natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Med hensyn til gældsomlægningsaftalen mellem SNIACE og TGSS støtter de spanske myndigheder ikke Kommissionens synspunkt, at »det forekommer […] sandsynligt, at kreditor i forbindelse med en frivillig akkord, der indebærer omlægning af eksisterende gæld, rent logisk vil søge at opnå en morarentesats, som er højere end den lovbestemte, som kompensation for ikke at søge gælden inddrevet ad rettens vej.« Tværtimod hævder de, at en frivillig akkord, på grund af virksomhedens finansielle situation såvel som udgifter, langsommelighed og usikkerhed i forbindelse med retslige procedurer, ofte ville føre til en rentesats, der er lavere end den lovbestemte mindstesats.
As regards the rescheduling agreement between SNIACE and the TGSS, the Spanish authorities do not share the Commission’s view that ‘it seems probable that, in the case of out-of-court agreements concerned with or having the effect of rescheduling pre-existing debts, the creditor would seek to obtain from the debtor a rate of interest on arrears that would be higher than the legal interest rate as compensation for not pursuing the recovery of the debt by legal means’. On the contrary, they claim that, owing to the financial situation of the company as well as the cost, duration and uncertainty inherent in legal proceedings, out-of-court agreements would frequently lead to agreeing an interest rate lower than the legal interest rate.
Kommissionen indtager det synspunkt, at ved at tilbyde SNIACE en omlægning af afdragene bragte FOGASA princippet fra Tubacex-dommen i anvendelse, dvs. princippet om, at »en kreditor således ikke søger at opnå en ekstraordinær gevinst af det beløb, der skyldes ham, men ønsker blot at opnå fuld dækning for de beløb, han har udlagt, uden at lide økonomisk tab. Når han med henblik herpå accepterer en omlægning af sit tilgodehavende for at opnå denne tilbagebetaling, kræver han yderligere betaling af en rente, som skal kompensere ham den forventelige værdiforringelse, der følger af omlægningen« [13].
The Commission considers that, by granting to SNIACE a rescheduling of its debts, FOGASA applied the principle of the Tubacex judgment, whereby ‘a creditor does not seek to make any special profit on the money which is due to him, but merely wishes to recover in full the sums he has advanced without suffering any financial loss. To that end, where he agrees to the rescheduling of his debt for the purpose of ensuring that it is repaid, he requires the further payment of interest, the purpose of which is to compensate him for depreciation of the money as a result of the rescheduling’ [13].
om Det Forenede Kongeriges foranstaltninger C 7/07 (ex NN 82/06 og NN 83/06) til fordel for Royal Mail
on the measures C 7/07 (ex NN 82/06 and NN 83/06) implemented by the United Kingdom in favour of Royal Mail
(meddelt under nummer K(2009) 2486)
(Notified under document C(2009) 2486)
Den 3. december 2002 indgav Deutsche Post AG (herefter benævnt »DP«) en klage over en formodet krydssubsidiering af Royal Mail Group plc (herefter benævnt »Royal Mail« eller »RM«) pakketjenester.
On 3 December 2002, Deutsche Post AG (hereinafter ‘DP’) lodged a complaint against alleged cross-subsidies granted to the parcel activities of Royal Mail Group plc (‘Royal Mail’ or ‘RM’).
Den 27. maj 2003 godkendte Kommissionen en række foranstaltninger til fordel for Post Office Limited (herefter benævnt »POL«), et af RM's datterselskaber (sag N 784/02) [2].
On 27 May 2003, the Commission approved a series of measures in favour of Post Office Limited (‘POL’) which is a subsidiary of RM (case N 784/02) [2].
I forbindelse med disse foranstaltninger ydedes POL kompensation, som var finansieret via en reserve (herefter benævnt »postreserven«) bestående af overskudslikviditet genereret af RM.
Under these measures, compensation was granted to POL, financed through a reserve (‘the mails reserve’) constituted from surplus cash generated by RM.
