CELEX: E2014C0170
Language: en
Date: 2014-04-24 00:00:00
Title: EFTA Surveillance Authority Decision No 170/14/COL of 24 April 2014 on the Icelandic regional aid map 2014-2020 (Iceland)

10.7.2014   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               L 201/33
            
         EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY DECISION
   No 170/14/COL
   of 24 April 2014
   on the Icelandic regional aid map 2014-2020 (Iceland)
   THE EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY (‘THE AUTHORITY’)
   Having regard to:
   The Agreement on the European Economic Area (‘the EEA Agreement’), in particular to Articles 61 to 63 and Protocol 26 thereof,
   The Agreement between the EFTA States on the Establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice (‘the Surveillance and Court Agreement’), in particular to Article 24 thereof,
   Whereas:
   1.   Procedure
   
   
               (1)
            
            
               By letter of 4 April 2014 the Icelandic authorities notified their regional aid map applicable from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2020 (‘the regional aid map’) pursuant to paragraph 156 of the Authority's Guidelines on regional state aid for 2014–2020 (‘the RAG’) (1). These guidelines require the EFTA States that intend to grant regional aid to notify regional aid maps.
            
         
               (2)
            
            
               This decision represents the Authority's assessment of the compatibility of the notified map with the RAG in accordance with paragraph 157 of those guidelines. The map itself does not involve any state aid within the meaning of Article 61 of the EEA Agreement. The Authority's approval of the map does not constitute an authorisation to grant any aid. The authorisation of the map establishes, together with the RAG, the framework for granting regional investment aid. In that respect the map constitutes an integral part of the RAG (2).
            
         2.   Regions eligible under the population density test
   
   2.1.   National population coverage and Statistical regions in Iceland
   
   
               (3)
            
            
               A national population coverage of assisted regions in the EFTA States has been established in the RAG. The national population coverage for Iceland for 2014–2020 is 36,5 % (3).
            
         
               (4)
            
            
               Iceland is divided into two Statistical regions (4) at level 3:
               
                           —
                        
                        
                           the Capital region (Höfuðborgarsvæðið), and
                        
                     
                           —
                        
                        
                           Iceland outside the Capital region (Landsbyggð).
                        
                     
         2.2.   The notified map
   
   
               (5)
            
            
               Due to the relatively high GDP per capita, no Icelandic region qualifies for the derogation under Article 61(3)(a) of the EEA Agreement (5).
            
         
               (6)
            
            
               The Icelandic authorities have notified Iceland outside the Capital region qualifying for the derogation under Article 61(3)(c) of the EEA Agreement, based on low population density (6).
            
         
               (7)
            
            
               The Icelandic authorities have submitted a map setting out the designated areas (set out as Annex to this Decision). The designated area, Iceland outside the Capital region, covers a land area of 99 258 km2.
            
         
               (8)
            
            
               Iceland outside the Capital region is a Statistical region at level 3 with less than 12,5 inhabitants per km2. Therefore, the designated area qualifies as a sparsely populated area (7).
            
         
               (9)
            
            
               The total population of Iceland on 1 January 2014 amounted to 325 671 inhabitants and the total population of the area covered by the notified regional aid map is, according to most recent data published by the national statistical office, 116 919 inhabitants (8). Consequently, the population covered by the notified regional aid map is 35,9 % of the Icelandic population. This is below the national population coverage established for Iceland in the RAG (36,5 %) (9).
            
         2.3.   Overview of municipalities covered by the regional aid map as notified
   
   
               (10)
            
            
               The number of municipalities covered by the notified regional aid map is 67.
               
