natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Hvis formålet med lovgivningen havde været at gøre dette til en sag for statens vurdering, ville den relevante bestemmelse have været udformet anderledes.
If the purpose of the legislation had been to make this a matter for the State’s discretion, the relevant provision would have been drafted differently.
Lovens ordlyd antyder, at hensigten med loven var at behandle aftalen om forlængelse på en måde, som svarer til koncessionerne.
The wording of the Mining Act suggests that the legislative intention was to treat the extension agreement in a way analogous to concessions.
I åbningsbeslutningen fremfører Kommissionen, at der er et modsætningsforhold mellem de ungarske myndigheders påstand om, at ændringen af loven var nødvendig for at skaffe flere indtægter, og den kendsgerning, at MOL i praksis var fritaget for de forhøjede afgifter.
In the opening decision the Commission argues that there is a contradiction between the Hungarian authorities’ claim that the amendment of the Mining Act was necessary to raise more revenue and the fact that MOL was in practice exempted from the increased fees.
Efter MOL's mening er der ikke tale om nogen modsætning.
In the view of MOL, this statement is not contradictory.
På den ene side betalte selskabet mere til staten i henhold til aftalen om forlængelse, end det skulle have betalt i henhold til loven.
For one thing, the company paid more to the State under the extension agreement, than it would have paid under the Mining Act.
MOL betaler også meget høje mineafgifter for de felter, der er underlagt »J«. Desuden vil ændringen af loven kunne have en effekt med hensyn til de felter, som idriftsættes i fremtiden.
MOL also pays very high mining fees on the fields subject to J. In addition, the amendment to the Mining Act could have an effect on fields put into operation in the future.
MOL fastholder, at betalingskomponenterne i forbindelse med aftalen om forlængelse ikke på nogen måde er en bøde, som Kommissionen antyder.
MOL maintains that the extension payment components are not in any way a fine, as the Commission suggests.
I mineloven fastsættes der også sanktioner/bøder for de tilfælde, hvor mineaktiviteten ikke udføres i overensstemmelse med loven.
The Mining Act also lays down penalties/fines for where mining activity is carried out in breach of the Mining Act.
Afgifterne i henhold til aftalen om forlængelse er et resultat af forhandlingsprocessen mellem mineselskabet og staten.
The fees under the extension agreement are a result of the negotiation process between the mining company and the State.
Det var ikke obligatorisk at indgå kontrakten: mineselskabet kunne også have valgt ikke at indgå en kontrakt, miste sin tilladelse til minedrift og derefter byde under den offentlige udbudsprocedure, hvorved det i sidste ende kunne have fået tilladelsen til minedrift billigere.
It was not compulsory to conclude the contract: the mining company could also have chosen not to conclude one, lose its mining right and then bid under the open tender procedure, whereby it might have ultimately obtained the mining right more cheaply.
Det er misvisende at sammenligne MOL, som indgik en sådan aftale om forlængelse, med konkurrenter, der opererer under tilladelsesordningen.
It is misleading to compare MOL, who concluded such an extension agreement, with competitors operating under the authorisation regime.
Endvidere understreger MOL, at selskabet overholdt alle sine forpligtelser og lovgivningens bestemmelser.
Moreover, MOL emphasises that it fulfilled all its obligations and the provisions of the legislation.
MOL anfægter også Kommissionens konklusion om, at multiplikatoren »c« er for lav (da den er mindre end det lovgivningsmæssige loft på 1,2 gange).
MOL also takes issue with the Commission’s view that the multiplier ‘c’ is too low (as it is less than the legal ceiling of 1,2 times).
For det bør også tages med i betragtning, at anvendelsen af den forhøjede mineafgift vedrørte næsten 150 felter, hvorfor den forhøjede afgift betød en væsentlig stigning i statens indtægter fra minedrift.
What also has to be taken into account is that the application of the increased mining fee concerned almost 150 fields, so the increased fee yielded a substantial increase in mining revenue for the State.
Endelig bemærker selskabet, hvad angår Kommissionens argument om, at MOL begunstiges ved ikke at være underlagt Brent-klausulen, at »J« også er prissensitiv.
Finally, as regards the Commission’s argument that MOL is being treated preferentially by not being subject to the Brent Clause, the company notes that J is also price-sensitive.
Det ungarske mineforbund
The Hungarian Mining Association
Det ungarske mineforbund (herefter »mineforbundet«) repræsenterer selskaber, der beskæftiger sig med minedrift eller minerelaterede aktiviteter.
