natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Traktatens artikel 87 omhandler ikke udelukkende medlemsstaternes nationale regeringers støtte, men også støtte fra lokale myndigheder, så som regionen Nord-Pas-de-Calais eller de kommuner, der indgår i bystyret i Douai.
Article 87 of the Treaty does not apply only to aid granted by the national governments of Member States, but also to aid from local and regional authorities such as the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region or the municipalities in the Communauté d’agglomération du Douaisis.
Midler fra sådanne lokale myndigheder udgør statsmidler og deres beslutninger om at yde de pågældende lån til AFR må tilskrives staten.
The funds of such authorities constitute state resources, and their decisions to grant the advances in question to AFR are attributable to the State.
Støtte, der begunstiger visse virksomheder
Aid favouring certain undertakings
Lånene er ydet, selv om AFR befandt sig i svære økonomiske vanskeligheder.
The advances were granted at a time when AFR was in a difficult financial situation.
I åbningsskrivelsen vurderede Kommissionen, at AFR i betragtning af virksomhedens økonomiske situation som beskrevet under punkt 8 var en kriseramt virksomhed som defineret i rammebestemmelserne på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling.
In its decision to initiate the procedure, the Commission was of the opinion that, given its financial situation as described in point 8, AFR was a firm in difficulty within the meaning of the Guidelines when the aid was granted.
Kommissionen nævnte tillige, at lånene var ydet uden sikkerhed for tilbagebetaling, selv om de dertil knyttede renter svarede til de sædvanlige renter for lån med »normal sikkerhedsstillelse« [6].
It also noted that the advances were granted without any guarantee being lodged for their repayment, whereas the interest rates applied are supposed to reflect the interest rate applicable to loans ‘backed by normal security’ [6].
Kommissionen mener således, at det er udelukket, at AFR i betragtning af virksomhedens økonomiske situation ville have været i stand til at opnå finansiering på lige så gunstige vilkår på det normale lånemarked.
It therefore considers that there is no way that AFR, given its financial situation, would have been able to obtain funding on such favourable terms on the credit market.
De pågældende lån udgør derfor en fordel for AFR.
The advances in question therefore confer an advantage on AFR.
Det skal i denne henseende erindres, at de franske myndigheder på grundlag af eksemplerne i punkt 14 har gjort gældende, at AFR fortsat nød bankforbindelsernes og kundernes tillid på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling.
In this connection, it is worth noting that, basing themselves on the examples given in paragraph 14, the French authorities stated that AFR still had the confidence of its bankers and customers at the time the aid was granted.
Kommissionen fortolker disse kommentarer således, at Frankrig bestrider, at AFR ikke var i stand til at opnå finansiering på lignende vilkår på lånemarkedet (hvilket er det samme som at bestride, at de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån udgjorde en fordel for AFR), og at AFR skulle være en kriseramt virksomhed som defineret i rammebestemmelserne på tidspunktet for tildelingen af de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån.
The Commission takes these comments to mean that France disputes the idea that AFR was unable to obtain funds on similar terms on the credit market (which amounts to disputing that the repayable advances conferred an advantage on AFR) and a fortiori that AFR was a firm in difficulty within the meaning of the Guidelines at the time the repayable advances were granted.
Frankrigs kommentarer ændrer imidlertid ikke ved den analyse, der blev opstillet i åbningsskrivelsen og det af følgende årsager.
However, France’s comments did not alter the analysis made in the decision to initiate the procedure, for the following reasons.
De krediteksempler, som de franske myndigheder gør gældende (navnlig overtrækket og kundeforskuddene), kan ikke sammenlignes med de undersøgte tilbagebetalingspligtige lån.
The examples of credit quoted by the French authorities (such as the current account overdraft facility and the advance payments from customers) are not comparable to the repayable advances in question.
Et overtræk er en meget kortfristet kredit til forskel fra de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån, der løber over tre år.
A current account overdraft is a very short-term credit facility, unlike the repayable advances, which have a maturity of three years.
De forskellige former for kredit er derfor ikke underlagt samme risikoanalyse fra kreditorernes side, og det forhold, at en debitor kan opnå en kortfristet kredit, gør det ikke muligt at vurdere debitors muligheder for at opnå en kredit med længere løbetid, hvis tilbagebetaling afhænger af debitors overlevelsesevne.
These different types of credit are not, therefore, subject to the same risk analyses by creditors, and the fact that a debtor can obtain short-term credit is not sufficient to assess whether it could obtain a longer-term loan, the repayment of which depends on the debtor’s ability to survive.
