natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
De portugisiske myndigheder påpeger endvidere, at kapitaltilførslerne i perioden 1994-1998 udgør et instrument til finansiering af udgifter i tilknytning til udøvelsen af public service-tv sideløbende med kompensationsbetalingerne.
Furthermore, the Portuguese authorities argued that the capital injections in the period 1994 to 1998 constituted an instrument for financing the costs of providing a public television service, together with payment of the compensatory allowances.
For det andet foretog den portugisiske stat systematisk betalingerne for sent.
Secondly, the Portuguese State systematic paid the allowances late.
RTP var derfor nødt til at ty til bankfinansiering for at dække driftsudgifterne og kunne ikke lade renterne og afskrivningerne herfra indgå i beregningen af udgifter til public service-tv.
RTP then had to resort to bank financing in order to meet its operating expenditure but could not include the interest and amortisation charges in the calculation of the public service cost.
For det tredje skulle RTP betale moms til staten af kompensationsbetalingerne, hvilket reducerer nettobeløbet.
Thirdly, RTP had to pay value added tax (VAT) to the State on the allowances, thereby reducing the net amount of the compensatory allowances.
De portugisiske myndigheder påpeger, at fritagelsen fra afgifter og gebyrer (i), betalingsfaciliteterne med hensyn til afgifter for brug af tv-nettet (ii), omlægningen af gælden til socialsikringsmyndighederne (iii), betalingen for tv-nettets overførsel (iv), protokollen om støtte til filmproduktion (v) og lånet til RTP i 1998 (vi) ikke er omfattet af begrebet statsstøtte.
The Portuguese authorities claim that (i) the tax exemptions, (ii) the facilities for the payment of the tax on the use of the broadcasting network, (iii) the rescheduling of the debt to the social security scheme (iv) payment for the hiving-off of the television network, (v) the protocol on cinema promotion and (vi) the loan taken out by RTP in 1998 do not fall within the concept of state aid.
For så vidt angår foreneligheden af de øvrige foranstaltninger, forsvarer de portugisiske myndigheder det synspunkt, at de bør betragtes som kompensation for udgifter til public service-tv og derfor ikke kan betragtes som statsstøtte [48] eller, subsidiært, at deres forenelighed med fællesskabsretten bør vurderes i lyset af EF-traktatens artikel 86, stk. 2.
As regards the compatibility of the other measures, the Portuguese authorities argued that they should be regarded as compensation for public service costs and therefore not as state aid [48] or, alternatively, their compatibility with Community legislation should be assessed in the light of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty.
Med hensyn til beregningen af eventuel overkompensation erklærer de portugisiske myndigheder følgende:
As regards calculation of the overcompensation, the Portuguese authorities argued that:
Medtagelse i 1996 af driftsudgifterne for RTP 2 som kompensationsberettigede public service-udgifter tog udgangspunkt i public service-aftalen fra 1996, hvorefter kompensationsbetaling af driftsudgifter for RTP 2 skulle få virkning fra og med den 1. januar 1996 [49].Lånet på 20000 mio. PTE bør ikke betragtes som kompensationsbetaling, da det blev givet på markedsvilkår.
the inclusion in 1996 of the operating costs of RTP 2 as reimbursable public service costs is based on the 1996 Public Service Contract, according to which compensation for RTP 2's operating costs under the Contract took effect from 1 January 1996 onwards [49]; the loan of PTE 20000 million should not be regarded as compensation since it was granted on market terms,
Kapitalforhøjelserne skulle ligeledes finansiere investeringer og ikke blot kompensere berettigede udgifter til public service-tv.
the capital increases were also designed to finance investments and not simply to provide financial compensation for reimbursable public service costs.
Statens forpligtelse til i egenskab af aktionær at deltage i finansieringen af nødvendige investeringer i henhold til public service-aftalerne fra 1993 og 1996 [50].Kompensationsbetalingerne var momspligtige, hvilket reducerede nettoindbetalingen til RTP.
The State's obligation as shareholder to participate in the financing of investments deemed to be necessary is laid down in the 1993 and 1996 Public Service Contracts [50],the compensation payments were subject to VAT, with the result that the net value received by RTP was lower,
I henhold til public service-aftalen fra 1996 var udgifter til public service-tv kun kompensationsberettigede med indtil det budgetterede beløb.
under the 1996 Public Service Contract, the public service costs were reimbursable only up to the allotted budget.