The Hungarian Mining Association (hereinafter ‘Mining Association’) represents companies engaged in mining activities or activities related to mining.
Forbundets primære mål er at forbedre den overordnede operationelle ramme for udøvelse af mineaktiviteter i Ungarn, overvåge lovgivningsprocedurer og varetage medlemmernes interesser.
Its main objective is to improve the overall operational framework for carrying out mining activities in Hungary, monitor legislative procedures and act in its members’ interests.
I øjeblikket er der 66 medlemmer, heriblandt MOL.
Currently, it has 66 members, including MOL.
Formanden for mineforbundet er chef på højt niveau i MOL [36].
The Chairman of the Mining Association’s board is a senior manager of MOL [36].
I henhold til mineforbundet har mineselskaberne en berettiget forventning om, at mineafgiften vil forblive uændret for minefelter, der allerede er i drift.
According to the Mining Association, mining companies have a legitimate expectation that the mining fee will remain unchanged for mining fields already in operation.
Således kan staten ikke ensidigt forhøje afgifterne med tilbagevirkende kraft (dvs. for felter, der allerede er i drift).
Thus the State cannot unilaterally raise fees ‘retroactively’ (i.e. for fields which are already operating).
Mineforbundet gav udtryk for sin holdning i forbindelse med det lovforslag, der fulgte efter ændringen af mineloven, og ifølge mineforbundet blev der taget hensyn til dette princip, da mineloven blev ændret.
The Mining Association expressed this opinion in connection with the bill preceding the amendment to the Mining Act and, according to the Mining Association, this principle was taken into account when the Mining Act was amended.
Der blev ikke opponeret mod den endelige ordlyd, fordi det ikke betyder en forhøjelse af mineafgiften for aktiviteter, der allerede er påbegyndt.
The final wording was not opposed, because, in terms of effect, it does not raise the mining fee for operations already commenced.
Med hensyn til de generelle karakteristika og økonomiske forhold på minemarkedet forklarer mineforbundet, at tidshorisonten for mineprojekter er relativt lang.
As regards the general characteristics and economic conditions of the mining market, the Mining Association explains that the time span of mining projects is relatively long.
Der kan gå 10-15 år fra påbegyndelsen af efterforskningen til den faktiske udvinding.
The time between the start of exploration and actual extraction can be as long as 10-15 years.
I denne fase har mineselskabet udelukkende omkostninger; indtægter kommer der først, når udvindingen starter.
During this phase the mining company has only costs; income is not made until extraction starts.
Desuden er der en iboende geologisk risiko, da det ikke med sikkerhed vides, om efterforskningen bliver en succes.
In addition, there is an inherent geological risk, since it is not certain that the exploration will be successful.
Derfor skal projekter planlægges med den yderste forsigtighed.
Therefore, projects must be planned with the utmost care.
Profitabiliteten af et projekt afhænger af mange faktorer.
The profitability of a project depends on multiple factors.
I betragtning af de mange risici forventer industrien, at i det mindste de faktorer, som staten kan øve indflydelse på, vil forblive stabile i projektets løbetid, dvs. de retlige rammer eller mineafgiften.
Given the manifold risks, the industry expects that at least those which can be influenced by the State will remain stable during the lifespan of the project, i.e. the legislative framework or the mining fee.
I betragtning af industriens særlige karakteristika spiller finansieringsstrukturen en vigtig rolle i forbindelse med projekterne.
Given the specific characteristics of the industry, the financing structures play an important role in the projects.
Kreditorer undersøger kontinuerligt projekterne i detaljer og kan endog trække finansieringen tilbage, hvis forholdene ændrer sig væsentligt.
Creditors scrutinise the projects constantly and can even withdraw financing if the conditions change substantially.
I lande, der involverer en høj politisk risiko, indgår mineselskabet og staten en kontrakt baseret på privatret.
Therefore, in countries involving a high political risk, the mining company and the State conclude a contract based on private law.
I stabile regioner, f.eks. Vesteuropa, er sådanne aftaler unødvendige, fordi det kan antages, at de retlige rammer ikke vil blive ændret fra tid til anden af staten.
In stable regions, such as Western Europe, such agreements are unnecessary, because it can be assumed that the legal framework will not be changed every now and then by the State.
