natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
De havde ligeledes fundet, at rabatter udgør almindelig handelspraksis i forhold til alle luftfartsselskaber, og at rabatterne »tilskynder luftfartsselskaberne til at befordre flere passagerer til lufthavnen, hvilket giver lufthavnsoperatøren, BTS, mulighed for at generere flere indtægter, både af afgifter for tjenester til luftfartsselskaberne og af BTS' andre kommercielle aktiviteter i lufthavnen, som ikke vedrører lufttransport, men har til formål at gøre luftfartsselskaberne mere attraktive for passagerer. Støtte til luftfartsselskabernes aktiviteter udgør med andre ord direkte støtte til udviklingen af selve lufthavnen.«
They had also considered that the granting of discounts represents common commercial practice in relation to all airlines and that the discounts ‘encourage air carriers to transport more passengers to the airport, which enables the airport operator, BTS, to generate higher revenues, both from charges for services provided to the air carriers and from its other commercial activities at the airport that do not relate to air transport but are aimed at making the airport more attractive to passengers; in other words, supporting the activities of air carriers represents direct support for the development of the airport itself.’
Ikke desto mindre meddelte de slovakiske myndigheder ikke Kommissionen aftalens betingelser eller detaljerede oplysninger om de omstændigheder, hvorunder den blev indgået.
Nevertheless, the Slovak authorities did not provide the Commission either with the terms of the Agreement or with details of the circumstances under which it had been concluded.
Kommissionen udtrykte derfor i sin beslutning om at indlede proceduren tvivl om, hvorvidt BTS handlede ud fra et langsigtet rentabilitetssynspunkt.
The Commission therefore expressed doubts in its decision to open the procedure as to whether the behaviour of BTS was guided by prospects of long-term profitability.
Det kunne således ikke udelukkes, at indgåelsen af aftalen gav Ryanair en fordel, som selskabet ikke ville have fået under normale markedsøkonomiske vilkår.
Thus the possibility could not be ruled out that the conclusion of the Agreement provided Ryanair with an advantage from which it would not have benefited under normal market conditions.
Med hensyn til det tredje spørgsmål udtrykte Kommissionen tvivl om, hvorvidt betingelserne vedrørende forenelighed i henhold til Kommissionens meddelelse om finansiering af lufthavne og statslig startstøtte til luftfartsselskaber, som opererer fra regionale lufthavne (i det følgende benævnt »2005-retningslinjerne«) [13] var opfyldt i nærværende sag, og om statsstøtteforanstaltningen kunne anses for at være forenelig med det indre marked, jf. artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c), i TEUF.
As regards the third question, the Commission expressed doubts as to whether the conditions for compatibility as set out in the Communication from the Commission on financing of airports and start-up aid to airlines departing from regional airports (hereinafter the ‘2005 Guidelines’) [13] had been satisfied in the present case and whether the State aid measure could be declared compatible with the internal market pursuant to Article 107(3)(c) TFEU.
I anmodningen om yderligere oplysninger, som blev udstedt i henhold til artikel 10, stk. 3, i procedureforordningen, blev Den Slovakiske Republik anmodet om at fremsende alle de dokumenter, oplysninger og data, som var nødvendige for at vurdere foranstaltningen, og navnlig:
The information injunction, issued according to Article 10(3) of the Procedural Regulation, requested the Slovak Republic to submit all documents, information and data needed for the assessment of the measure and in particular:
aftalens betingelser
the terms of the Agreement,
undersøgelser, interne dokumenter eller andre papirer, på grundlag af hvilke aftalen blev forhandlet
studies, internal documents or any other papers on the basis of which the Agreement was negotiated,
lufthavnens forretningsplan og andre strategiske dokumenter i forbindelse med forretningsstrategien over for Ryanair
the business plan of the Airport and any other strategic document in relation to the business strategy towards Ryanair,
de regler/omstændigheder, som dannede grundlag for forhandlingerne om afgifterne med andre luftfartsselskaber og de politikker, hvorunder afgifterne anvendes over for andre selskaber, som flyver til/fra Bratislava lufthavn (Air Slovakia, ČSA, Lufthansa, SkyEurope)
the rules/circumstances under which charges were negotiated with other airlines and the policy under which charges are applied to other companies operating to/from Bratislava (Air Slovakia, ČSA, Lufthansa, SkyEurope),
alle eksisterende aktionæraftaler mellem den nationale ejendomsfond og den slovakiske stat vedrørende BTS, og
any existing shareholder agreement between the National Property Fund and the Slovak state regarding BTS, and
de oplysninger, der blev anmodet om i punkt 70 i beslutningen om at indlede proceduren.
the information requested in paragraph 70 of the opening decision.