                           Municipalities
                        
                        
                           Municipality code
                        
                     
                           Reykjanesbær
                        
                        
                           2000
                        
                     
                           Grindavíkurbær
                        
                        
                           2300
                        
                     
                           Sandgerðisbær
                        
                        
                           2503
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Garður
                        
                        
                           2504
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Vogar
                        
                        
                           2506
                        
                     
                           Akraneskaupstaður
                        
                        
                           3000
                        
                     
                           Skorradalshreppur
                        
                        
                           3506
                        
                     
                           Hvalfjarðarsveit
                        
                        
                           3511
                        
                     
                           Borgarbyggð
                        
                        
                           3609
                        
                     
                           Grundarfjarðarbær
                        
                        
                           3709
                        
                     
                           Helgafellssveit
                        
                        
                           3710
                        
                     
                           Stykkishólmsbær
                        
                        
                           3711
                        
                     
                           Eyja- og Miklaholtshreppur
                        
                        
                           3713
                        
                     
                           Snæfellsbær
                        
                        
                           3714
                        
                     
                           Dalabyggð
                        
                        
                           3811
                        
                     
                           Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður
                        
                        
                           4100
                        
                     
                           Ísafjarðarbær
                        
                        
                           4200
                        
                     
                           Reykhólahreppur
                        
                        
                           4502
                        
                     
                           Tálknafjarðarhreppur
                        
                        
                           4604
                        
                     
                           Vesturbyggð
                        
                        
                           4607
                        
                     
                           Súðavíkurhreppur
                        
                        
                           4803
                        
                     
                           Árneshreppur
                        
                        
                           4901
                        
                     
                           Kaldrananeshreppur
                        
                        
                           4902
                        
                     
                           Strandabyggð
                        
                        
                           4911
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Skagafjörður
                        
                        
                           5200
                        
                     
                           Húnaþing vestra
                        
                        
                           5508
                        
                     
                           Blönduósbær
                        
                        
                           5604
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Skagaströnd
                        
                        
                           5609
                        
                     
                           Skagabyggð
                        
                        
                           5611
                        
                     
                           Húnavatnshreppur
                        
                        
                           5612
                        
                     
                           Akrahreppur
                        
                        
                           5706
                        
                     
                           Akureyrarkaupstaður
                        
                        
                           6000
                        
                     
                           Norðurþing
                        
                        
                           6100
                        
                     
                           Fjallabyggð
                        
                        
                           6250
                        
                     
                           Dalvíkurbyggð
                        
                        
                           6400
                        
                     
                           Eyjafjarðarsveit
                        
                        
                           6513
                        
                     
                           Hörgársveit
                        
                        
                           6515
                        
                     
                           Svalbarðsstrandarhreppur
                        
                        
                           6601
                        
                     
                           Grýtubakkahreppur
                        
                        
                           6602
                        
                     
                           Skútustaðahreppur
                        
                        
                           6607
                        
                     
                           Tjörneshreppur
                        
                        
                           6611
                        
                     
                           Þingeyjarsveit
                        
                        
                           6612
                        
                     
                           Svalbarðshreppur
                        
                        
                           6706
                        
                     
                           Langanesbyggð
                        
                        