Stabilitet med hensyn til statens andel forventes af både mineselskab og kreditorerne.
Stability as regards the State’s share is expected by both the mining company and the creditors.
Uden denne stabilitet ville risikoen i forbindelse med projektet være øget; et land med en stabil økonomisk politik kan ikke tillade sig hyppige politiske forandringer, da dette ville skræmme mineselskaberne væk.
Without this stability the risk of the project would be increased; a country with a stable economic policy cannot allow itself frequent policy changes, since this would scare off the mining undertakings.
Mineforbundet påpeger ligeledes, at principperne om retssikkerhed og velerhvervede rettigheder er indeholdt i de europæiske domstoles retspraksis og i den ungarske forfatning.
The Mining Association also points out that the principles of legal certainty and protection of acquired rights are enshrined in the case-law of the European courts and the Hungarian Constitution.
Det ungarske parlament er således ikke berettiget til at forhøje mineafgiften for felter, der allerede er i drift, da lovgivningen skal være forudsigelig.
Thus, the Hungarian legislature is not entitled to raise mining fees for fields already in operation, as legislation must be predictable.
Desuden mener mineforbundet, at mineafgiftens »stabilitet« er en velerhvervet rettighed.
Moreover, the Mining Association also considers that the ‘stability’ of the mining fee is an acquired right.
Et yderligere argument, der blev fremført af mineselskabet, er forbuddet mod forskelsbehandling.
A further argument adduced by the Mining Association is the prohibition of discrimination.
Navnlig må der ikke være nogen forskelsbehandling mellem markedsaktører, der opererer på koncessionsbasis og markedsaktører under tilladelsesordningen.
In particular, there must not be discrimination between market players operating on a concession basis and market players under the authorisation system.
Det ungarske parlament er således ikke berettiget til at forhøje mineafgiften med tilbagevirkende kraft for felter, der allerede er i drift.
Accordingly, the Hungarian legislature is not entitled to raise mining fees ‘retroactively’ for fields already in operation.
EU-Domstolen har i mange afgørelser præciseret, at retssikkerheden er et fundamentalt element i EU-lovgivningen.
The ECJ has clarified in numerous judgments that legal certainty is a fundamental element of EU law.
Lovgivning skal være utvetydig, præcis og forudsigelig, især hvis den har en negativ indvirkning på enkeltpersoner eller selskaber (se den retspraksis, der henvises til).
Legislation is meant to be unambiguous, precise and predictable, especially if it has a negative impact on individuals or companies (see the case-law cited).
Mineforbundet fremfører desuden, at princippet om retssikkerhed og velerhvervede rettigheder også er indeholdt i den ungarske forfatning, og forbundet konkluderer, at lovgivningen skal være forudsigelig på grundlag af EU-retten og forfatningsmæssige principper.
The Mining Association goes on to argue that the principle of legal certainty and acquired rights are also enshrined in the Hungarian Constitution and it concludes that on the basis of EU law and constitutional principles legislation must be predictable.
Mineforbundet tilføjer afslutningsvis, at princippet om velerhvervede rettigheder stammer fra princippet om retssikkerhed.
The Mining Association finally adds that the principle of the protection of acquired rights derives from the principle of legal certainty.
Princippet om velerhvervede rettigheder er blevet overholdt som led i nationale og internationale lovgivningsprocedurer, der regulerer tilladelser til minedrift.
This principle of the protection of acquired rights has been respected in the course of national and international legislative procedures governing mining rights.
Andre EU-medlemsstater har også en stabil minelovgivning, som ikke ændres hyppigt.
Other EU Member States also have stable mining legislation which does not change frequently.
STATSSTØTTE EFTER EUF-TRAKTATENS ARTIKEL 107, STK. 1
EXISTENCE OF AID WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 107(1) OF THE TFEU
Med henblik på at vurdere, om en foranstaltning udgør statsstøtte, skal Kommissionen vurdere, hvorvidt den anfægtede foranstaltning opfylder betingelserne i EUF-traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1.
In order to ascertain whether a measure constitutes state aid, the Commission has to assess whether the contested measure fulfils the conditions of Article 107(1) TFEU.
I denne artikel hedder det: »Medmindre andet er fastsat i traktaterne er enhver støtte, som ydes ved hjælp af statsmidler under enhver tænkelig form, og som fordrejer eller truer med at fordreje konkurrencevilkårene ved at begunstige visse virksomheder eller visse produktioner, uforenelig med det fælles marked, i det omfang den påvirker samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne«.
