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: 2008-08-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Finland, Italy, Netherlands, State aid, United Kingdom, agricultural production, aid to agriculture, control of State aid, exchange of information, small and medium-sized enterprises

C 210/6

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Official Journal of the European Union

19.8.2008

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 and
amending Regulation (EC) No 70/2001

(2008/C 210/04)

XA Number: XA 133/08

Member State: Italy

Region: Marche

Objective of aid: Pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006, this aid scheme is intended for/aimed at SMEs
to cut production costs,
improve and diversify production
activities, enhance product quality, protect and improve the
environment and animal hygiene and health conditions

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Sostegno ad investimenti realizzati dalle cooperative
agricole e dalle cooperative sociali che operano nel settore agri-
colo e forestale

Beneficiaries:

1. B-type social cooperatives entered in the official register of
social cooperatives established by Regional Law No 34 of
18 December 2001 operating in the agricultural sector,

Legal basis:

— L.R. n. 07/2005, art. 4, comma 2

2. agricultural cooperatives and consortia thereof qualified as

professional farmers (IAP)

— Deliberazione della Giunta regionale delle Marche n. 93 del
28.1.2008 — «Programma annuale 2008 della legge regio-
nale 23 febbraio 2005, N. 7 — Promozione della coopera-
zione per lo sviluppo rurale» — Paragrafo 1 dell'allegato

Sector(s) concerned: Agriculture

Name and address of granting authority: Regione Marche

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

Website:

The amount committed in the regional budget for 2008 for
implementing the measures planned under this aid scheme
totals EUR 150 000 together with any amount left over from
the implementation of the 2006 working programme.

Thereafter this amount will be determined by the respective
annual budget laws

Maximum aid intensity:

The gross aid intensity must not exceed 40 % of eligible
expenses (50 % in less-favoured areas).

The investment for which funding is awarded may not exceed
EUR 50 000.

The maximum amount of aid granted to an individual enterprise
must not exceed EUR 400 000 over any period of three finan-
cial years, or EUR 500 000 if the enterprise is located in a less
favoured 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 thereof

Date of implementation: Starting from 2008 and in any event
following confirmation by the Commission that it has received
this summary information

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31.12.2013

www.agri.marche.it/Aree tematiche/aiuti di stato/Sostegno ad
investimenti realizzati dalle cooperative agricole e dalle coopera-
tive sociali che operano nel settore agricolo e forestale.pdf

Other information:

Eligible expenditure and aid beneficiaries will be established on
the basis of the methods and priorities indicated in paragraph 1
of the Annex to Decision of the Regional Executive No 93 of
28 January 2008 — 2008 Annual Programme — of Regional
Law No 7 of 23 February 2005 concerning the promotion of
cooperation for rural development (‘Programma annuale 2008
della legge regionale 23 febbraio 2005, N. 7 — Promozione
della cooperazione per lo sviluppo rurale’), which is the legal
basis for the aid scheme. Its final text will be transmitted to the
Commission immediately after its approval.

Furthermore, we guarantee that any aid concerning the forestry
sector will only be implemented through Regulation (EC)
No 1998/2006 of 15 December 2006 on the application of
Articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to de minimis aid, and that aid
to agrifood and agroindustrial cooperatives are excluded, as
specifically provided for in the abovementioned Draft Decision
of the Regional Executive, which is the legal basis of the present
aid scheme

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C 210/7

XA Number: XA 156/08

Objective of aid:

Member State: Italy

Region: Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta

This investment aid scheme is intended for the following objec-
tives:

(a) to preserve access to high-mountain land for traditional

transhumance;

Title of aid scheme: Conservazione di paesaggi e fabbricati
rurali tradizionali

(b) to preserve and improve the natural environment, hygiene

conditions and animal welfare standards;

Legal basis: Art. 51 del titolo III (Disciplina degli
interventi
regionali in materia di agricoltura e di sviluppo rurale. Modifica-
zioni alle leggi regionali 16 novembre 1999, n. 36, e 28 aprile
2003, n. 18) della legge regionale 12 dicembre 2007, n. 32
«Disposizioni per la formazione del bilancio annuale e plurien-
nale della Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta (Legge finanziaria
leggi regionali.» e
per gli anni 2008/2010). Modificazioni di
successive modificazioni e integrazioni

(c) to enhance production quality;

(d) to reduce production costs;

(e) to regenerate the historic, architectural and environmental

heritage of agricultural value;

(f) to increase the production of alternative and renewable

energy.