BEMÆRKNINGER FRA SLOVAKIET
COMMENTS FROM SLOVAKIA
De slovakiske myndigheder indledte deres bemærkninger med at give baggrundsoplysninger om Ryanairs destinationer (11 destinationer) og andre luftfartsselskabers destinationer (Sky Europe ni planlagte destinationer og ni sommerdestinationer; ČSA én destination; Air Slovakia fire destinationer; Lufthansa én destination og Aeroflot én destination) i lufthavnen i 2008.
The Slovak authorities began their observations by providing background information on the destinations served by Ryanair (11 destinations) and other air carriers (Sky Europe: nine scheduled destinations and nine summer destinations; ČSA: one destination; Air Slovakia: four destinations; Lufthansa: one destination and Aeroflot: one destination) from the Airport in 2008.
I sine bemærkninger præciserede de slovakiske myndigheder endvidere, at AIP hentyder til lufthavnens standardafgifter.
In their observations, the Slovak authorities further explained that AIP refers to the Airport’s standard charges.
For at forbedre sin rentabilitet og sikre øget anvendelse af sin kapacitet kan lufthavnen imidlertid aftale rabatter på disse standardafgifter på grundlag af individuelle aftaler.
However, in order to improve its profitability and to make better use of its capacities, the Airport can agree discounts from these standard charges on the basis of individual agreements.
Sådanne rabatter er baseret på forskellige kriterier, såsom antal passagerer, ruternes frekvens og/eller indførelse af nye ruter.
Such discounts are based on different criteria, such as the number of passengers carried, the frequency of the routes operated and/or the introduction of new routes.
Hvis luftfartsselskabet ikke opfylder de aftalte kriterier i en individuel aftale, mister det retten til at søge om rabatter.
If the air carrier does not comply with the criteria agreed in an individual agreement, it loses the right to apply for discounts.
De slovakiske myndigheder præciserede endvidere, at BTS som handelsvirksomhed selv er ansvarlig for sin prisstrategi og rentabiliteten af de aftaler, der indgås med de forskellige luftfartsselskaber.
The Slovak authorities further explained that, as a commercial undertaking, BTS is itself responsible for its pricing strategy and the profitability of the agreements it concludes with different air carriers.
BTS fremlægger kun den overordnede årlige strategi med hensyn til antal passagerer i lufthavnen, de overordnede indtægter og udgifter samt investeringer og metoder til finansiering af disse investeringer for det rådgivende udvalg.
BTS presents to the advisory board only its overall annual strategy with regard to the number of passengers at the Airport, its overall revenue and costs, its investments and the means of financing those investments.
I denne årlige strategipræsentation tages der ikke højde for de enkelte luftfartsselskaber eller for individuelle aftaler.
This annual strategy presentation does not take account of individual air carriers or of individual agreements.
De slovakiske myndigheder præciserede endvidere, at de som følge af BTS' uafhængighed ikke er i stand til at give Kommissionen oplysninger om rentabiliteten af de forskellige ruter, ligesom de heller ikke kan tilvejebringe dokumentation vedrørende forhandlingsprocessen i forbindelse med Ryanair-aftalen.
The Slovak authorities explained further that, because of the independence of BTS, they are not in a position to provide the Commission with information concerning the profitability of the relevant routes, nor are they able to provide any documentation concerning the negotiation process in relation to the Ryanair agreement.
For de slovakiske myndigheder er aftalen mellem BTS og Ryanair baseret på handelsmæssige vilkår og omfatter ikke statsstøtte.
According to the Slovak authorities, the Agreement between BTS and Ryanair is based on commercial terms and does not involve State aid.
Ryanair-aftale af 5. december 2005
Ryanair agreement of 5 December 2005
De slovakiske myndigheder har ligeledes tilvejebragt en kopi af aftalen mellem BTS og Ryanair, kaldet »Aftale om lufthavnstjenester«, dateret den 5. december 2005.
The Slovak authorities have also provided a copy of the ‘Airport Services Agreement’, dated 5 December 2005 and concluded between BTS and Ryanair.
Aftalen indeholder de driftsmæssige og økonomiske betingelser for Ryanairs etablering og drift af kommercielle flyvninger til og fra lufthavnen.
The Agreement sets out the operational and financial conditions under which Ryanair establishes and operates commercial flights to and from the Airport.
Aftalen trådte i kraft på indgåelsesdatoen (dvs. den 5. december 2005) og gælder til den 30. juni 2016.