This Article states that: ‘Save as otherwise provided in the Treaties, any aid granted by Member State or through State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the common market’.
Nedenfor vurderer Kommissionen i lyset af denne bestemmelse, om den anfægtede foranstaltning udgør statsstøtte.
Below, in the light of this provision, the Commission assesses whether the contested measure constitutes state aid.
Indledningsvis skal det erindres, at en foranstaltning kan udgøre statsstøtte i henhold til EUF-traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1, uanset dens juridiske form.
To begin with, it must be recalled that a measure can constitute state aid within the meaning of 107(1) TFEU regardless of its legal form.
Selv om aftalen om forlængelse er indgået i overensstemmelse med de relevante bestemmelser i mineloven, og selv om det er op til Ungarn at fastsætte mineafgiften ved lov, betyder dette ikke i sig selv, at disse foranstaltninger eller deres virkninger er forenelige med EU's statsstøtteregler.
Even if the extension agreement was concluded in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Mining Act and even if it is up to Hungary to set the mining fee by law, this does not in itself mean that these actions, or their effects, are compatible with EU state aid rules.
Den kendsgerning, at en foranstaltning er forenelig med national lovgivning, har ikke indflydelse på dens forenelighed med EUF-traktatens statsstøtteregler.
The fact that a measure is compatible with national law does not have a bearing on its compatibility with the state aid rules of the TFEU.
Kommissionen er af den opfattelse, som det i øvrigt allerede er anført i åbningsbeslutningen, at ingen af sagens elementer isoleret set, dvs. de relevante bestemmelser i loven, aftalen om forlængelse samt ændringen af loven, er i strid med statsstøttereglerne.
Moreover, as already set out in the opening decision, the Commission does not consider that any of the elements of the case in isolation, i.e. the relevant provisions of the Mining Act, the extension agreement and the amendment of the Mining Act, are contrary to state aid rules.
I stedet herfor betragter Kommissionen i den aktuelle sag hele forløbet af statslige foranstaltninger som »foranstaltningen« og vurderer virkningen af aftalen om forlængelse i kombination med de efterfølgende ændringer af mineloven.
Instead, in the present case the Commission regards the entire sequence of the State’s actions as ‘the measure’ and assesses the effect of the extension agreement in combination with the subsequent amendments to the Mining Act.
Hvad angår Ungarns argumenter om, at mineafgiften ikke er en skat, men derimod statens andel, bemærker Kommissionen, at dette argument er irrelevant i forbindelse med vurderingen af statsstøtten.
As regards Hungary’s arguments that the mining fee is not a tax, but the State’s share, the Commission notes that this argument is irrelevant from the point of view of state aid assessment.
Statsstøtteregler er gældende for alle typer af omkostninger, der skal bæres af virksomheder, og fra hvilke de er undtaget gennem en statslig foranstaltning.
State aid rules are applicable to all kinds of costs which have to be borne by undertakings and from which they are exempted through a state measure.
Under alle omstændigheder skal det bemærkes, at administrativ tilladelse til udvinding af mineral- og kulbrinteressourcer synes at være en typisk rolle for en offentlig myndighed; betalinger for en sådan tilladelse kan sammenlignes med en skat eller en administrativ afgift.
In any event, it has to be noted that administrative authorisation of exploitation of mineral and hydrocarbon resources appears to be a typical role of a public authority; payments for such authorisation are comparable to a tax or administrative fee.
Endelig var Kommissionen af den opfattelse med hensyn til opsigelsesklausulen, at det ikke er et spørgsmål, der vedrører statsstøtten.
Finally, with regard to the termination clause, the Commission considers that this is not a state aid issue.
Det faktum, at det i aftalen hedder, at kontrakten ophæves, hvis en tredjepart erhverver mere end 25 % af MOL, er en foranstaltning, der ikke involverer statslige ressourcer.
The fact that the agreement states that the contract ends if a third party acquires more than 25 % of MOL is a measure which does not involve state resources.
For at blive betragtet som statsstøtte skal en foranstaltning være specifik eller selektiv, forstået således, at den kun begunstiger visse virksomheder eller visse produktioner.
To be considered state aid, a measure must be specific or selective in that it favours only certain undertakings or the production of certain goods.