Planned annual expenditure under the scheme: EUR 7 million

The following costs are eligible under the measure:

Maximum aid intensity:

Considering that the region as a whole is a ‘mountain area’,
within the meaning of Article 36(a)(i) of Regulation (EC)
No 1698/2005, the maximum aid intensity is as follows:

(a) 50 % of eligible expenses to conserve the heritage features
of productive assets on farms,
including design costs and
fees, where the investment entails an increase in the produc-
tion capacity of the farm. This limit may be increased by a
further 10 percentage points if the initiative is carried out
by young farmers within a five year period after setting-up;

(a) operations to conserve the heritage features of archaeolo-
gical, historic or environmental interest that are not produc-
tive assets on farms;

(b) operations to conserve the heritage features that are produc-

tive assets on farms;

(c) design costs and fees relating to the operations specified in

points (a) and (b) above.

Reference to Community legislation: Article 5 of Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural sectors

(b) 75 % of eligible expenses to conserve the heritage features
of productive assets on farms,
including design costs and
fees, provided the investment does not entail any increase in
the production capacity of the farm;

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta — Assessorato Agricoltura e
risorse naturali — Dipartimento Agricoltura — Loc. Grande
Charrière, 66 — I-11020 Saint-Christophe (Aosta)

(c) 100 % of additional expenses caused by the use of tradi-
tional material needed to preserve the architectural features
of buildings, where the investment entails an increase in the
production capacity;

Website:

http://www.regione.vda.it/gestione/sezioni_web/allegato.asp?
pk_allegato=1287

(d) 100 % of eligible expenses to conserve the heritage features
of archaeological or historic interest that are not productive
assets on farms and for related design costs and fees. Where
work is carried out by the beneficiary or its collaborators
themselves on farm, aid may only be granted up to
EUR 10 000 a year.

Where the aid is granted as an interest subsidy or in the form of
a subsidised loan, the gross grant equivalent is calculated using
the appropriate IT programme, which applies the reference rate
as periodically determined by the Commission

Date of implementation: As from the publication of the regis-
tration number of the request for exemption on the website of
the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural
Development

Duration of scheme: Under the scheme, aid may be granted
until 31 December 2013 and for six months thereafter

XA Number: XA 157/08

Member State: Italy

Region: Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta

Title of aid scheme: Investimenti nelle aziende agricole

Legal basis: Art. 50 del titolo III (Disciplina degli
interventi
regionali in materia di agricoltura e di sviluppo rurale. Modifica-
zioni alle leggi regionali 16 novembre 1999, n. 36, e 28 aprile
2003, n. 18) della legge regionale 12 dicembre 2007, n. 32
«Disposizioni per la formazione del bilancio annuale e plurien-
nale della Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta (Legge finanziaria
per gli anni 2008/2010). Modificazioni di
leggi regionali.» e
successive modificazioni e integrazioni

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Planned
EUR 10 000 000

annual

expenditure

under

the

scheme:

(d) purchase of land other than that intended for building up to

10 % of the eligible investment expenditure;

Maximum aid intensity:

Considering that the region as a whole is a ‘mountain area’
within the meaning of Article 36(a)(i) of Regulation (EC)
No 1698/2005, the maximum aid intensity is as follows:

(a) 50 % of eligible expenditure;

(b) 60 % of eligible expenditure for investments made by young

farmers within five years of setting up;

(c) 75 % of eligible expenditure for the extra costs for applying
specific rules for the protection and improvement of the
environment, the improvement of hygiene conditions of
to
livestock enterprises or the welfare of
comply with new Community minimum requirements or go
beyond Community minimum requirements in force; this
percentage may not be applied for investments entailing an
increase in production capacity.

farm animals,

(e) construction of biogas production plants

intended for

self-consumption.