                           6709
                        
                     
                           Seyðisfjarðarkaupstaður
                        
                        
                           7000
                        
                     
                           Fjarðabyggð
                        
                        
                           7300
                        
                     
                           Vopnafjarðarhreppur
                        
                        
                           7502
                        
                     
                           Fljótsdalshreppur
                        
                        
                           7505
                        
                     
                           Borgarfjarðarhreppur
                        
                        
                           7509
                        
                     
                           Breiðdalshreppur
                        
                        
                           7613
                        
                     
                           Djúpavogshreppur
                        
                        
                           7617
                        
                     
                           Fljótsdalshérað
                        
                        
                           7620
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Hornafjörður
                        
                        
                           7708
                        
                     
                           Vestmannaeyjabær
                        
                        
                           8000
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Árborg
                        
                        
                           8200
                        
                     
                           Mýrdalshreppur
                        
                        
                           8508
                        
                     
                           Skaftárhreppur
                        
                        
                           8509
                        
                     
                           Ásahreppur
                        
                        
                           8610
                        
                     
                           Rangárþing eystra
                        
                        
                           8613
                        
                     
                           Rangárþing ytra
                        
                        
                           8614
                        
                     
                           Hrunamannahreppur
                        
                        
                           8710
                        
                     
                           Hveragerðisbær
                        
                        
                           8716
                        
                     
                           Sveitarfélagið Ölfus
                        
                        
                           8717
                        
                     
                           Grímsnes- og Grafningshreppur
                        
                        
                           8719
                        
                     
                           Skeiða- og Gnúpverjahreppur
                        
                        
                           8720
                        
                     
                           Bláskógabyggð
                        
                        
                           8721
                        
                     
                           Flóahreppur
                        
                        
                           8722
                        
                     
         
               (11)
            
            
               The table below provides an overview of all the municipalities, together with municipality codes (10), included in the regional aid map.
            
         3.   Aid intensities
   
   
               (12)
            
            
               The eligible area will have a general aid ceiling of 15 % gross grant equivalent (GGE). This will be supplemented by an increase of 20 % for small enterprises or 10 % for medium-sized enterprises. These aid intensities comply with the thresholds set out in paragraphs 154 and 155 of the RAG.
            
         4.   Duration and review
   
   
               (13)
            
            
               In compliance with paragraph 156 of the RAG, the notified map will be in force from 1 July 2014 to 31 December 2020. If necessary, as provided for in paragraph 161 of the RAG, the notified map may be subject to a mid-term review in June 2016 to identify possible areas that may be eligible for regional aid under Article 61(3)(a) of the EEA Agreement and the level of the aid intensity corresponding to their GDP per capita.
            
         
               (14)
            
            
               In addition, this decision does not restrict the powers of the Authority to review the map in accordance with Article 1(1) in Part I of Protocol 3 to the Surveillance and Court Agreement, if necessary, before the end of the period referred to above.
            
         5.   Conclusion — the regional aid map is compatible with the RAG
   
   
               (15)
            
            
               On the basis of the foregoing assessment, the Authority considers that the Icelandic regional aid map for 2014-2020 is compatible with the principles set out in the RAG as the area covered does not exceed the eligible population coverage as set out by paragraph 142 of the RAG.
            
         HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
   Article 1
   The Icelandic regional aid map 2014-2020 is compatible with the principles set out in the RAG. The map, set out in the Annex to this Decision, hereby constitutes an integral part of the RAG.
   Article 2
   This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Iceland.
   Article 3
   Only the English language version of this decision is authentic.
   
      Done at Brussels, 24 April 2014.
      
         
            For the EFTA Surveillance Authority
         
         Oda Helen SLETNES
         
            President
         
         Frank BÜCHEL
         
            College member
         
      
   
   
      (1)  Adopted by Decision No 407/13/COL of 23 October 2013.
   
      (2)  RAG paragraph 157.
   
      (3)  RAG paragraph 142. In keeping with paragraph 140 of the RAG, the population of the assisted area is lower than that of the unassisted areas.
   
      (4)  RAG paragraph 142.
   
      (5)  RAG paragraph 142(a) and 143-144.
   
      (6)  RAG paragraphs 148 and 149.
   
      (7)  RAG paragraph 149.
   
      (8)  Information submitted by the Icelandic authorities, available at http://www.hagstofa.is/?PageID=2593&src=https://rannsokn.hagstofa.is/pxis/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=MAN02005%26ti=Mannfj%F6ldi+eftir+kyni%2C+aldri+og+sveitarf%E9l%F6gum+1998%2D2013+%2D+Sveitarf%E9lagaskipan+1%2E+jan %FAar+2014%26path=../Database/mannfjoldi/sveitarfelog/%26lang=3%26units=Fjöldi
   
      (9)  RAG paragraph 142.
   
      (10)  See map in the Annex to this Decision.
   
      ANNEX