Den 22. februar 2006 gjorde Kommissionen ingen indsigelse mod videreførelsen af én af disse foranstaltninger (støtte til netværk i landdistrikter) i en yderligere periode (sag N 166/05) [3].
On 22 February 2006 the Commission raised no objection to the continuation of one of these measures (rural network support) for a further period (case N 166/05) [3].
Den 8. oktober 2003 anlagde DP sag med henblik på annullation (T-343/03) af Kommissionens beslutning N 784/02 og gjorde gældende, at DP's klage CP 206/02 indirekte var blevet afvist ved denne beslutning.
On 8 October 2003, DP lodged an action for annulment (T-343/03) against the N 784/02 Commission Decision, arguing that this decision had implicitly rejected its CP 206/02 complaint.
Den 16. november 2005 afviste Retten i Første Instans DP's sagsanlæg med den begrundelse, at klagen ikke var blevet afvist ved beslutning N 784/02, og at Kommissionen var i gang med at foretage undersøgelser (som påvist ved hjælp af korrespondance fremlagt for Retten).
On 16 November 2005, the Court of First Instance rejected the action of DP saying that the N 784/02 Decision did not imply the rejection of the complaint and that the Commission was carrying on investigations (as demonstrated by the correspondence presented before the Court).
Den 10. august 2006 fremsendte DP et brev, hvori Kommissionen blev opfordret til at tage stilling til DP's klage fra 2002 inden for en periode på to måneder på grundlag af EF-traktatens artikel 232.
On 10 August 2006, DP sent a letter which invited the Commission to take a position on its complaint of 2002 within the period of two months, on the basis of Article 232 of the Treaty.
Samme brev indeholdt oplysninger vedrørende en række påståede nye statsstøtteforanstaltninger.
The same letter contained information concerning a series of alleged new State aid measures.
Disse foranstaltninger adskiller sig fra de foranstaltninger, der var omfattet af klagen fra 2002, og klagen herover blev derfor behandlet som en særskilt klage, der blev registreret under sagsnummer CP 221/06, senere NN 83/06.
These measures are distinct from those which were the subject of the complaint of 2002 and the complaint against them was therefore treated as a separate complaint which was attributed the reference CP 221/06, subsequently NN 83/06.
Der var tale om følgende foranstaltninger:
The alleged measures were as follows:
en overførsel på 850 mio. GBP til en særlig konto, der var oprettet til finansiering af RM's pensioner
a transfer of GBP 850 million to a special account dedicated to finance RM’s pensions;
en beslutning truffet af det britiske handels- og industriministerium om at forhøje et lån ydet til RM fra 844 mio. GBP til 900 mio. GBP
decision by Department of Trade and Industry to increase the amount of a loan granted to RM from GBP 844 million to GBP 900 million;
en tilsidesættelse af Kommissionens beslutning i sag N 166/05 vedrørende støtte til POL's netværk i landdistrikter, eftersom 150 mio. GBP blev overført til POL direkte fra statsbudgettet og ikke, som godkendt ved beslutningen, fra en særlig, øremærket reserve.
violation of the Commission’s decision in case N 166/05 concerning support for POL’s rural network, since GBP 150 million was transferred to POL directly from the State budget and not, as approved by the Decision, from a special, ring-fenced reserve.
Ved brev af 27. oktober 2006 indgav Mail Competition Forum (MCF), et organ, der repræsenterer nye aktører på postmarkedet i Det Forenede Kongerige, en klage over den særlige konto, der var oprettet til finansiering af RM's pensioner, og som også var omfattet af DP's anden klage.
By letter of 27 October 2006, the Mail Competition Forum (MCF), a body representing entrants to the postal market in the UK, submitted a complaint about the special account dedicated to finance RM’s pensions also covered by DP’s second complaint.
MCF's klage blev registreret under sagsnummer CP 164/06, senere NN 82/06.
The complaint of MCF was attributed the reference CP 164/06, subsequently NN 82/06.