I betragtning heraf konkluderer de portugisiske myndigheder, at den økonomiske kompensation til RTP for selskabets public service-forpligtelse ikke kan anses som overdreven eller uforholdsmæssig.
In view of the foregoing, the Portuguese authorities concluded that the financial compensation for the public service obligation of RTP should not be regarded as excessive or inappropriate.
V. VURDERING AF STØTTEFORANSTALTNINGEN
V. ASSESSMENT OF THE MEASURES
Foranstaltningernes karakter af statsstøtte
State aid nature of the measures
For at afgøre om foranstaltningerne udgør statsstøtte i henhold til traktatens artikel 87, stk. 1, skal Kommissionen vurdere, om foranstaltningerne til fordel for RTP:
In order to ascertain whether the measures constitute aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty, the Commission has to assess whether the measures for RTP:
er tildelt af staten eller hidrører fra statsmidler
are granted by the State or through state resources,
kan fordreje konkurrencevilkårene
are capable of distorting competition,
begunstiger visse virksomheder eller visse produktioner
favour certain undertakings or the production of certain goods,
påvirker samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
affect trade between Member States.
Impliceringen af offentlige midler
Presence of public resources
Der er offentlige midler impliceret i fritagelsen for notarial- og registreringsgebyrer, da et tab af skatteprovenu svarer til forbrug af statsmidler i form af skatteudgifter [51].
Public resources are present in the exemption from registration charges, as a loss of tax revenue is equivalent to the consumption of state resources in the form of fiscal expenditure [51].
Kommissionen fremhæver følgende vedrørende impliceringen af statsmidler i radiospredningsnettets operatørs accept af RTP's forsinkede betalinger for brugen af radiospredningsnettet.
The Commission notes the following regarding the presence of public resources in the acceptance by the broadcasting network operator of RTP's late payments for using the broadcasting network.
Når operatøren af nettet accepterer manglende indbetaling af afgiften for brug af nettet og de dertil knyttede renter, som resulterer i en kumulering af gælden gennem hele den undersøgte periode, giver operatøren afkald på indtægter og kan således skulle optage lån på markedet for at finansiere sine egne transaktioner.
By accepting non-payment of the network fee and interest, thereby giving rise to accumulated debt during the whole period under investigation, the network operator decided to forgo revenue and may have had to borrow money from the market in order to finance its operations.
I betragtning af at Portugal Telecom gradvis blev privatiseret i løbet af undersøgelsesperioden, bør Kommissionen skelne mellem den periode, hvor staten havde en majoritetsbesiddelse i Portugal Telecom, og den periode, hvor staten overgik til at besidde en minoritet.
Since Portugal Telecom was gradually privatised during the period under investigation, the Commission has to distinguish between the period during which the State had a majority holding in the company and the period during which it had a minority holding.
For så vidt angår perioden efter medio 1997, mener Kommissionen, at ethvert tab for Portugal Telecom ikke kan anses som »statsmidler«, da statens deltagelse i Portugal Telecom var begrænset til 25 %, og endnu mindre i de efterfølgende år, hvor andre storaktionærer deltog i selskabet [52].
For the period after mid-1997, the Commission considers that any loss of income by Portugal Telecom cannot be regarded as public resources since state involvement in Portugal Telecom was limited to 25 % and was progressively reduced in subsequent years, with other major shareholders acquiring shares in the company [52].
Herudover, som omtalt i betragtning 27, kunne Portugal Telecom ikke få statslig kompensation for eventuelle tab som følge af accepten af RTP's betalingsforsinkelser.
Furthermore, as can be seen in paragraph 27, Portugal Telecom could not receive state compensation for possible losses resulting from the acceptance of late payments by RTP.
Kommissionen konkluderer således, at efter medio 1997 var der ikke tale om statsmidler.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that after mid-1997 no state resources were involved.
For så vidt angår perioden forud for medio 1997, kontrollerede staten Portugal Telecom, da den havde en majoritetsbesiddelse i virksomheden.
For the period before mid-1997, the State controlled Portugal Telecom as it had a majority holding in the company.
Kommissionen bør først vurdere, om netoperatørens adfærd forud for medio 1997 førte til et tab af statsmidler.
Firstly, the Commission should assess whether the behaviour of the network operator before mid-1997 led to a loss of state resources.
Ved at indrømme betalingsfaciliteter handlede netoperatøren som en offentlig kreditor over for RTP.