For så vidt angår vurderingen af selektivitetskriteriet, der er en nødvendig bestanddel af statsstøttebegrebet, kræver EUF-traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1, i henhold til Domstolens retspraksis [37] en stillingtagen til, om en statslig foranstaltning som led i en bestemt retlig ordning kan begunstige »visse virksomheder eller visse produktioner« i forhold til andre virksomheder, der under hensyntagen til det formål, der forfølges med den pågældende foranstaltning, befinder sig i en tilsvarende faktisk og retlig situation.
According to the case-law of the Court of Justice [37], as regards the assessment of the condition of selectivity, which is a constituent factor in the concept of state aid, Article 107(1) TFEU requires assessment of whether, under a particular statutory scheme, a state measure is such as to ‘favour certain undertakings or the production of certain goods’ in comparison with other undertakings which are in a legal and factual situation that is comparable in the light of the objective pursued by the measure in question.
Domstolen har ligeledes ved flere lejligheder statueret, at EUF-traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1, ikke skelner mellem årsagerne eller formålene med statsstøtte, men definerer dem i relation til deres virkninger [38].
The Court has also held on numerous occasions that Article 107(1) TFEU does not distinguish between the causes or the objectives of state aid, but defines them in relation to their effects [38].
Statsstøttebegrebet gælder imidlertid ikke for statsstøtteforanstaltninger, der skelner mellem virksomheder, hvor differentieringen er en følge af beskaffenheden eller den generelle struktur ved det system, som de er en del af.
The concept of state aid does not apply, however, to state measures which differentiate between undertakings where that differentiation arises from the nature or the overall structure of the system of which they form part.
Kommissionen er uenig i de ungarske myndigheders og de interesserede parters argumentation om manglen på selektivitet.
The Commission disagrees with the Hungarian authorities’ and interested parties’ argumentation on the absence of selectivity.
Med henblik på at fastslå, hvorvidt en foranstaltning er selektiv, skal det gældende referencesystem defineres [39].
In order to determine whether a measure is selective, the applicable system of reference must be defined [39].
I den foreliggende sag tilfælde finder Kommissionen, at det gældende referencesystem for vurderingen er tilladelsesordningen.
In the case at issue the Commission considers that the applicable system of reference for the assessment is the authorisation regime.
MOL behøvede ikke at deltage i en udbudsprocedure for retten til at opnå en koncession i et lukket område.
MOL did not have to enter into competitive bidding for the right to obtain a concession in a closed area.
I stedet fik selskabet tildelt retten til minedrift for sine felter under tilladelsesordningen og konkurrerer med markedsaktører under denne ordning.
Instead, it obtained the mining right for its fields under the authorisation regime and competes with market participants under this regime.
Aftalen om forlængelse er en del af tilladelsesordningen.
The extension agreement forms part of the authorisation regime.
Det forhold, at MOL ikke kunne påbegynde udvinding inden for den anførte tidsfrist og var nødsaget til at ansøge om en forlængelse af aftalen, kan ikke medføre nogen ændring af referencesystemet.
The mere fact that MOL was not able to commence extraction within the stipulated deadline and needed to request an extension agreement cannot result in a change of the system of reference.
Hvis et sådant argument accepteres, ville det medføre en situation, hvor der gives særbehandling til et selskab, som tilfældet er det under koncessionsordningen, men uden en offentlig udbudsprocedure.
Accepting such an argument would lead to a situation where individual treatment is given to one company, as is the case under the concession regime, but without a competitive public tender.
Faktisk er det en skønsmæssig afgørelse fra de ungarske myndigheders side at fastlægge, hvorvidt området hører under koncessions- eller tilladelsesordningen.
In fact, it is a discretionary decision by the Hungarian authorities to determine whether the field is under concession or authorisation.
Hvis de ungarske myndigheder således ønsker at tildele retten til minedrift på et kontraktmæssigt grundlag, kan de vælge en gennemsigtig koncessionsprocedure, der inkluderer en offentlig udbudsprocedure.
Thus, if the Hungarian authorities wish to award mining rights on a contractual basis they can opt for a transparent concession procedure which includes an open tendering process.
Kommissionen kan ikke acceptere, at en uigennemsigtig såkaldt kvasikoncession, der i øjeblikket kun gælder for et selskab (MOL), kunne anses for at være et særskilt referencesystem.
The Commission cannot accept that an opaque so-called ‘quasi-concession’, which currently applies only to one company (MOL), could be regarded as a separate system of reference.