The Agreement commenced on the date of signature of the contract (i.e. 5 December 2005) and ends on 30 June 2016.
Aftalen blev indgået som en ikke-eksklusiv aftale, dvs. at parterne aftalte, at de betingelser, som Ryanair havde opnået, ligeledes kan være tilgængelige på et gennemsigtigt og ikke-diskriminerende grundlag for alle andre luftfartsselskaber, som forpligter sig til en tilsvarende mængde aktivitet i lufthavnen.
The Agreement was concluded on a non-exclusive basis, meaning that the parties agreed that the conditions granted to Ryanair according to the Agreement may also be available on a transparent and non-discriminatory basis to any other airline that would commit itself to an equivalent volume of activity at the Airport.
Ryanairs serviceafgift
The Ryanair service charge
Ryanair betaler for lufthavnens tjenester et enkelt gebyr pr. fly (afgang og ankomst), den såkaldte »serviceafgift« på […] pr. fly af typen B373-800 fra aftalens indgåelse.
Ryanair will pay for services provided by the airport a single charge per aircraft (departure and arrival), the so-called ‘service charge’, amounting to […] per aircraft type B737-800 following signature of the contract.
Afgiften stiger med […] fra den 1. januar hvert år i forhold til forrige år, dog ikke når destinationen er en »ny destination« (se nedenfor).
This charge will increase by […] from 1 January each year against the previous year, except when the destination is a ‘new destination’ (see below).
Afgiften omfatter landingsafgift, lufthavnens afgangsafgift og handlingsafgifter, herunder sikkerhedsafgifter [14].
It includes the landing charge, airport departure charge and handling charges, including security and safety charges [14].
Den omfatter hverken den indflyvningsafgift, som opkræves af lufttrafikkontrollen, eller parkeringsafgifter for fly, eftersom Ryanairs fly ikke har base i lufthavnen.
It does not include either the approach charge collected by the Aviation Traffic Control or the parking fees for aircraft, as Ryanair aircraft are not based at the airport.
Ifølge aftalen skal lufthavnen, hvis den indfører andre sikkerhedsskatter eller -afgifter end dem, der allerede er omfattet af »serviceafgiften«, opkræve sådanne afgifter direkte fra passagererne.
According to the Agreement, if the Airport introduces security taxes or charges other than those already contained in the ‘service charge’ the Airport will have to collect those charges directly from passengers.
Afgift for nye destinationer
The charge for new destinations
De slovakiske myndigheder præciserer endvidere, at en »ny destination« i henhold til aftalen er enhver planlagt flyvning, som ikke blev opereret af et andet luftfartsselskab i henhold til tidsplanen i samme periode i det sidste år inden opstarten.
The Slovak authorities also explain that a ‘new destination’ within the meaning of the Agreement is understood to be any scheduled flight not operated by another air carrier during the validity of the timetable in the same period of the year prior to start-up.
Afgiften er kun gældende, hvis luftfartsselskabet opererer mindst […] flyvninger om ugen.
The charge will be applicable only if the airline operates a minimum of […] flights per week.
Med hensyn til destinationer er lufthavnens IATA/ICAO-kode afgørende. Definitionen af en ny destination vedrører med andre ord lufthavnen og ikke byen.
In assigning the destination, the airport’s IATA/ICAO code is the decisive factor; in other words, the definition of a new destination relates to the airport and not the city.
Afgiften for nye destinationer omfatter samme enheder som den normale serviceafgift.
The charge for new destinations covers the same items as the normal service charge.
Ryanair betaler lufthavnen følgende afgifter for tjenester for hver periode på 12 måneder efter datoen for lanceringen af den nye destination:
Ryanair pays to the Airport the following service charges for each 12-month period following the launch date of the new destination:
År 1: […] pr. fly af typen B 737-800 (afgang + ankomst);
Year 1: […] per aircraft type B 737-800 (departure + arrival),
År 2: […] pr. fly af typen B 737-800 (afgang + ankomst);
Year 2: […] per aircraft type B 737-800 (departure + arrival),
År 3: […] pr. fly af typen B 737-800 (afgang + ankomst);
Year 3: […] per aircraft type B 737-800 (departure + arrival),
År 4: […] pr. fly af typen B 737-800 (afgang + ankomst);
Year 4: […] per aircraft type B 737-800 (departure + arrival),
År 5: […] pr. fly af typen B 737-800 (afgang + ankomst);
Year 5: […] per aircraft type B 737-800 (departure + arrival),
År 6: […] pr. fly af typen B 737-800 (afgang + ankomst) og
Year 6: […] per aircraft type B 737-800 (departure + arrival), and
efter seks år er den normale serviceafgift for Ryanair (se betragtning 25 ovenfor) gældende.
after 6 years the normal Ryanair service charge (see recital 25 above) will be applied.