Ved brev af 7. december 2006 meddelte Kommissionen DP, at den ikke fandt tilstrækkeligt grundlag for at forsætte undersøgelsen af klage CP 206/02, og at klagen ville blive anset for at være trukket tilbage, hvis Kommissionen ikke hørte fra DP inden for en frist på 20 arbejdsdage.
By letter of 7 December 2006, the Commission informed DP that it did not find sufficient grounds for continuing the investigation concerning complaint CP 206/02, and that if it did not hear from DP within 20 working days, the complaint would be considered withdrawn.
Der blev ikke modtaget noget svar inden for fristen.
No response was received within the deadline.
Klagen blev derfor anset for at være trukket tilbage.
That complaint was therefore considered withdrawn.
Den 8. februar 2007 sendte Det Forenede Kongerige Kommissionen oplysninger om vilkårene i forbindelse med en meddelelse om »pensionsforanstaltningen«, lånefaciliteten på 900 mio. GBP og også et nyt lån på 300 mio. GBP til Royal Mail.
On 8 February 2007, the UK communicated to the Commission the terms of an announcement concerning ‘the pensions measure’, the GBP 900 million loan facility and also a new loan of GBP 300 million to Royal Mail.
Den 21. februar 2007 indledte Kommissionen en undersøgelsesprocedure vedrørende følgende foranstaltninger:
On 21 February 2007, the Commission opened an investigation procedure on the following measures:
et lån på 500 mio. GBP ydet i 2001, som skulle tilbagebetales efter 2021 og blev ydet til en fast rente, til finansiering af Royal Mails udenlandske erhvervelser
a GBP 500 million loan granted in 2001, repayable after 2021 and granted at a fixed interest rate, which financed Royal Mail’s overseas acquisitions;
lånefaciliteter på 1 mia. GBP stillet til rådighed for Royal Mail ved hjælp af statsmidler i 2003, hvoraf 900 mio. GBP skulle forlænges efter 2007
GBP 1 billion of loan facilities made available to Royal Mail from State sources in 2003, of which GBP 900 million was to be extended after 2007;
»Pensionsforanstaltningen«: placering af 850 mio. GBP på en »deponeringskonto«, hvilket vil forlænge den periode, hvori Royal Mail skal nedbringe det nuværende underskud i forbindelse med sin pensionsfond, og derfor reducere virksomhedens bidrag i de første år af perioden
‘The pensions measure’: placing GBP 850 million in an ‘escrow account’ which will lengthen the period over which Royal Mail needs to address the current deficit in its pension fund and will therefore reduce the contributions it makes in the initial years of the period;
lånet på 300 mio. GBP, der blev meddelt den 8. februar 2007.
the loan of GBP 300 million announced on 8 February 2007.
Beslutningen af 21. februar bekræftede tilbagetrækningen af klage CP 206/2002 og bekræftede, at Kommissionen ikke gjorde nogen indsigelse mod finansieringen af de godkendte foranstaltninger til POL fra statsbudgetter i stedet for fra postreserven.
The decision of 21 February confirmed the withdrawal of complaint CP 206/02 and confirmed that the Commission raised no objection to the funding of the authorised measures for POL from the State budget rather than from the mails reserve.
Ved brev af 22. februar 2007 underrettede Kommissionen Det Forenede Kongerige om sin beslutning om at indlede proceduren efter EF-traktatens artikel 88, stk. 2, vedrørende de foranstaltninger, der er anført i betragtning 11.
By letter dated 22 February 2007, the Commission notified the United Kingdom of its decision to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the Treaty in respect of the measures listed in recital 11.
Kommissionens beslutning om at indlede proceduren blev offentliggjort i Den Europæiske Unions Tidende [5].
The Commission’s decision to initiate the procedure was published in the Official Journal of the European Union [5].
Kommissionen opfordrede interesserede parter til at fremsætte deres bemærkninger til foranstaltningerne.
The Commission invited interested parties to submit their comments on the measures.