In fact, by granting payment facilities, the network operator acted as a public creditor towards RTP.
Dennes adfærd bør derfor sammenlignes med en offentlig eller privat kreditors adfærd, som søger at få tilbagebetalt skyldige beløb, og som derfor indgår aftaler med debitor, hvorefter den kumulerede gæld omlægges eller opdeles med henblik på at lette tilbagebetalingen [54].
Its behaviour should therefore be compared with that of a public or private creditor that seeks to recover sums due to it and, to that end, concludes agreements with the debtor under which the accumulated debts are to be rescheduled or paid by instalments in order to facilitate their repayment [54].
De renter, der som regel påløber en sådan kredit, morarenter, skal opveje skaden for kreditor som følge af debitors forsinkede opfyldelse af sine forpligtelser.
The interest normally applicable to that type of debt is intended to make good the loss suffered by the creditor because of the debtor's delay in performing its obligation to pay off its debt, namely default interest.
Den offentlige kreditors morarentesats bør svare til den sats, som en privat kreditor ville anvende under lignende omstændigheder [55].
The rate of default interest applied by the public creditor should be equal to the rate a private creditor would apply in similar circumstances [55].
Efter procedurens indledning og på baggrund af bemærkningerne fra tredjemand har de portugisiske myndigheder ikke tilvejebragt tilstrækkelig oplysning om den rentesats, som netoperatøren anvendte, og heller ikke om markedets referencesats.
Following the opening of the procedure and the comments put forward by third parties, the Portuguese authorities did not provide sufficient information on the interest rate applied by the public network operator or on the market reference rate.
Kommissionen kan derfor ikke udelukke, at Portugal Telecoms rentesatser forud for medio 1997 udgør et tab af statsmidler.
Therefore, the Commission cannot rule out the possibility that the interest rates charged by Portugal Telecom before mid-1997 constituted a loss of state resources.
Dernæst skal Kommissionen ikke blot vurdere, om foranstaltningen indebærer statsmidler, men også afgøre, om de portugisiske myndigheder faktisk var impliceret i vedtagelsen af foranstaltningen [56].
Secondly, the Commission needs to ascertain not only whether the measure involves state resources but also whether the public authorities were actually involved in the adoption of the measure [56].
Det bestrides ikke, at staten forud for medio 1997 kunne kontrollere Portugal Telecom og udøvede afgørende indflydelse på driften, idet staten besad mere end 50 % af aktierne i virksomheden.
It was not disputed that before mid-1997 the State was in a position to control Portugal Telecom and to have a dominant influence over its operations since it held more than 50 % of the company's shares.
Kommissionen fandt ikke under undersøgelsesforløbet tegn på de portugisiske myndigheders faktiske implicering i netoperatørens vedtagelse af aftalerne om accept af forsinket gældsbetaling [57].
During its investigation the Commission did not find any indications that the Portuguese authorities were actually involved in the adoption of the agreements on the acceptance of the delayed debt repayment by the operator of the broadcasting network [57].
Som omtalt i betragtning 22 regulerede staten de priser, som netoperatøren skulle anvende for udsendelse af tv-signaler i henhold til den aftale, som var indgået med staten.
As can be seen from paragraph 22, the State regulated the tariffs and the television signals distribution service that the network operator had to deliver as part of its concession contract with the State.
I retsforskrifterne er der imidlertid ikke forudset nogen skelnen mellem de tjenester og priser, som netoperatøren kan tilbyde den offentlige tv-virksomhed RTP og andre private tv-operatører.
However, the legal provisions did not make a distinction between the services and tariffs that the network operator was required to deliver to the public broadcaster RTP and those to private television operators.
Netoperatøren har på lignende vis heller ikke nogen forsyningspligt med hensyn til radiospredningsydelser over for RTP.
Nor did the network operator have to provide RTP with an obligatory universal service in terms of a broadcasting network service.
Kommissionen er således ikke enig med de direkte interesserede, der hævder, at de blev diskrimineret, idet tv-loven kun indeholder bestemmelser om tab af licens for private operatører, der ikke betaler afgift for brug af nettet til tiden.
The Commission does not, therefore, agree with the third parties who argued that they were discriminated against since the Television Law stipulated only that private operators could lose their broadcasting licence if they did not pay the network fee on time.
Loven fastsætter kun følgerne af eventuel manglende betaling fra private operatørers side, men Portugal Telecom var ikke forpligtet til at yde sine tjenester over for RTP, uanset om RTP betalte eller ej.
