natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Til den negative pris på 57 mio. EUR, der er udformet som en driftsstøtte, som skal dække Sernam Xpress' tab i årene 2005-2008 [35], kommer SNCFs eftergivelse af fordringen på Sernam SA til et beløb på 38,5 mio. EUR (jf. nr. 27).
To the negative price of EUR 57 million, which is perceived as operating aid enabling the losses of Sernam Xpress to be covered for the years from 2005 to 2008 [35], is added the write-off of Sernam SA debts to SNCF amounting to EUR 38,5 million (see recital 27).
Endelig bemærker Kommissionen også, at de passiver, der forbliver i Sernam SA, er gæld til tredjemand og ikke til SNCF.
Finally, the Commission points out too that the liabilities remaining in Sernam SA are debts to third parties and not to SNCF.
Gennem kapitalindskuddet på 57 mio. EUR har SNCF givet Sernam Xpress mulighed for — i det mindste i perioden 2005-2008 — at fyldestgøre disse fordringer fuldt ud.
Through the capital injection of EUR 57 million, SNCF enabled Sernam Xpress, at least for the period from 2005 to 2008, to honour these debts in their entirety.
Såfremt SNCF udelukkende havde solgt aktiverne til en positiv pris, ville Sernam SAs gæld til tredjemand kun være blevet indfriet op til salgsprovenuet.
If, on the other hand, SNCF had sold only the assets at a positive price, the debts of Sernam SA in relation to third parties would have been honoured only up to the proceeds from the sale.
Det er endnu et tegn på, at den kontraktmæssige balance mellem SNCF og Financière Sernam ikke er i overensstemmelse med markedsvilkårene.
This is an additional indicator that the contractual balance between SNCF and Financière Sernam does not correspond to market conditions.
Det bør også bemærkes, at den negative pris på 57 mio. EUR er højere end det bedste bud, der indkom ved det resultatløse udbud, som var en negativ pris på -56,4 mio. EUR (bud i anden runde [tilbudsgiver 5].
It should also be pointed out that the negative price of EUR 57 million is higher than the best offer received during the unsuccessful tendering procedure which had been a negative price of EUR 56,4 million (second-round offer [candidate 5]).
Overførslen gjorde det muligt for Sernam Xpress at slippe for tilbagesøgningspålægget vedrørende de 41 mio. EUR mod Sernam SA og åbnede mulighed for, at det kunne fortsætte Sernam SAs aktiviteter uden at skulle tilbagebetale støtten og uden at skulle overholde betingelserne i artikel 3 i Sernam 2-beslutningen.
The transfer enabled Sernam Xpress to elude the recovery order for EUR 41 million imposed on Sernam SA, and enabled it to continue Sernam SA’s activities without having to repay this aid and without having to comply with the conditions of Article 3 of the Sernam 2 Decision.
Af disse årsager konkluderer Kommissionen, at overførslen af aktiviteter fra Sernam SA til Sernam Xpress medførte, at Sernam Xpress faktisk nød godt af den med støtten forbundne konkurrencefordel.
For these reasons, the Commission concludes that the transfer of the activities from Sernam SA to Sernam Xpress had the consequence that Sernam Xpress continued to benefit from the competitive advantage linked with the receipt of the aid granted.
Der var nemlig en økonomisk forbindelse mellem de to selskaber, og overførslen svarer til en omgåelse af tilbagesøgningspålægget mod Sernam SA.
In fact, there was economic continuity between the two companies and the transfer corresponds to an evasion of the recovery order imposed on Sernam SA.
Som det blev forklaret i SMI- og Seleco-dommene, har en aktionærs salg til en tredjemand af aktier i et selskab, der modtager ulovlig støtte, ikke indflydelse på forpligtelsen til tilbagesøgning hos det modtagende selskab.
As explained in the SMI and Seleco judgments, the sale of shares in a company which is the beneficiary of unlawful aid by a shareholder to a third party does not affect the requirement for recovery from the recipient company.
Som følge heraf har salget af andele i Sernam Xpress til Financière Sernam ikke medført, at Sernam Xpress er blevet fritaget for forpligtelsen til at tilbagebetale støtten på 41 mio. EUR.
Consequently, the sale of the Sernam Xpress shares to Financière Sernam did not have the consequence of releasing Sernam Xpress from the requirement to repay the aid of EUR 41 million.
Efter fusionen mellem Sernam Xpress og Financière Sernam er tilbagebetalingsforpligtelsen blevet overført til Financière Sernam.
Following the merger between Sernam Xpress and Financière Sernam, the obligation regarding recovery was transferred to Financière Sernam.
