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 31/09)

XA Number: XA 117/07

Member State: United Kingdom

Region: England

Title of Aid scheme or name of company receiving an individual aid: England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI) 2007-2008

Legal basis: The scheme is a non-statutory service, participation in which is voluntary. The Agriculture Act 1986 (Section 1) provides the legal base for the provision by Government of advice in connection with any agricultural activity

Annual expenditure planned under the scheme or overall amount of individual aid granted to the company: 1 July 2007-31 March 2008: GBP 6,22 million

Maximum aid intensity: The aid intensity is 100 %

Date of implementation: The scheme will start on 1 July 2007

Duration of scheme or individual aid award: The scheme will begin on 1 July 2007. It will close on the 31 March 2008. The last date for applications is 31 March 2008. The last date of payment to Catchment officers will be made on 31 March 2008

Objective of aid: Technical Support in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1857/2006. The aim of the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Scheme is to raise awareness in Difuse Water Pollution in Agriculture (DWPA) by means of providing advice through seminars and on farm advice by catchment officers. We hope to achieve and encourage early voluntary action by farmers to tackle DWPA in forty priority catchments. It will contribute to the achievement of domestic and international environmental targets, in particular the Water Framework Directive

Sector(s) concerned: The beneficiaries of the ECSFDI will be involved in the production of agricultural products only. All subsectors will be eligible

Name and address of the granting authority: The statutory body responsible for the scheme is:

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Water Quality Division

3/8 Whitehall Place

London SW1A 2HH

United Kingdom

The organisation operating the scheme is:

Natural England

Land Management & Advisory Services

Eastbrook

Shaftesbury Road

Cambridge

Cambs CB2 8DR

United Kingdom

Web address: http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/environment/water/csf/pdf/state-aid-ecsfdi.pdf

Alternatively, you can go to the UK's central website for exempted agricultural State aids at:

http://defraweb/farm/policy/state-aid/setup/exist-exempt.htm

Other information: Further and more detailed information relating to eligibility and rules for the scheme can be found in the web links above.

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

Neil Marr

Agricultural State Aid

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Area 1B

Nobel House

17 Smith Square

London SW1P 3JR

United Kingdom