Afgifterne for nye destinationer øges ikke med […] hvert år.
The charges for new destinations do not increase by […] each year.
Andre tjenester til Ryanair
Other services provided to Ryanair
Lufthavnen giver som handlingsagent ligeledes Ryanair en reservations- og billetprovisionsfacilitet.
As a handling agent, the Airport also provides Ryanair with a reservation and ticket agency facility.
Ifølge aftalen skal Ryanair betale provision til lufthavnen på […] på alle Ryanairs bookinger (eksklusive skatter, ændringsgebyrer, andre gebyrer samt passagerservice og andre afgifter), som sælges med debet-/kreditkort af lufthavnen.
According to the Agreement, Ryanair pays a commission to the Airport at a rate of […] of all new Ryanair bookings (excluding taxes, amendment fees, other fees and passenger service and other charges) sold by debit/credit card by the Airport.
Provisionen fastlægges efter følgende skema:
The commission fee is set according to the following schedule:
månedlig gennemsnitlig opkrævning pr. afgående passager op til […] EUR: […] provision af det samlede beløb
monthly average collection per departing passenger up to EUR […]: […] commission on the total amount,
månedlig gennemsnitlig opkrævning pr. afgående passager mellem […] EUR og […] EUR: […] provision af det samlede beløb og
monthly average collection per departing passenger between EUR […] and EUR […]: […] commission on the total amount, and
månedlig gennemsnitlig opkrævning pr. afgående passager på […] EUR eller derover: […] provision af det samlede beløb.
monthly average collection per departing passenger EUR […] or more: […] commission on the total amount.
BTS fremsendte sine bemærkninger i en skrivelse af 8. juli 2008.
BTS comments were provided in a letter dated 8 July 2008.
Aftalen kan tilregnes staten
Imputability of the Agreement to the State
For så vidt angår aktionærerne, anførte BTS endvidere, at Den Slovakiske Republiks transport-, post- og telekommunikationsministerium på det tidspunkt, hvor aftalen blev underskrevet, var eneaktionær i lufthavnen.
With regard to its shareholders, BTS further explained that when the Agreement was signed (5 December 2005), the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications of the Slovak Republic was the Airport’s sole shareholder.
Den Slovakiske Republiks nationale ejendomsfond fik først ejendomsretten til BTS' aktier senere i privatiseringsprocessen.
The National Property Fund of the Slovak Republic only obtained ownership rights to BTS’s shares later in the privatisation process.
BTS mener derfor, at det er irrelevant yderligere at påvise den nationale ejendomsfonds rolle og indflydelse.
Therefore, BTS is of the opinion that further demonstration of the role and influence of the National Property Fund is irrelevant.
BTS mener, at de rabatter, som blev givet til Ryanair, på ingen måde blev tilvejebragt af statsmidler, eftersom BTS er et privat aktieselskab og ikke har haft statsmidler til rådighed.
BTS is of the opinion that the discounts granted to Ryanair were by no means provided from State resources since, as a private joint stock company, BTS has no state resources at its disposal.
BTS mener, at den kendsgerning, at staten ejer BTS' aktier, ikke automatisk betyder, at dette omfatter statsmidler.
In BTS’s opinion, the mere fact that the state owns BTS’s shares does not automatically involve State resources.
I henhold til EF-traktatens artikel 295 gøres der ikke forskel mellem offentlige myndigheders og private personers ejendomsret.
Pursuant to Article 295 of the EC Treaty, the Treaty does not discriminate between ownership by public authorities and private persons.
BTS forklarer endvidere, at beslutningen om at underskrive aftalen ikke kan tilregnes staten, selv om ministeriet som eneaktionær udpegede medlemmerne af bestyrelsen, som forhandlede og underskrev den pågældende aftale.
BTS further explains that the decision to sign the agreement is not imputable to the State, although the Ministry, as the sole shareholder, appointed the members of the board of directors who negotiated and signed the Agreement in question.
Efter BTS' opfattelse blev disse medlemmer udvalgt i henhold til BTS' vedtægter på baggrund af gennemsigtige udvælgelsesprocedurer, og i henhold til den slovakiske handelslov og BTS' vedtægter forvalter bestyrelsen selskabets aktiviteter og træffer forretningsmæssige, operationelle og organisatoriske beslutninger, medmindre sådanne beslutninger er forbeholdt andre organer.