Støttemodtager af den påståede statsstøtte
The beneficiary of the alleged State aid
Støttemodtager af den påståede statsstøtte er Royal Mail Group plc, senere Royal Mail Group Ltd (»RM«), som er et 100 %-statsejet selskab (via holdingselskabet Royal Mail Holdings plc).
The beneficiary of the alleged State aid is Royal Mail Group plc, subsequently Royal Mail Group Ltd (‘RM’) which (through a holding company, Royal Mail Holdings plc) is a 100 % State-owned company.
RM er Det Forenede Kongeriges største postoperatør og havde indtil udgangen af 2005 monopol på størstedelen af de grundlæggende tjenester på brevomdelingsområdet.
RM is the UK’s main postal operator and had a legal monopoly over most basic letter services until the end of 2005.
Netværket af postkontorer drives af POL, et af RM's datterselskaber.
The post office network is operated by POL, which is a subsidiary of RM.
I 2003 blev en del af pakketjenesterne (herunder opfyldelse af en befordringspligt i forbindelse med pakker, der indleveres på posthuse) overført fra Parcelforce til RM's brevafdeling og drives nu via denne infrastruktur.
In 2003, a part of the parcels activity (including the provision of a universal service for parcels handed in at post offices) was transferred from Parcelforce to the letters division of RM and is now operated through that infrastructure.
I dag håndterer Parcelforce kun tidsfølsomme forsendelser.
Today, Parcelforce only handles time-critical parcels.
Støttemodtagerens finansielle ordning og forhold til staten
Financial regime of the beneficiary and relationship with the State
I henhold til den ordning, der fandtes inden omdannelsen til offentlig virksomhed og overførslerne i 2001, var Post Office Corporation ikke forpligtet til at udbetale udbytte til de britiske myndigheder og gjorde det heller ikke.
Under the regime in existence before the incorporation and transfers of 2001, there was no requirement for The Post Office Corporation to pay any dividends to the UK authorities and it did not do so.
Organet var imidlertid forpligtet til at investere en del af det årlige overskud i statsobligationer eller indskud i National Loan Fund.
It was, however, obliged to invest a proportion of the profits it generated each year in Government securities or National Loan Fund deposits.
Disse investeringer, der er klassificeret som omsætningsaktiver og ofte omtales som »gilts«, forblev hos RM efter overførslerne i 2001 og udgjorde 1800 mio. GBP den 31. marts 2002.
These investments, classed as current assets and often referred to as the ‘gilts’, remained with RM following the 2001 transfers and amounted to GBP 1800 million on 31 March 2002.
I henhold til section 72 i Postal Services Act 2000 pålagde de britiske myndigheder den 30. januar 2003 RM at placere disse aktiver i en særlig reserve (»postreserven«), som skulle anvendes til at finansiere specifikke foranstaltninger efter nærmere bestemmelse.
Following directions by the UK authorities on 30 January 2003 under section 72 of the Post Office Act 2000, RM placed these assets in a special reserve (‘the mails reserve’) to be used to finance specific measures as directed.
De foranstaltninger, der er omfattet af undersøgelsesproceduren
The measures concerned by the investigation procedure
Lånet fra 2001
The 2001 loan
I februar 2001 ydede de britiske myndigheder RM et lån på 500 mio. GBP til at finansiere udenlandske erhvervelser på brev- og pakkeområdet.
In February 2001, the UK authorities made a loan of GBP 500 million to RM to finance overseas acquisitions for the mail and parcels business.
Lånet skal tilbagebetales mellem 2021 og 2025 og har en gennemsnitlig rentesats på 5,8 %.
The loan is repayable between 2021 and 2025 and carries an average interest rate of around 5,8 %.
De britiske myndigheder har i korrespondance med Kommissionen oplyst, at lånet blev ydet på kommercielle vilkår efter rådgivning fra konsulenter for netop at sikre sådanne vilkår.
The UK authorities have stated in correspondence with the Commission that this loan was on commercial terms, and that they followed advice from consultants designed to ensure that this was the case.
