:

Občina Žužemberk
Grajski trg 33
SLO-8360 Žužemberk

Internet address:

http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=200790&dhid=91805

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)

— Article 15 of the Commission Regulation: Provision of tech-

nical support in the agricultural sector

Franc ŠKUFCA
Mayor of the Municipality of Žužemberk