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: 2008-05-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Denmark, Italy, Slovenia, State aid, agricultural holding, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, exchange of information, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 117/16

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Official Journal of the European Union

14.5.2008

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 117/09)

Aid No: XA 2/08

Member State: Denmark

Region: Denmark

Title of the scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Tilskud til certificerede partier af sædekorn og markfrø

Legal basis: Finanslov 2008

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
aid granted to the company:
DKK 10 000 000

individual

Maximum aid intensity: 50 %

Date of implementation: 1.1.2008

Duration of
31.12.2008

scheme or

individual

aid award: Until

Objective of aid: The purpose of the aid scheme is to contri-
bute towards the costs of compulsory control measures in
connection with the certification of cereal seeds and other seeds
for sowing. The scheme comes under Article 14((2)(e) of Regu-
lation (EC) No 1857/2006. The legal basis has not yet been
published

Sector(s) concerned: Crop production (cereal and other seed
for sowing)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Plantedirektoratet
Skovbrynet 20
DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby

Website: www.pdir.dk

Aid No: XA 3/08

Member State: Italy

Region: Regione Marche

Title of aid scheme: Programma dei servizi di sviluppo del
sistema agroalimentare per l'anno 2007

Legal basis:

— Legge Regionale 23 dicembre 1999, n. 37 ‘Disciplina dei
servizi per lo sviluppo del sistema agroalimentare regionale’.

— Legge Regionale 23 ottobre 2007, n. 14 ‘Assestamento del
bilancio 2007’ comma 1 dell'art. 26 ‘Interventi a favore
della zootecnia’.

— Deliberazione Amministrativa n. 57/2007 del 5 giugno
2007: ‘L.R. 37/99. Proroga al 2007 del Programma Opera-
tivo 2006 dei servizi di sviluppo del sistema agroalimentare
regionale’.

— Deliberazione della Giunta Regionale delle Marche n. 1079
dell'8 ottobre 2007 avente ad oggetto ‘L.R. 23 dicembre
1999 n. 37 — D.A. 57/07: Programma obiettivo 2007 dei
servizi di sviluppo del sistema agroalimentare regionale.
Programma
Approvazione
annuale 2007 e per la presentazione dei programmi opera-
tivi 2007’.

l'attuazione del

criteri per

— Deliberazione di Giunta Regionale n. 1182 del 31 ottobre
2007 avente ad oggetto ‘Integrazione della DGR n. 1079
dell'8 ottobre 2007’ avente ad oggetto ‘L.R. 23 dicembre
1999, n. 37 — D. A. 57/07: Programma Obiettivo 2007 dei
servizi di sviluppo del sistema agroalimentare regionale.
Approvazione
Programma
Annuale 2007 e per la presentazione dei Programmi Opera-
tivi 2007’.

l'attuazione del

criteri per

— Deliberazione della Giunta Regionale delle Marche n. 1500
del 18 dicembre 2007, avente ad oggetto ‘Integrazione della
DGR n. 1079 dell'8 ottobre 2007’ avente ad oggetto ‘L.R.
23 dicembre 1999, n. 37 — D. A. 57/07: Programma
Obiettivo 2007 dei servizi di sviluppo del sistema agroali-
mentare regionale. Approvazione criteri per l'attuazione del
Programma Annuale 2007 e per
la presentazione dei
Programmi Operativi 2007’

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: Public
expenditure planned for 2007 amounts to EUR 2 285 000.
Public funding will in any event be set within the limits of the
financial resources allocated to the activities of Agricultural
Development Services under the 2007 draft budget. The above-
mentioned figure for planned public expenditure for 2007 may
be increased by any actual savings in expenditure on multi-
annual projects. The aid scheme covers 2007 only

Maximum aid intensity: Aid may cover up to 70 % of eligible
costs and will be awarded in the form of services provided by
implementing bodies,
i.e. other than as direct payments to
producers. Specialist consulting services of a highly scientific
and innovative nature which are provided by provincial and
regional breeders' associations (APA and ARA) are not subject
to this restriction; the maximum public aid intensity for such
measures is thus 100 % of the eligible costs incurred

Date of implementation: The aid scheme will not be imple-
mented until the Commission confirms that it has received this
summary information sheet. The scheme in effect extends the
period of validity of the 2006 programme and will accordingly
relate only to requests submitted by the implementing bodies to
the competent authority (the Marche Region)
in September
2006. The same also applies to requests submitted by individual
in other words the forms
firms to the implementing bodies,
completed by those firms indicating their participation in the
project. This means that all of the provisions of Article 18 of
the exempting Regulation will be complied with