Although the Law provided only for the consequences of possible non-payment by private operators, Portugal Telecom was under no obligation to deliver its services to RTP, regardless of whether RTP paid its fees or not.
Netoperatøren var endvidere ikke integreret strukturelt i den offentlige forvaltning, da den i overensstemmelse med selskabsretlige bestemmelser var oprettet som et aktieselskab.
Furthermore, the network operator was not integrated into the structures of the public administrations as it was set up under company law as a public limited company. (‘sociedade anónima’).
De portugisiske myndigheder påpegede udtrykkeligt, at de offentlige myndigheder hverken direkte eller indirekte tog del i Portugal Telecoms accept af betalingsforsinkelserne.
The Portuguese authorities explicitly stated that the public authorities did not intervene, directly or indirectly, in the acceptance of delayed payments by Portugal Telecom.
Der blev heller ikke fremlagt bevis fra tredjemands side, som kunne påvise statens implicering i denne foranstaltning.
Similarly, third parties did not come forward with any indications suggesting state involvement in the measure.
Sluttelig, som det fremgår af betragtning 25, undergik netoperatørens adfærd ikke nogen ændringer i perioden efter medio 1997 i forhold til perioden forud for medio 1997.
Lastly, as can be seen from paragraph 25, the behaviour of the network operator before and after mid-1997 did not change.
Efter medio 1997 fortsatte netoperatøren med at indgå aftaler med RTP om afgiftsbetalingen.
After mid-1997 the network operator continued to conclude agreements with RTP on payment of the fees.
Faktisk synes den vigtigste årsag til disse aftaler at være en tvist om niveauet for den årlige afgift sammen med den indbyrdes afhængighed mellem de to virksomheder.
A dispute over the level of the annual fee in connection with the interdependence of the two companies seems to have been the main reason for the agreements.
Dette forhold synes understreget i afgørelsen truffet af ANACOM i 2003, hvorefter Portugal Telecom skal reducere sine priser betydeligt.
This seems to be underlined by the decision of ANACOM in 2003 that Portugal Telecom had to reduce its prices significantly.
På grundlag af de ovenfor beskrevne betragtninger konkluderede Kommissionen, at den ikke er i besiddelse af nogen oplysning, der påviser, at netoperatøren accepterede betalingsforsinkelserne efter påbud fra de offentlige myndigheder.
In view of the arguments put forward above, the Commission concludes that it has no indications that the network operator was required by the public authorities to accept late payment.
Der foreligger heller ikke noget, der peger på, at de offentlige myndigheder skulle være impliceret i foranstaltningens vedtagelse [58].
Nor are there any other indications to suggest that the public authorities were involved in the adoption of the measure [58].
Endvidere blev der indgået lignende aftaler, efter at virksomheden helt klart var blevet privatiseret.
Furthermore, similar arrangements were agreed upon once the company was clearly privatised.
Foranstaltningen kan således ikke tilskrives staten og fører derfor ikke til tab af statsmidler.
Therefore, the measure cannot be considered to be attributable to the State and so did not lead to a loss of state resources.
For så vidt angår omlægningen af gælden til socialsikringsmyndighederne samt eftergivelsen af renter i tilknytning til de forsinkede betalinger, mener Kommissionen, at socialsikringsmyndighederne ikke kan anses som en virksomhed.
As regards the rescheduling of debt due to the social security scheme and the waiver of interest for late payment, the Commission considers that the social security scheme cannot be regarded as an undertaking.
De udøver ikke erhvervsvirksomhed, men udgør en offentlig institution, der skal forvalte socialsikringssystemet [59].
It does not carry out an economic activity but is a public body with the task of administering social security [59].
Endvidere blev tilladelsen til omlægning af gælden ikke besluttet af socialsikringsmyndighederne selv, men ved fælles dekret fra finansministeren og ministeren for sociale anliggender.
Furthermore, authorisation for the debt rescheduling was given not by the social security scheme itself but by a joint decree of the State Secretaries for Finance and Social Security and the Deputy State Secretary to the Deputy Minister.
Med denne tilladelse gav staten faktisk afkald på indtægterne, som ville have beløbet sig til 1206 mio. PTE i renter på hovedgælden.
With the authorisation, the State did forgo income since normally it would have received PTE 1206 million in interest on the outstanding debt.
Det er således klart, at det drejer sig om statsmidler, og at foranstaltningen kan tilskrives staten.