Aid must not be granted in respect of the following:

(a) the purchase of production rights, animals or annual plants;

(b) the planting of annual plants;

(c) drainage works or

works, unless such investment
previous water use of at least 25 %;

irrigation equipment and irrigation
leads to a reduction of

(d) simple replacement investments;

(e) the manufacture of products which imitate, or can be substi-

tuted for, milk and milk products.

Reference to Community legislation: Article 4 of Regulation
(EC) No 1857/2006

The maximum aid intensity per beneficiary is EUR 500 000 per
three financial years.

Sector(s) concerned: All agricultural sectors

Where the aid is granted as an interest subsidy or in the form of
a subsidised loan, the gross grant equivalent is calculated using
the appropriate IT programme, which applies the reference rate
as periodically determined by the Commission

Date of implementation: As from the publication of the regis-
tration number of the request for exemption on the website of
the Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural
Development

Duration of scheme: Aid may be granted under the present
scheme until 31 December 2013 and for six months thereafter

Objective of aid:

The investment aid scheme is intended to support small and
medium-sized agricultural holdings for the following secondary
objectives:

(a) to reduce production costs;

(b) to enhance production quality;

Name and address of the granting authority:

Regione autonoma Valle d'Aosta — Assessorato Agricoltura e
risorse naturali — Dipartimento Agricoltura — Loc. Grande
Charrière, 66 — I-11020 Saint-Christophe (Aosta)

Website:

http://www.regione.vda.it/gestione/sezioni_web/allegato.asp?
pk_allegato=1287

XA Number: XA 158/08

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: Wales

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Wales Foot and Mouth Disease Compensation Scheme

(c) to preserve and improve the natural environment, hygiene

conditions and animal welfare standards;

Legal basis: Section 1 of the Welsh Development Agency Act
1975

(d) to increase the production of alternative and renewable

energy.

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

The following costs are eligible under the measure:

(a) purchase of equipment and machinery, including computer
increase and protect agricultural

to improve,
equipment,
production, up to their market value;

(b) construction, acquisition and improvement of immovable

property;

Year

Expenditure

2008

GBP 9 200 000

Maximum aid intensity: The aid will be limited to losses
caused by disease for which an outbreak has been formally
recognised by public authorities and will not exceed 100 % of
the costs associated with dealing with the requirements of the
scheme

(c) design expenses and fees and other general expenses related

to points (a) and (b) above;

Date of implementation: 11 April 2008

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Duration of scheme or individual aid award: Payment under
the scheme will take the form of a headage based receipt to
sheep producers in the Wales Less Favoured Area. The scheme
will operate for the period it would take the Welsh Assembly
Government to pay all eligible producers, estimated to be by
June 2008. The UK authorities will notify the Commission
when the scheme has closed

Objective of aid:

The proposed Scheme aims to offer a degree of compensation
to sheep farmers in the Less Favoured Area of Wales for income
losses arising from animal movement and export restrictions
imposed across GB as a consequence to the outbreak of foot
and mouth disease in England. The aid will be limited to small
and medium sized sheep producers in the Less Favoured Area.
This area represents 80 per cent of the agricultural area of
Wales.

The objective complies with Article 10(2)(a) of Regulation (EC)
No 1857/2006 where the aid must be limited to losses caused
by diseases for which an outbreak has been formally recognised
by public authorities

Eligible costs:

The underlying justification for the scheme is the assessment
that movement restrictions imposed in Wales as a consequence
of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in England has caused
economic
some
GBP 19,6 million.

the Welsh

sector

sheep

loss

to

of

The proposed scheme will not exceed GBP 9,2 million. Aid will
take the form of a payment of GBP 2 per sheep in the Less
Favoured Area (LFA) of Wales. The payment rate has been calcu-
lated to avoid the risk of over-compensation of eligible sheep
producers

Sector(s) concerned: Sheep producers in the Less Favoured
Area of Wales that fit the criteria of small and medium sized
enterprises

Name and address of the granting authority:

Welsh Assembly Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff CF10 3NQ
United Kingdom

Contact:

Mrs Terri Thomas
Tel. (44-029) 20 82 51 76
E-mail: terri.thomas@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Website:

XA Number: XA 178/08

Member State: Netherlands

Region: —

Title of aid scheme or name of company receiving indivi-
dual aid: Terra Madre Nederland 2008

Legal basis: Artikel 21.13 van de Wet tot vaststelling van de
begrotingsstaten van het Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en
Voedselkwaliteit (IXV) voor het jaar 2008

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall
amount of
aid granted to the company:
EUR 0,03 million of individual aid

individual

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation: 12 May 2008

Duration of
31 December 2008

scheme or

individual

aid award: Until

Objective of the aid: Ad hoc aid for a fair for small and
medium-sized primary agricultural holdings

Sector(s) concerned: Small and medium-sized primary agri-
cultural holdings (NACE Code: A — Agriculture, nature and
forestry)

Name and address of the granting authority:

Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
Postbus 20401
2500 EK Den Haag
Nederland

Website:

http://www.minlnv.nl/portal/page?_pageid=116,1640848&_dad=
portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_document_id=110888&p_node_id=
1042294&p_mode=BROWSE

Other information: The aid scheme complies with Arti-
cle 15(2)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The aid is
granted to the Association ‘Slow Food Convivia in Nederland’
and is not directly paid to producers. The objective of the fair is
for all small and medium-sized agricultural holdings to exchange
knowledge related to the (production of) typical local products
by means of conferences and round-table discussions

XA Number: XA 189/08

Member State: Finland

Region: Finland

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/ahw/
disease/footandmouth/fmdcompensationscheme/?lang=en

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

Signed and dated on behalf of the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (UK competent authority)

TSE-valvontaohjelma
nautojen, lampaiden ja vuohien osalta)

(TSE-testikustannusten

korvaaminen

Program för övervakning av TSE,
transmissibla spongiforma
encefalopatier (ersättning för kostnader för TSE-test av nötk-
reatur, får och getter)

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Legal basis:

Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 22 May 2001 laying down rules for the
prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies

Maa-
ja metsätalousministeriön asetus nautojen BSE-taudin
vastustamisesta (6/EEO/2007)/Jord- och skogsbruksministeriets
förordning om bekämpning av BSE i nötkreatur (6/VLA/2007)

Maa-
ja metsätalousministeriön asetus lampaiden ja vuohien
TSE-tautien vastustamisesta (32/EEO/2006, muut. 7/EEO/2007)/
Jord- och skogsbruksministeriets förordning om bekämpning av
TSE-sjukdomar hos får och getter (32/VLA/2006, ändrad ved 7/
VLA/2007)

Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön asetus Elintarviketurvallisuusvir-
aston maksullisista suoritteista (296/2006)/Jord- och skogs-
förordning om Livsmedelssäkerhetsverkets
bruksministeriets
avgiftsbelagda prestationer (296/2006)

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme: The budget
for 2008 is EUR 4,17 million. The total budget for 2008-2013
is a maximum of EUR 25 million

Maximum aid intensity: 100 %

Date of implementation: 26 May 2008

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: 31 December
2013

Objective of aid:
Limited to specific sectors.

The objective of the aid is to compensate the costs of TSE tests
on cattle, sheep and goats in accordance with Article 16(g) of
Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006

Sector(s) concerned:
NACE code

A 01.21 — Farming of cattle, dairy farming

A 01.22 — Farming of sheep, goats, horses, asses, mules and
hinnies

Name and address of the granting authority:
Elintarviketurvallisuusvirasto Evira
Mustialankatu 3
FI-00790 Helsinki

Website:
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kokoelma/2006/20060050.pdf

http://wwwb.mmm.fi/el/laki/d/default.html

Other information:
Aid intensity is 100 %, but a maximum of EUR 34,50/test.

estimated costs of

The
the
EUR 4,17 million (120 800 tests). The total budget
2008-2013 is a maximum of EUR 25 million.

in 2008 are
for

aid scheme

The aid does not involve direct payments to producers