Desuden viderefører Financière Sernam og dennes datterselskaber, bl.a. Sernam Services og Aster, Sernam SA og Sernam Xpress' aktiviteter og modtager derfor fortsat den støtte på 41 mio. EUR, som oprindelig blev bevilget til Sernam SA.
Furthermore, the latter and its subsidiaries, and notably Sernam Services and Aster, are continuing the business of Sernam SA and Sernam Xpress and are therefore continuing to benefit from the aid of EUR 41 million initially granted to Sernam SA.
Af de anførte årsager, jf. afsnit 3.4 nedenfor, skal der endvidere ses bort fra de af de franske myndigheder fremsatte argumenter om anvendelse af princippet om en privat investor under markedsøkonomiske vilkår.
Furthermore, for the reasons set out under point 3.4 below, the arguments inferred by the French authorities from the application of the principle of the private investor in a market economy must be discounted.
VEDRØRENDE DEN NYE STØTTE, DER BLEV BEVILGET TIL SERNAM XPRESS
CONCERNING THE NEW AID GRANTED TO SERNAM XPRESS
Aftaleprotokollen af 21. juli 2005 indeholder et vist antal foranstaltninger, som kan udgøre ny støtte (jf. ovenstående nr. 36).
The memorandum of understanding of 21 July 2005 provides for a certain number of measures, which may constitute new aid (cf. recital 36 above).
Kommissionen skal undersøge, om disse foranstaltninger udgør en ny støtte, og om støtten i givet fald kan erklæres for forenelig med det indre marked.
The Commission must check whether these measures constitute new aid and whether, if appropriate, this aid can be declared compatible with the internal market.
Ifølge de franske myndigheder er alle disse foranstaltninger i overensstemmelse med princippet om en privat investor under markedsøkonomiske vilkår.
According to the French authorities, all these measures conform to the principle of the private investor in a market economy.
SNCF havde overført aktiviteterne fra Sernam SA til det selskab, der havde fremsat det bedste bud ved et gennemskueligt og åbent udbud, og skønt dette bud lød på en negativ pris, var det billigere for staten som aktionær end en likvidation af Sernam.
SNCF allegedly transferred the activities of Sernam SA to the company having submitted the best offer received during a transparent and open tendering procedure and this offer, even though it consists of a negative price, is purportedly less costly for the State as shareholder than the winding-up of Sernam.
Kommissionen finder, at der i en situation, hvor der skal tilbagesøges støtte, ikke er grund til at anvende princippet om en privat investor.
The Commission considers that in a situation of recovery of the aid, it is not appropriate to apply the private investor principle.
Ved tilbagesøgning af støtte handler staten i henhold til sine forpligtelser i medfør af EU-retten og ikke som aktionær.
On recovery of aid, the State acts under the obligations incumbent upon it under Union law and not as a State which is a shareholder.
Kommissionen bemærker i øvrigt, at salg af aktiver i henhold til artikel 3, stk. 2, i Sernam 2-beslutningen er ligestillet med kompensationsforanstaltningerne i artikel 3, stk. 1.
Furthermore, the Commission points out that Article 3(2) of the Sernam 2 Decision perceived the sale of assets as an equivalent to the compensatory measures imposed by Article 3(1).
I medfør af pkt. 40 i Fællesskabets rammebestemmelser for statsstøtte til redning og omstrukturering af kriseramte virksomheder [36] kan afhændelse af tabsgivende aktiviteter ikke betragtes som en kompensationsforanstaltning.
According to point 40 of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty [36], the divestment of a loss-making activity cannot be considered as a compensatory measure.
Den negative pris, der blev aftalt mellem SNCF og Financière Sernam, viser, at der er tale om afhændelse af en tabsgivende aktivitet, som ikke kan ligestilles med en kompensationsforanstaltning.
The negative price agreed between SNCF and Financière Sernam shows that a divestment of a loss-making activity is involved which cannot be the equivalent of a compensatory measure.
I den foreliggende sag svarer den negative pris til en driftsstøtte til virksomheden, som derfor i sagens natur ikke kan mindske konkurrencefordrejningerne.
In this case, the negative price corresponds to operating aid to the undertaking, which is therefore inherently ill-suited to reduce distortions of competition.
Hvis man endvidere skulle acceptere den holdning, Frankrig forsvarer, kunne Frankrig unddrage sig sin forpligtelse til at tilbagesøge den støtte på 41 mio. EUR, der var erklæret uforenelig, jf. Sernam 2-beslutningen, samt den misbrugte støtte på 503 mio. EUR hos Sernam SA og enhver virksomhed, der viderefører dette selskabs økonomiske aktivitet.
Moreover, if the position maintained by France were to be accepted, France could evade its obligation to recover from Sernam SA and from any other company which continues its economic activity the aid of EUR 41 million, declared incompatible by the Sernam 2 Decision, and the aid of EUR 503 million used improperly.