For så vidt angår kundeforskuddene, bemærker Kommissionen sig, at de var tilknyttet sikkerhedsstillelse fra […] [5] Fortrolig oplysning.
Concerning the advance payments from customers, the Commission notes that they were counter-guaranteed by […] [5] Confidential information.
, en uafhængig institution, hvilket betyder, at kunderne og leverandørerne ikke løb nogen risiko i tilknytning til AFR’s situation, og at de derfor ikke havde nogen grund til at gøre forskudsudbetalingerne betinget af en virksomhedens solvensgrad, som en anden kreditor ville have gjort ved lån uden sikkerhedsstillelse.
, an independent institution, which means that customers and suppliers were not incurring any risks in connection with AFR’s financial situation and therefore had no reason to subject the payment of these advances to an analysis of the financial soundness of the firm along the lines of that which would have been carried out by a creditor considering the possibility of providing an unsecured loan.
Det kan konkluderes, at Frankrigs kommentarer ikke gør det muligt at konstatere, at AFR ville have været i stand til at opnå finansiering på lignende vilkår på lånemarkedet.
In conclusion, France’s comments do not lead to the conclusion that AFR would have been able to obtain funds on similar terms on the credit market.
Kriseramt virksomhed
Firm in difficulty
Vedrørende spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt AFR er at betragte som en kriseramt virksomhed som omhandlet i rammebestemmelserne, konstaterer Kommissionen følgende.
With regard to AFR’s status as a firm in difficulty within the meaning of the Guidelines, the Commission makes the following observations.
Det fremgår af punkt 10a) i rammebestemmelserne, at en virksomhed er kriseramt, når over halvdelen af den tegnede kapital er forsvundet, og over en fjerdedel af denne kapital er gået tabt i løbet af de sidste tolv måneder.
Point 10(a) of the Guidelines states that a firm is in difficulty where more than half of its registered capital has disappeared and more than one quarter of that capital has been lost over the preceding 12 months.
Bestemmelsen er udtryk for en formodning om, at en virksomhed, som oplever et massivt tab af den tegnede kapital, er ude af stand til at standse tabene, som næsten med sikkerhed vil medføre virksomhedens ophør på kort eller mellemlang sigt.
This provision reflects the assumption that a company experiencing a massive loss in its registered capital will be unable to stem losses that will almost certainly condemn it to go out of business in the short or medium term.
Kommissionen mener, at samme formodning logisk må gælde en virksomhed, der har tabt hele sin tegnede kapital og fremstår med en negativ egenkapital.
The Commission considers that this assumption logically applies a fortiori to a company that has lost all its registered capital and has negative capital and reserves.
Som det fremgår af de finansielle oplysninger under punkt 8 (som de franske myndigheder ikke har bestredet under den formelle undersøgelsesprocedure), har AFR siden 2001 haft en negativ egenkapital og var på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling ikke i stand til at standse tendensen og genoprette en positiv egenkapital.
As shown by the financial data set out in paragraph 8 (and not disputed by France during the formal investigation procedure), AFR had had negative capital and reserves since 2001 and had not, at the time the aid was granted, been able to reverse this trend and move back into a positive situation as regards capital and reserves.
Kommissionen mener på denne baggrund, at AFR var en kriseramt virksomhed som omhandlet i punkt 10 i rammebestemmelserne på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling.
Under the circumstances, the Commission considers that AFR was a firm in difficulty within the meaning of point 10 of the Guidelines at the time the aid was granted.
Subsidiært bemærker Kommissionen, at AFR på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling også svarede til den definition på en kriseramt virksomhed, der er indeholdt i rammebestemmelsernes punkt 11, nemlig at selv hvis ingen af de i punkt 10 nævnte omstændigheder foreligger, kan en virksomhed alligevel anses for kriseramt, især hvis de sædvanlige tegn på, at en virksomhed er kriseramt, er til stede, såsom voksende underskud og faldende omsætning.
In the alternative, the Commission notes that, at the time the aid was granted, AFR also fitted the definition of a firm in difficulty given in point 11 of the Guidelines, which states that, even when none of the circumstances set out in point 10 are present, a firm may still be considered to be in difficulty, in particular where the usual signs of a firm being in difficulty are present, such as increasing losses and diminishing turnover.