Lånet blev optaget med sikkerhed i RM's kapitalandele i General Logistics Systems International Holdings BV og visse andre af RM's aktiver.
The loan was secured on RM’s shareholding in General Logistics Systems International Holdings BV and certain other RM assets.
Lånet blev ikke anmeldt til Kommissionen.
The loan was not notified to the Commission.
Lånefaciliteter
The loan facilities
I 2003 stillede de britiske myndigheder forskellige lånefaciliteter til rådighed for RM for at finansiere en »fornyelsesplan« (herunder omstruktureringen af Parcelforce).
In 2003, the UK authorities made various loan facilities available to RM to finance its ‘renewal plan’ (including the restructuring of Parcelforce).
Disse faciliteter, der af de britiske myndigheder blev beskrevet som en kommerciel pakke, blev forhandlet mellem RM og de britiske myndigheder og omfattede en lånefacilitet på 544 mio. GBP fra National Loan Fund (»NLF«) med sikkerhed i RM's akkumulerede likvide beholdninger (navnlig de midler, der var overført til postreserven) samt myndighedernes overtagelse af to obligationer udstedt af RM (en på 300 mio. GBP og en på 200 mio. GBP).
These facilities, described by the UK authorities as a commercial package were negotiated between RM and the UK authorities and consisted of a loan facility of GBP 544 million from the National Loans Fund (‘NLF’) secured on RM’s accumulated cash balances (in particular the funds allocated to the mails reserve) and the acquisition by the authorities of two bonds issued by RM (one of GBP 300 million and one of GBP 200 million).
Også her har de britiske myndigheder i korrespondancen med Kommissionen oplyst, at disse lånefaciliteter blev stillet til rådighed på kommercielle vilkår efter rådgivning fra en konsulenter for netop at sikre sådanne vilkår.
Again, the UK authorities have stated in correspondence with the Commission that these loan facilities were on commercial terms, and that they followed advice from consultants designed to ensure that this was the case.
De oplyste endvidere Kommissionen om, at disse lånefaciliteter ikke var blevet fuldt udnyttet i oktober 2006, bortset fra en afprøvning af udnyttelsen af kreditmuligheden, hvor der blev trukket 50 mio. GBP, som blev tilbagebetalt inden for 7 dage, og at faciliteten på 200 mio. GBP var udløbet på det pågældende tidspunkt.
They also informed the Commission that as of October 2006 these loan facilities had not been drawn down, apart from a GBP 50 million testing of the draw down process which was repaid in 7 days, and that the GBP 200 million facility had by then expired.
RM havde ikke desto mindre betalt tilsagnsprovisioner på omkring 2,5 mio. GBP.
Commitment fees of some GBP 2,5 million had nonetheless been paid by RM.
Disse lånefaciliteter blev ikke anmeldt til Kommissionen.
These loan facilities were not notified to the Commission.
I maj 2006 meddelte de britiske myndigheder, at de havde planer om at forlænge de resterende lånefaciliteter og forøge dem fra 844 mio. GBP til 900 mio. GBP.
In May 2006, the UK authorities announced their intention to extend the remaining loan facilities and to increase their level from GBP 844 million to GBP 900 million.
De britiske myndigheder oplyste den 31. oktober 2006, at de nøjagtige vilkår for denne forlængelse stadig var ved at blive fastlagt, men at det var hensigten, at det skulle ske på kommercielle vilkår, og at lånet ikke ville udgøre statsstøtte.
The UK authorities indicated on 31 October 2006 that the precise terms of this extension were still being finalised but the intention was that it would be on commercial terms and that the lending would not constitute State aid.
Deponeringskonto for pensioner
The pensions escrow account
I 2006 besluttede de britiske myndigheder at frigive 850 mio. GBP af de resterende likvide midler i RM's postreserve for at oprette en »deponeringskonto«, som Royal Mail Pension Plan (»RMPP«) under visse omstændigheder kunne trække på, hvis RM ikke kunne honorere sine forpligtelser.
