Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 (repealed)Show full title

Article 15 Investments

1. Support may be granted for tangible or intangible investments in processing facilities, winery infrastructure and marketing of wine which improve the overall performance of the enterprise and concern one or more of the following:

(a) the production or marketing of products referred to in Annex IV;

(b) the development of new products, processes and technologies related to the products referred to in Annex IV.

2. Support under paragraph 1 at its maximum rate shall be limited to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises within the meaning of Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises(1). For the territories of the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, the smaller Aegean islands within the meaning of Council Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006 of 18 September 2006 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands(2) and the French overseas departments, no size limits shall apply for the maximum rate. For enterprises that are not covered by Article 2(1) of Title I of Annex to Recommendation 2003/361/EC with less than 750 employees or with a turn-over of less than EUR 200 million, the maximum aid intensity shall be halved.

Support shall not be granted to enterprises in difficulty within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty.

3. The eligible expenditure shall exclude the elements referred to in Article 71(3)(a) to (c) of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005.

4. The following maximum aid rates in relation to the eligible investment costs shall apply to the Community contribution:

(a) 50 % in regions classified as convergence regions in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006;

(b) 40 % in regions other than convergence regions;

(c) 75 % in the outermost regions in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 247/2006 of 30 January 2006 laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union(3);

(d) 65 % in the smaller Aegean islands within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1405/2006.

5. Article 72 of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 shall apply mutatis mutandis to support referred to in paragraph 1.

(1)

OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. 36.

(2)

OJ L 265, 26.9.2006, p. 1.

(3)

OJ L 42, 14.2.2006, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1276/2007 (OJ L 284, 30.10.2007, p. 11).