In its opinion these members were selected pursuant to BTS’s articles of association on the basis of a transparent selection procedure, and, pursuant to the Slovak Commercial Code and BTS’s articles of association, the board of directors manages the activities of the company and makes business decisions and decisions of an operational and organisational nature, except where such decisions are within the remit of other bodies.
Derudover er bestyrelsen i henhold til den slovakiske lov om handel forpligtet til at handle til selskabets bedste og er ansvarlig for eventuelle skader, medmindre det bevises, at dens medlemmer i forbindelse med udøvelsen af deres forpligtelser udviste faglig omhu og handlede i god tro til selskabets bedste.
In addition, pursuant to the Slovak Commercial Code, the board of directors is obliged to act for the benefit of the company and is liable for damages caused, unless it is proven that its members performed their duties with professional care and in good faith in the interests of the company.
Medlemmerne af bestyrelsen bærer ansvaret, også selv om deres handlinger er godkendt af tilsynsrådet.
Members of the board of directors are liable even if their actions were approved by the supervisory board.
BTS anfører, at den ledelse, som forhandlede og indgik aftalen, handlede efter eget skøn uden indblanding fra aktionæren.
BTS explains that the management that negotiated and concluded the Agreement acted in its sole discretion with no intervention from the shareholder.
BTS' ledelse har aldrig været forpligtet til at sende selskabets strategi over for individuelle luftfartsselskaber til aktionæren eller andre organer til godkendelse.
The BTS management has never been bound to submit the company’s business strategy towards individual carriers to the shareholder or any other body for approval.
AIP's priser i forhold til aftalen
AIP prices vs. the Agreement
For så vidt angår passager- og landingsafgifterne ifølge den gældende AIP gør lufthavnen gældende, at afgifterne ikke er ændret i de seneste år.
With regard to passenger and landing charges according to the AIP in force, the Airport states that charges have not changed in recent years.
Kun i 2008 faldt landingsafgifterne med 7 % som følge af øget udnyttelse af lufthavnen.
Only in 2008 were landing charges decreased by 7 % due to increased utilisation of the Airport.
Nedenstående tabel viser udviklingen i afgifterne fra 2003 til 2008.
The following table summarises developments in charges from 2003 until 2008.
AIP's prisudvikling i BTS i SKK
AIP price development at BTS in SKK
Afgifter i SKK
Charges in SKK
Passagerafgifter (pr. passager)
Passenger charges (per passenger)
Landingsafgifter (pr. 1 ton startvægt)
Landing charges (per 1 tonne of aircraft takeoff weight)
Endvidere er det lufthavnens opfattelse, at priserne i AIP kun er vejledende og ikke obligatoriske for BTS.
In addition, the Airport is of the opinion that the prices stated in the AIP are only recommended prices and not binding on BTS.
Disse priser gælder luftfartsselskaber, som ikke accepterer andre kontraktmæssige forpligtelser over for BTS vedrørende antal destinationer, flyvningernes frekvens, antal passagerer eller varigheden af deres operationer i lufthavnen.
These prices are applicable to air carriers which do not accept any other contractual obligation towards BTS concerning the number of routes operated, frequency of flights, volume of passengers or duration of their operations at the Airport.
BTS mener, at enhver kontraktmæssig aftale, som rækker videre end de standardregler, som fremgår af regler og normer, skal afpasses indbyrdes og afspejles i priserne.
In BTS’s opinion, any contractual arrangement which goes beyond the scope of the standard rules stipulated by regulations and standards must be mutually balanced and reflected in prices.
Dette giver lufthavnsoperatøren mulighed for at differentiere priserne på tjenesterne i forbindelse med de forpligtelser, som luftfartsselskabet har accepteret, med det formål at maksimere de økonomiske fordele for lufthavnen.
This gives the airport operator the possibility of differentiating the prices for services provided in connection with the obligations accepted by the air carrier, with the aim of maximising the economic benefits for the Airport.
BTS forklarer endvidere, at eftersom aftalen indeholder en klausul vedrørende en prisstigning fra år til år på […], falder forskellen mellem Ryanairs og AIP's priser gradvist.
BTS further explains that as the Agreement contains a clause concerning a year-on-year price increase of […], the difference between Ryanair and AIP prices is gradually decreasing.
Ligeledes blev den enkeltstående reduktion i AIP's priser i 2008 ikke afspejlet i Ryanairs priser, hvilket yderligere indsnævrede forskellen.
Also, the ‘one-off’ reduction in AIP prices in 2008 was not reflected in Ryanair prices, further reducing the difference.