Therefore, it is clear that state resources are involved and that the measure is attributable to the State.
Kapitalforhøjelserne i RTP og betalingerne for tv-nettet blev tilført direkte af staten over statens budget.
The capital increases granted to RTP and the payments for the television network were provided by the State direct from the public budget.
Det er derfor klart, at disse midler udgør statsmidler som omhandlet i traktatens artikel 87, stk. 1.
It is therefore clear that these funds constitute state resources within the meaning of Article 87(1).
Kommissionen kan ikke være enig med de portugisiske myndigheder i, at der ikke skulle være tale om statsmidler i lånet.
The Commission cannot agree with the Portuguese authorities that no state resources are involved in the loan.
Det bør erindres, at brug af statsmidler også omfatter fordele, der tildeles af institutioner, der er udnævnt eller oprettet af staten til dette formål [60].
It should be recalled that the concept of state resources also includes advantages granted by bodies designated or established by the State for that purpose [60].
Låneaftalen blev indgået mellem RTP og Fundo de Regularização da Dívida Pública, som er en fond, der forvaltes af forvaltningsinstituttet for offentlig långivning (Instituto de Gestão do Crédito Público).
The loan contract was concluded between RTP and the Public Debt Stabilisation Fund, a fund managed by the Public Debt Management Institute.
Det fremgår af en lovtekst, at instituttet hører under finansministeriet [61].
A legal act determines that the Institute is subject to the authority and supervision of the Minister for Finance [61].
Det kan således konkluderes, at midler tildelt af Fundo de Regularização da Dívida Pública skal betragtes som statsmidler.
It can therefore be concluded that the funds granted by the Public Debt Stabilisation Fund should be regarded as state resources.
Foranstaltningen kan endvidere anses for at kunne tilskrives staten direkte, da det var ved fælles dekret af 17. december 1998 udstedt af Medie- og Finansministeriet, at aftalevilkårene blev fastlagt.
Moreover, the measure can be considered as being directly attributable to the Portuguese authorities since a resolution agreed on 17 December 1998 between the State Secretaries for the Media, the Treasury and Finance laid down the conditions of the contract.
Der er ikke modtaget oplysninger, der kan bevise, at RTP's obligationsudstedelse var omfattet af en statsgaranti.
No information was received to show that the bond issue by RTP was accompanied by a state guarantee.
I overensstemmelse med det tekniske prospekt for obligationsudstedelsen garanterede RTP gældsbetjeningen.
According to the prospectus for the bond issue, RTP guaranteed servicing of the debt.
På tidspunktet for udstedelsen havde RTP ikke en retlig status, der gjorde, at det førte til en implicit garanti fra staten.
It had no legal status at the time the bond was issued, and this resulted in an implicit state guarantee.
Virksomheden blev i 1992 omdannet fra offentlig virksomhed til aktieselskab ved lov nr. 21/92.
In 1992 the company was transformed from a public entity into a public limited company by Law No 21/92.
Kommissionen mener derfor, at obligationsudstedelsen blev gennemført på markedsvilkår, og at staten ikke gav afkald på indtægter.
The Commission therefore considers that the bond issue was carried out under market conditions and the State did not forgo income.
Der er således ikke tale om statsmidler overhovedet.
As a result, no state resources are involved.
I modsætning til det, der hævdes af tredjemand, mener Kommissionen, at det forhold, at RTP var statens ejendom, ikke påvirker denne konklusion, idet EF-traktaten er neutral med hensyn til offentligt eller privat ejerskab [62].
Contrary to the opinion of third parties, the Commission considers that the fact that RTP is publicly owned does not alter this conclusion as the EC Treaty is neutral as regards public or private ownership [62].
Vedrørende Protokollen om støtte til filmproduktion fra 1996 kan Kommissionen ikke tilslutte sig bemærkningerne fra tredjemand om, at RTP modtog yderligere finansiering på grundlag af denne protokol.
As regards the protocol on cinema promotion of September 1996, the Commission cannot agree with the comments from third parties that RTP received additional funding on the basis of the protocol.
Protokollen beskrev i detaljer, hvordan RTP skulle sikre sin public service-forpligtelse til støtte til filmproduktion [63] uden at bestemme noget om yderligere kompensation til RTP.
The protocol specified in detail how RTP was to fulfil its public service obligation to support the cinema [63] but did not provide for additional financial compensation for RTP.