I punkt 11 er det imidlertid fastlagt, at en kriseramt virksomhed kun er støtteberettiget, når det kan godtgøres, at den er ude af stand til at komme på fode igen med egne midler eller med midler fra sine ejere/aktionærer eller fra markedskilder.
However, point 11 does stipulate that a firm in difficulty is eligible only where, demonstrably, it cannot recover through its own resources or with the funds it obtains from its owners/shareholders or from market sources.
Bestemmelsen erindrer om, at hvorvidt en virksomhed skal anses for at være kriseramt, afhænger af samtlige relevante indikatorer, idet den afgørende faktor dog er, om virksomheden er i stand til at komme på fode igen uden indgriben fra de offentlige myndigheders side.
This provision is therefore a reminder that the status of a firm in difficulty must be determined in the light of all the relevant indicators, but with significant weight being given to the firm’s ability to recover without State intervention.
Kommissionen tager desangående til efterretning, at AFR siden 2001 (som det fremgår af tabellen i punkt 8) har haft en konstant faldende omsætning samt et konstant tabsniveau.
In this regard, the Commission notes (as is clear from the table in paragraph 8) that, since 2001, AFR’s turnover has fallen steadily while losses have persisted.
Dette er sædvanlige tegn på en kriseramt virksomhed som omhandlet i punkt 11 i rammebestemmelserne.
These are signs of a firm in difficulty within the meaning of point 11 of the Guidelines.
Kommissionen nævnte allerede dette i sin beslutning om at indlede den formelle undersøgelsesprocedure som støtte for sin foreløbige konklusion om, at AFR var en kriseramt virksomhed.
In its decision to initiate the formal investigation procedure, the Commission had already noted these signs in support of its preliminary conclusion that AFR was a firm in difficulty.
Den negative tendens i AFR’s finansielle situation fremgår tillige af det forhold, at virksomheden allerede fra og med januar 2004 ikke var i stand til at betale skat og sociale bidrag på 4,3 mio. EUR og dermed var forpligtet til at bede om henstand og opstilling af en gældssaneringsplan i forhold til de offentlige myndigheder.
Moreover, the negative trend in AFR’s financial situation is clear from the fact that, from January 2004 onwards, the firm was unable to pay by the due date taxes and social security contributions totalling EUR 4,3 million and therefore needed to ask the competent authorities for a moratorium and an arrangement to clear the debt.
De eneste elementer, som de franske myndigheder har gjort gældende, som ville kunne bestride disse tegn, er de kreditter, der er ydet til AFR (overtræk og forskud) samt det forhold, at AFR nød visse former for sikkerhedsstillelse fra […]'s [5] Fortrolig oplysning.
The only facts cited by France that might constitute signs to the contrary are the loans granted to AFR (current account overdraft and advance payments) and the fact that AFR had received certain guarantees from […] [5] Confidential information.
Kommissionen mener, at der i den undersøgelse, der skal foretages i henhold til punkt 11 i rammebestemmelserne af virksomhedens evne til at komme på fode igen ved hjælp af midler, som den kan skaffe sig på det finansielle marked, bør tages hensyn til disse tegn.
The Commission considers that these signs should be taken into account in the assessment, required by point 11 of the Guidelines, of the firm’s ability to recover with the funds it obtains from market sources.
I denne henseende konstaterer Kommissionen følgende:
In this respect, the Commission notes that:
det fremgår, at AFR havde en negativ egenkapital, og at virksomheden ikke evnede at overkomme vanskelighederne ved hjælp af egne midler
the fact that AFR had negative capital and reserves suggests that it was unable to overcome its difficulties with its own resources,
de franske myndigheder har anført, at AFR’s aktionær, Arbel SA, på trods af sin støtte til AFR ikke var i stand til alene at genoprette datterselskabets rentabilitet
the French authorities indicated that AFR’s shareholder, Arbel SA, despite the support it provided to AFR, was unable on its own to ensure the recovery of its subsidiary,
vedrørende markedskilderne bør det konstateres, at de kreditter og garantier, som de franske myndigheder nævner, mest af alt understreger, at AFR fortsat var i stand til at opnå kortfristet kredit for begrænsede beløb.
lastly, with regard to financial market sources, the loans and guarantees cited by France mean at the most that AFR still had some ability to obtain limited amounts of short-term credit.
I betragtning af omfanget af AFR’s vanskeligheder og navnlig behovet for egenkapital kan de nævnte kreditter ikke tages som tegn på, at AFR ville have kunnet imødegå sine vanskeligheder på grundlag af finansiering opnået gennem markedskilder.