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Duration of scheme: The aid scheme covers 2007 only

Objective of aid:

the aid is to provide small and
The primary objective of
medium-sized agricultural enterprises engaged in the production
of products mentioned in Annex I to the Treaty, with support
in the form of technical assistance services. The general objec-
tives of the provision of development services are to:

— provide farmers with assistance, at both technical and orga-
nisational/management level, in establishing multifunctional
farming,

— create optimum conditions for farmers to access knowledge
and acquire skills related to environmental protection and
land conservation and preservation,

— promote and support generational turnover, primarily with

a view to improving enterprise structure,

— ensure the continued presence of centres of production in

inland disadvantaged areas,

— encourage, through extension and promotion initiatives in
firms, high-quality production activities linked to enhancing
the value of typical and traditional regional agri-food sector
products,
the aim being to introduce and increase the
uptake of process and product certification and subsequently
the farm products concerned by
improve the image of
means of quality-seal programmes,

granting of the aid provided for under the legal basis are eligible
and can be reimbursed

Sector(s) concerned:

Animal production (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, etc.) and
vegetable production (tree crops and grasses),
sylvicultural
production (only in respect of production for the sale of nursery
plants), and related activities such as rural tourism and the
processing and direct sale of agricultural products.

As regards rural tourism, aid will be granted only for the provi-
sion of technical assistance services, the aim of which is to
boost farm sales of agricultural products referred to in Annex I
to the Treaty, where these are produced on the farm and sold
using premises which are not separate from the farm and are
not used exclusively for that purpose.

As regards processing and marketing by farms of products
included in Annex I to the Treaty which they have produced
themselves, aid will be granted only for
the provision of
services, the aim of which is the sale of those products on the
farm, using premises which are not separate from the farm and
are not used exclusively for that purpose

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione Marche — Servizio Agricoltura — PF Competitività e
sviluppo dell'impresa agricola
Via Tiziano, 44
I-60125 Ancona

— seek the best business conditions so as to contain the direct

and indirect costs of businesses,

Website:

— encourage business owners to improve supply organisation
and, where appropriate, to enter into sector agreement and
related contracts and agreements,

— disseminate the results of research and experimentation in
order to encourage the modernisation of agricultural enter-
prises.

These objectives will be pursued by means of the following:

financial

1. specialist technical assistance services provided to enterprises
(technical,
assistance,
designed to increase the competitivity of the enterprise, and
technical assistance provided to enterprises to support the
agricultural
production, processing
products);

and credit management

and marketing of

2. extension, promotion and information services;

3.

technical assistance,
integrated sector
extension, promotion and information services, integrated on
a sector basis);

(specialist

services

4. agri-meteorological and plant health assistance;

5. technical assistance for the genetic and functional improve-

ment of milk production.

The technical assistance services provided do not constitute a
continuous or periodic activity nor do they relate to the enter-
prise's usual operating expenditure; for each project, therefore,
monitoring of
indicators is required to assess improvements
made under the assistance measures, accompanied by a detailed
report of the results obtained.

is made

Reference
to Article 15 of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006 and, more specifically, to paragraphs 2 and 3
thereof as regards whether the costs incurred as a result of the

http://www.agri.marche.it/Aree tematiche/Aiuti di
mentazione.pdf

stato/docu-

Other information:

The scheme extends until the end of 2007 the period of validity
of two earlier measures: N 16/04 and N 700/06.

As shown in the comparative table attached to this summary
information sheet, the aid schemes for the three years from
2003 to 2005 (Aid N 16/04), for 2006 (Aid N 700/06) and
for 2007, are identical, apart from a few minor amendments,
aimed at bringing the scheme into line with national legislation
on producer organisations. The only significant difference is the
fact that the aid rate has increased (although it still remains
within the maximum limit of 100 % of eligible costs, in accord-
ance with Article 15 of the new exempting Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006)
for programmes initiated by stockbreeders'
associations, on account of the innovative efforts required for
these programmes.

Development services for agricultural enterprises will supplied
by ‘implementing bodies’, identified in the relevant regional law,
namely:

1. regional organisations representing individual (or groups of)

agricultural undertakings:

— professional agricultural organisations and/or institutes
and organisations providing technical assistance and
advice and professional training set up by such organisa-
tions,

— cooperative associations,

including through their own
associates, and/or institutes and organisations providing
technical assistance and advice and professional training
set up by such associations;

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2. producer organisations, associations for the protection of
typical products and other associations of agri-food sectors
recognised under current legislation, which have access to
products, solely for statutory purposes;

3. stockbreeders' associations.

