1.Assistance referred to in Article 171(2)(c) shall be granted for tangible and intangible investments in processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products, covered by Annex I to the Treaty. Such assistance shall be aimed at assisting enterprises in upgrading to Community standards and to improve their overall performance. Investments must contribute to improving the situation of the basic agricultural production sector in question.
Investments at retail level shall be excluded from support.
2.Assistance under this measure may be granted for investments in enterprises:
(a)for which the prospect of economic viability at the end of the realisation of the investment can be demonstrated, and
(b)which comply with the national minimum standards regarding environmental protection, public health, animal and plant health, animal welfare and occupational safety at the time when the decision to grant support is taken.
3.By derogation from point (b) of paragraph 2, where national minimum standards based on Community standards have been newly introduced at the time the application is received, assistance may be granted regardless of non-compliance with those standard on the condition that the enterprise shall meet the new standards by the end of the realisation of the investment.
Furthermore, the Commission may, on the basis of a duly substantiated request from the beneficiary country, allow derogation from point (b) of paragraph 2 in respect of non-compliance with national minimum standards based on Community standards introduced in the national law up to one year prior to date of submission of the application.
4.Assistance maybe granted to investments in establishments which are part of enterprises:
(a)which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding EUR 43 million, giving priority to investments aiming to align the establishment with all the relevant Community standards; or
(b)which employ fewer than 750 persons or have an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 200 million, where the purpose of the investments is to make the establishment comply with the relevant Community standards.
5.The Commission may, on the basis of a duly substantiated request from the beneficiary country, decide that assistance can also be granted to enterprises not covered by paragraph 4 for investments necessary to meet specific Community standards which involves especially costly investments. Such support may be granted only to enterprises identified in the national plan for upgrading to Community standards specifically intended to make the establishment compliant with the relevant Community standards in its entirety. In such cases assistance shall be granted at half of the aid rate available for the enterprises covered by paragraph 4.
6.Beneficiary countries shall set limits for total investment eligible for support under this measure.
7.Assistance to investments in the enterprises referred to in point (a) of paragraph 4 shall be granted on the condition that such investments will comply with the relevant Community standards at the end of their realisation.