In 2006, the UK authorities decided to release GBP 850 million of the cash balance remaining in the mails reserve within RM to set up an ‘escrow account’, which could be drawn on by the Royal Mail Pension Plan (‘RMPP’) in certain circumstances if RM were to fail as a business.
Baggrunden for denne foranstaltning var, at en række af RM's pensionsordninger, hvoraf RMPP er langt den største, havde et samlet underskud (forventede forpligtelser større end aktiverne på grundlag af visse forsigtighedsantagelser) på 5600 mio. GBP i regnskabet for 2005/2006, hvor dette underskud for første gang var opført på RM's balance.
The background to this measure was that the various RM pension schemes, of which the RMPP is by far the largest, showed a total deficit (excess of projected liabilities over assets, on certain prudential assumptions) of GBP 5600 million in its 2005/2006 accounts, where for the first time this deficit was included in RM’s balance sheet.
Som andre britiske erhvervstilknyttede pensionsordninger er RMPP en finansieret ordning, som skal besidde aktiver svarende til sine forpligtelser.
The RMPP, like other UK occupational pension schemes, is a funded scheme which is required to hold assets in respect of its liabilities.
Ifølge de britiske myndigheder ville RM ikke være i stand til at nedbringe dette underskud hurtigt og modernisere virksomheden på samme tid i lyset af de forventede pengestrømme.
According to the UK authorities, RM would not be able to pay off this deficit quickly and modernise the business at the same time, given projected cash flows.
Ved hjælp af denne konto kan RM derfor sammen med forvalterne af RMPP aftale en længere periode til at nedbringe underskuddet og dermed reducere pensionsbidragene i de første år.
The account therefore allows RM to agree with the trustees of the RMPP a longer period for addressing the deficit thereby reducing its pension contributions in the initial years.
Ifølge de britiske myndigheder er anvendelsen af postreserven til dette formål mest rentabel for RM, og de britiske myndigheders aktiepost vil stige, hvis RM får mulighed for at færdiggøre sin strategiske plan.
The UK authorities have stated that they believe the use of the mails reserve for this purpose is in RM’s best commercial interests, and that by enabling RM to complete its strategic plan they will bring about an increase in the value of the UK authorities’ shareholding.
De britiske myndigheder har gjort gældende, at uden deponeringskontoen og de forlængede lånefaciliteter er der mulighed for, at den såkaldte »shareholder value« vil blive bragt i fare og ikke styrket, og at de derfor handler på kommercielle vilkår.
Without the escrow account and the extended loan facilities, the UK authorities claim there is a possibility that shareholder value would be destroyed and not enhanced, and that they are therefore acting in a commercial manner.
Nyt aktionærlån på 300 mio. GBP
The new GBP 300 million shareholder loan
Den 8. februar 2007 meddelte de britiske myndigheder, at de var gået med til at yde RM et aktionærlån på 300 mio. GBP.
On 8 February 2007, the UK authorities announced their agreement to provide RM with a GBP 300 million shareholder loan.
Dette lån blev ikke anmeldt til Kommissionen.
This loan was not notified to the Commission.
Det fremgik af vilkårene i meddelelsen, at dette lån er en del af en pakke af foranstaltninger sammen med deponeringskontoen for pensioner og lånefaciliteten.
It was clear from the terms of the announcement that this loan is part of a package of measures with the pensions escrow account and loan facility.
I sin beslutning om at indlede undersøgelsesproceduren udtrykte Kommissionen tvivl med hensyn til de britiske myndigheders påstande om, at foranstaltningerne ikke udgjorde statsstøtte, fordi de blev stillet til rådighed på kommercielle vilkår og derfor ikke gav Royal Mail nogen fordel.
In its decision opening the investigation procedure, the Commission expressed doubts over the claims by the UK authorities that the measures did not constitute State aid because they were provided on commercial terms and therefore provided no advantage to Royal Mail.