However, given the extent of AFR’s difficulties, particularly its need for capital and reserves, the loans cited are not sufficient to conclude that AFR could have resolved its difficulties with funds from market sources.
Det bør derfor konkluderes, at på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling var AFR i svære økonomiske vanskeligheder, som truede virksomhedens overlevelse på kort eller mellemlang sigt, og at virksomheden ikke var i stand til at standse vanskelighederne uden indgriben fra de offentlige myndigheders side.
Accordingly, it must be concluded that, at the time the aid was granted, AFR was in serious financial difficulties that threatened its survival in the short or medium term and that it was not in a position to address those difficulties without help from the public authorities.
Kommissionen mener derfor i betragtning af ovenstående og navnlig de finansielle resultater, der er anført under punkt 8, at AFR var en kriseramt virksomhed i overensstemmelse med definitionen i rammebestemmelsernes punkt 10 og subsidiært punkt 11 på tidspunktet for tildelingen af de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån.
The Commission therefore takes the view, in the light of the above observations and, in particular, of the financial results shown in paragraph 8, that AFR was a firm in difficulty within the meaning of point 10 and, in the alternative, of point 11 of the Guidelines at the time the repayable advances were granted.
Under hensyntagen til AFR’s vanskeligheder mener Kommissionen, at AFR ikke ville have været i stand til at opnå midler på samme gunstige vilkår på det sædvanlige lånemarked.
Given the difficulties being experienced by AFR, the Commission considers that AFR would not have been able to obtain funds on such advantageous terms on the credit market.
De undersøgte lån har derfor givet AFR en fordel, idet de muliggjorde en finansiering på gunstigere vilkår end de vilkår, der ville kunne opnås på lånemarkedet.
The advances in question thus conferred an advantage on AFR by providing it with finance on more favourable terms than it would have been able to obtain on the credit market.
Påvirkning af samhandels- og konkurrencevilkårene
Effect on trade and competition
De tilbagebetalingspligtige lån begunstiger AFR i forhold til andre virksomheder, der befinder sig i en lignende situation, i den udstrækning, at lånene udelukkende gælder AFR.
The repayable advances confer an advantage on AFR in relation to other firms in a similar situation in that they are available only to AFR.
Sektoren for fremstilling af rullende jernbanemateriel kendetegnes ved flere europæiske producenter og samhandel inden for Fællesskabet.
The railway rolling stock manufacturing sector is characterised by the presence of several European operators and by intra-Community trade.
Fordelen for AFR kan derfor tænkes at fordreje konkurrence- og samhandelsvilkårene mellem medlemsstaterne.
Consequently, the advantage conferred on AFR is likely to distort competition and trade between Member States.
I lyset af ovenstående betragtninger mener Kommissionen, at de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån ydet til AFR udgør statsstøtte som omhandlet i traktatens artikel 87, stk. 1.
In the light of the above observations, the Commission considers that the repayable advances granted to AFR constitute state aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty.
Når der ydes støtte i form af lån til kriseramte virksomheder, består støtteelementet i forskellen mellem den faktiske rente og den rente, som virksomheden ville kunne opnå for samme lån på det private marked [7].
In the case of aid granted in the form of loans to firms in difficulty, the aid element is made up of the difference between the interest rate actually applied and the interest rate at which the beneficiary company could have obtained the same loan on the open market [7].
I Kommissionens meddelelse om metoden for fastsættelse af referencesatsen og kalkulationsrenten [6] Kommissionens meddelelse om metoden for fastsættelse af referencesatsen og kalkulationsrenten (EFT C 273 af 9.9.1997, s. 3).
In its notice on the method for setting the reference and discount rates [6] See the Commission notice on the method for setting the reference and discount rates (OJ C 273, 9.9.1997, p. 3).
præciserer Kommissionen, at den fastsatte referencesats er en minimumssats, der kan forhøjes i tilfælde af særlige risici, f.eks. en virksomhed i vanskeligheder eller tilfælde, hvor den sikkerhed, bankerne normalt kræver, ikke er stillet, samtidigt med at det præciseres, at i sådanne tilfælde kan præmien sættes op til 400 basispoint og endda mere.
, the Commission states that the reference rate is a floor rate which may be increased in situations involving a particular risk (for example, an undertaking in difficulty or where the security normally required by banks is not provided) and states that, in such cases, the premium may amount to 400 basis points or more.