Support services: Agro-meteorological assistance and assistance
for the genetic and functional improvement of milk production
will be entrusted to ASSAM; ASSAM will provide these services
via, respectively, plant health associations (operating via the
Italian CALs, or Local Agri-Meteorological Centres) and the
system of regional breeders' associations.

agricultural

In accordance with Article 15(3) and (4) of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006,
the development
the end beneficiaries of
services system provided for under this aid scheme are small
and medium-sized
the
requirements of Regional Law No 37 of 23 December 1999
‘Disciplina dei servizi per lo sviluppo del sistema agroalimentare
regionale’
in Administrative Decision No 57/2007 of 5 June
2007 (‘L.R. 37/99. Proroga al 2007 del Programma Operativo
2006 dei servizi di sviluppo del sistema agroalimentare regio-
nale’) and the Regional Authority Decisions forming the legal
basis of this aid scheme.

enterprises meeting

It should be noted that the end beneficiaries will not receive any
direct payments but will only benefit from the services provided
by the implementing bodies specified at 3.1.1. of the Annex to
DGR No 1079 of 8 October 2007,
amended by
DGR No 1500 of 18 December 2007 and included in the
comparative table referred to above.

as

All beneficiaries in the area affected by the project will have
access to the services provided. The fact that an end beneficiary
is controlled by an implementing body will not be a condition
for access to the service. Any contributions from beneficiaries
not forming part of the organisation of the implementing body
to the administrative costs of the implementing body, will be
restricted to the cost of the service provided

Aid No: XA 14/08

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Območje občine Hrastnik

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Podpore programom razvoja podeželja v občini
Hrastnik 2007–2010

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production:

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

to 40 % in other areas.

2. Aid for conservation of traditional buildings:

investment

— up to 50 % of eligible costs for investments to conserve
non-productive heritage features located on farms and
to conserve the heritage features of
for
productive assets on farms, such as farm buildings,
provided that the investments do not entail any increase
in the production capacity of the farm.

3. Aid for land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of actual

legal and administrative costs

incurred.

4. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 100 % of costs concerning education and training
farmers, consultancy services that are provided by
of
third parties and that do not include the enterprise's
usual operating expenditure, the organisation of forums,
competitions, exhibitions and fairs, publications, catalo-
gues and websites, and the dissemination of scientific
knowledge. The aid is to be granted in the form of subsi-
dised services and does not involve direct payments of
money to producers

Date of implementation: June 2007

Duration of
31.12.2010

scheme or

individual

aid award: Until

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

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

Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting financial aid for agri-
cultural and rural development programmes in the municipality
of Hrastnik includes measures constituting State aid in accord-
ance 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: Investment in agricultural holdings for primary

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju finančnih pomoči za
programe razvoja podeželja in kmetijstva v občini Hrastnik

production,

— Article 5: Conservation of traditional landscapes and build-

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

ings,

2007: EUR 21 574

2008: EUR 22 033

2009: EUR 22 033

2010: EUR 22 033

— Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling,

— Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural

sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

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Name and address of granting authority:

Občina Hrastnik
Pot Vitka Pavliča 5
SLO-1430 Hrastnik

Website:

http://sftp.slovenka.net/o-hrastnik/h/os/pravilnik_kmetijstvo_
hrastnik_2007.doc

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.

— up to 60 % of eligible costs in less-favoured areas, and up
to 50 % of eligible costs in other areas, in the case of
investments made by young farmers within five years of
setting up.

The purpose of the aid is investment to restore farm features
and to purchase equipment
to be used for agricultural
production, to invest in permanent crops, to improve farm-
land and to manage pastures.

2. Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings:

— up to 100 % of actual costs for investment or efforts to

conserve non-productive heritage features,

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)

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

Miran JERIČ
Mayor of the municipality of Hrastnik

Aid No: XA 16/08

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Območje občine Razkrižje

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Pomoči za ohranjanje in razvoj kmetijstva ter pode-
želja v občini Razkrižje za programsko obdobje 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju pomoči za ohranjanje in
razvoj kmetijstva ter podeželja v občini Razkrižje (II. poglavje).

Annual expenditure planned or overall amount of indivi-
dual aid granted to the company:

2007: EUR 7 000

2008: EUR 9 000

2009: EUR 10 000

2010: EUR 11 000

2011: EUR 12 000

2012: EUR 13 000

2013: EUR 14 000

Maximum aid intensity:

1. Investment in agricultural holdings:

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

— 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 conserve the heritage features of build-
ings.