Kommissionen vurderede således i sagen om Chemische Werke Piesteritz [7] Jf. Kommissionens beslutning af 2.3.2005 i sagen Chemische Werke Piesteritz (EUT L 296 af 12.11.2005, s. 19, afsnit 107-108) og Kommissionens beslutning af 24.1.2007 i sag C 38/05, Biria (EUT L 183 af 13.7.2007, afsnit 27, 83 ff.).
Thus, in Chemische Werke Piesteritz [7] See the Commission Decision of 2 March 2005 in Chemische Werke Piesteritz (OJ L 296, 12.11.2005, p. 19, points 107 and 108) and the Commission Decision of 24 January 2007 in Case C 38/2005 Biria (OJ L 183, 13.7.2007, points 27 and 83 et seq.).
, at et lån ydet til en kriseramt virksomhed begrundede en rentepræmie på 400 basispoint.
, the Commission considered that a loan to a company in difficulty justified an interest premium of 400 basis points.
Kommissionen bekræftede denne vurderingen i sagen om Biria [8] og præciserede nærmere, at på grund af den manglende sikkerhed kunne der ydes en yderligere præmie på 400 basispoint, dvs. i alt en forhøjelse på 800 basispoint.
It confirmed this view in Biria [8], stating that the risk constituted by the lack of security justified an additional premium of 400 basis points, i.e. a total increase of 800 basis points.
Kommissionen mener, at omstændighederne i denne sag i høj grad ligner omstændighederne i ovennævnte sager, navnlig for så vidt angår den manglende sikkerhed og omfanget af virksomhedens vanskeligheder.
The Commission considers that the circumstances of this case are broadly similar to those of the above-mentioned cases, in particular in relation to the absence of security and the extent of the difficulties encountered.
De risici, der er forbundet med de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån til AFR, kan derfor vurderes på samme måde.
Consequently, the risks associated with the repayable advances granted to AFR may be subject to the same assessment.
Statsstøtten i form af tilbagebetalingspligtige lån består derfor i forskellen mellem den faktiske rente som følge af vilkårene for de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån og renten på grundlag af den referencesats, der var gældende på tidspunktet for tildelingen af støtten, forhøjet med 800 basispoint.
Thus, the State aid constituted by the repayable advances is made up of the difference between the interest actually due under the terms of the repayable advances and the interest that would be due if the reference rate in force at the time the aid was granted, increased by 800 basis points, had been applied.
I betragtning af AFR’s økonomiske forhold på tidspunktet for støttens tildeling som beskrevet i punkt 8 (tabsgivende drift over en årrække, negativ egenkapital, faldende omsætning) mener Kommissionen, at AFR var en kriseramt virksomhed som defineret i rammebestemmelserne på tidspunktet for tildelingen af de tilbagebetalingspligtige lån.
Given AFR’s economic situation at the time the aid was granted, as described in paragraph 8 (running at a loss for several years, negative capital and reserves, falling turnover), the Commission considers that AFR was a firm in difficulty within the meaning of the Guidelines at the time the repayable advances were granted.
Kommentarerne fra de franske myndigheder ændrer ikke ved denne analyse af de årsager, der er nævnt under punkt 22 og 23.
For the reasons set out in paragraphs 22 and 23, France’s comments do not alter this analysis.
Det fremgår imidlertid af de oplysninger, som de franske myndigheder har tilvejebragt i korrespondancen forud for indledningen af den formelle undersøgelsesprocedure, at AFR’s vanskeligheder kun gjaldt AFR i koncernen, og at AFR ikke havde nogen tilknytning til byggeriaktiviteterne.
However, it is clear from the information supplied by the French authorities in the correspondence exchanged before the initiation of the formal investigation procedure that the difficulties encountered by AFR were specific to it within the group as its activity had no connection with the construction division.
Hertil kommer, at Kommissionen bemærker sig, at AFR’s vanskeligheder synes for omfattende til at kunne løses af koncernen i betragtning af koncernens egne middelmådige resultater.
Moreover, the Commission notes that AFR’s difficulties seem to have been too great for the group to overcome, given its mediocre results.
Kommissionen mener således, at punkt 13 i rammebestemmelserne ikke er til hinder for, at AFR anses for at være støtteberettiget til rednings- eller omstruktureringsstøtte på trods af virksomhedens tilknytning til koncernen.
It therefore considers that point 13 of the Guidelines is no obstacle to AFR being considered eligible for rescuing and restructuring aid, despite its being part of a group.