3. Aid towards the payment of insurance premiums:

— in line with the Decree on the co-financing of insurance
premiums for insuring agricultural production for the
current year, the amount of municipal co-financing may
not exceed the difference between the amount of co-fi-
nancing of insurance premiums from the national budget
and 50 % of eligible costs for insurance premiums,
including tax on insurance transactions.

4. Aid for land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of eligible legal and administrative costs,

including inspection costs.

5. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— up to 100 % of eligible costs concerning education and
training of farmers, consultancy services and the organi-
zation of forums, competitions, exhibitions, fairs, publi-
cations, catalogues and websites, and the costs 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: December 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: Aid will be
granted up to 31.12.2013

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

Objectives of aid: To support SMEs

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

Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting aid for preserving and
developing agriculture and rural areas in the municipality of
Razkrižje 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: Investment in agricultural holdings,

— Article 5: Conservation of traditional landscapes and build-

ings,

— Article 12: Aid towards

the payment of

insurance

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

2007: EUR 9 390

2008: EUR 9 400

2009: EUR 9 450

2010: EUR 9 500

2011: EUR 9 600

2012: EUR 9 650

2013: EUR 9 700

Maximum aid intensity:

premiums,

1. Investment in agricultural holdings for primary production:

— Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling,

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

— Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural

sector

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

Economic Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of the granting authority:

Občina Razkrižje
Šafarsko 42
SLO-9240 Ljutomer

Website:

http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=2007112&-
dhid=93013

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)

Stanko IVANUŠIČ
Mayor of the municipality of Razkrižje

Aid No: XA 17/08

Member State: Republic of Slovenia

Region: Območje občine Velika Polana

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Dodeljevanje državnih pomoči v kmetijstvu na
območju občine Velika Polana 2007–2013

Legal basis: Pravilnik o dodeljevanju državnih pomoči, pomoči
de minimis in izvajanju drugih ukrepov razvoja kmetijstva in
podeželja v občini Velika Polana

the investment

— up to 50 % of eligible costs for investment in other areas,
if
is made by young farmers within
five years of setting up their farm and fulfils the criteria
set out in Article 22 of Commission Regulation (EC)
No 1698/2005.

The purpose of the aid is investment to restore farm features
and to purchase equipment
to be used for agricultural
production, to invest in permanent crops, to improve farm-
land and to manage pastures.

2. Conservation of traditional landscapes and buildings:

— up to 50 % of eligible costs for investment to conserve
the cultural heritage of productive assets (farm buildings),
provided that the investment does not entail any increase
in the production capacity of the farm,

— up to 50 % of eligible costs for investment

for the
purposes of conserving non-productive heritage located
on farms (sites of archaeological or historical interest),

— up to 50 % of additional aid to cover the extra costs
incurred by using traditional materials necessary to
conserve the heritage features of buildings.

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 insurance premiums for insuring crops
and fruit and for insuring livestock against disease.

co-financing of

amount of

4. Aid for land reparcelling:

— up to 100 % of eligible legal and administrative costs,

including inspection costs.

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

— Article 5: Conservation of traditional landscapes and build-

— the aid is granted in the form of subsidised services to
cover up to 100 % of costs and must not involve direct
payments of money to producers.

ings,

— Article 12: Aid towards

the payment of

insurance

premiums,

6. Provision of technical support in the agricultural sector:

— Article 13: Aid for land reparcelling,

— up to 100 % of costs concerning education and training
farmers, consultancy services that are provided by
of
third parties and that do not include the enterprise's
operating expenditure,
forums,
competitions, exhibitions and fairs, publications, catalo-
gues and websites. The aid is to be granted in the form
involve direct
of
payments of money to producers

subsidised services and must not

the organisation of

Date of implementation: December 2007

Duration of
31.12.2013

scheme or

individual

aid award: Until

Objective of the aid: To support SMEs

Reference to Articles in Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006 and
eligible costs:
Chapter II of the draft Rules on granting State aid and de minimis
aid and implementing other agricultural and rural development
measures in the municipality of Velika Polana 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 agricultural products and amending Regulation
(EC) No 70/2001 (OJ L 358, 16.12.2006, p. 3):

— Article 4: Investment in agricultural holdings for primary

production,

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

cultural products,

— Article 15: Provision of technical support in the agricultural

sector

Economic sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of granting authority:
Občina Velika Polana
Velika Polana 111
SLO-9225 Velika Polana

Website:
http://www.uradni-list.si/1/ulonline.jsp?urlid=2007113&-
dhid=93094

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 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)

Damijan JAKLIN
Mayor