Et sådant resultat ville være i skærende modstrid med Domstolens retspraksis, hvorefter medlemsstaten straks skal tilbagesøge støtten under anvendelse af alle til rådighed stående retsmidler, herunder beslaglæggelse af virksomhedens aktiver og om fornødent afvikling af virksomheden, dersom denne ikke er i stand til at foretage den pågældende tilbagebetaling. [37]
Such a result would be in flagrant contradiction with the case-law of the Court of Justice, according to which the Member State is required to recover the aid without delay, using all the legal means at its disposal, including seizure of the firm’s assets and, where necessary, its liquidation if it is unable to repay the amounts in question [37].
En accept af Frankrigs holdning ville også føre til forskelsbehandling mellem en privat og en offentlig virksomhed.
Acceptance of the position maintained by France would also lead to discrimination between a private undertaking and a public undertaking.
Mens staten skal fortsætte tilbagesøgningen hos den private virksomhed, om nødvendigt indtil dens likvidation, kan den offentlige virksomhed undslippe den skæbne på den ene betingelse, at det er billigere for staten at sælge den til en negativ pris i stedet for at tilbagesøge den ulovlige og uforenelige støtte, den har modtaget.
Whereas the State would take measures for recovery from the private undertaking, where necessary going as far as its liquidation, the public undertaking could escape this fate on the sole condition that it proves to be cheaper for the State to sell it at a negative price rather than recover the illegal, incompatible aid it has received.
Af disse årsager mener Kommissionen ikke, at Frankrig kan påberåbe sig princippet om den private aktør under markedsøkonomiske vilkår for at slippe for, at de foranstaltninger, der er fastsat i aftaleprotokollen af 21. juli 2005, kommer ind under begrebet statsstøtte.
For these reasons, the Commission considers that the principle of the private operator in the market economy cannot be invoked by France to have the measures provided for in the memorandum of understanding of 21 July 2005 escape the concept of State aid.
Det skal derfor fastslås, om de pågældende foranstaltninger har givet Sernam Xpress eller Financière Sernam en fordel.
It is therefore necessary to establish whether the measures in question conferred an advantage upon Sernam Xpress or Financière Sernam.
Da disse to virksomheder sidenhen er fusioneret, er det ikke nødvendigt at skelne mellem de fordele, den ene og den anden har fået.
Since these two undertakings merged subsequently, there is no need to distinguish between the advantages granted to one or the other.
De øvrige tre kriterier for, at der er tale om støtte, er opfyldt: foranstaltningerne er bevilget af en offentlig virksomheds ressourcer, nemlig SNCF. SNCF er et offentligretligt organ (offentligretlig industri- og handelsvirksomhed), som er underlagt et tæt statsligt tilsyn, og bevillingen af fordelen kan derfor også tilskrives staten.
The three other criteria evidencing the presence of aid are met: the measures are granted from the resources of a public undertaking, SNCF; SNCF is an EPIC [industrial and commercial public undertaking] subject to very close scrutiny by the State; the granting of the advantage is therefore also imputable to the State.
Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam arbejder inden for vejgodstransport, som er åben for konkurrence inden for EU, og fordelen risikerer derfor at skabe konkurrencefordrejninger og påvirker samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
Since Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam operate in road transport, which is open to competition within the Union, the advantage is liable to create distortions of competition and affect trade between Member States.
SNCFs rekapitalisering af Sernam SA på 57 mio. EUR
Concerning the EUR 57 million capital injection by SNCF in Sernam SA
Via SNCFs rekapitalisering af Sernam SA på 57 mio. EUR har Sernam SA fået en betydelig finansiel fordel, som selskabets konkurrenter ikke har.
As a result of the EUR 57 million capital injection by SNCF in Sernam SA, Sernam SA received a considerable financial advantage which is not available to its competitors.
Denne fordel er siden blevet overført med andre aktiver og passiver til Sernam Xpress.
This advantage was then transferred with the other assets and liabilities to Sernam Xpress.
SNCFs rekapitalisering af Sernam Xpress på 2 mio. EUR
Concerning the EUR 2 million capital injection by SNCF in Sernam Xpress
Via SNCFs rekapitalisering af Sernam Xpress på 2 mio. EUR har Sernam Xpress fået en betydelig finansiel fordel, som selskabets konkurrenter ikke har.
As a result of the EUR 2 million capital injection by SNCF in Sernam Xpress, Sernam Xpress received a considerable financial advantage which is not available to its competitors.
Kommissionen bemærker imidlertid, at SNCF har fået 2 mio. EUR af Financière Sernam, hvilket opvejer rekapitaliseringen på 2 mio. EUR, som således ikke har givet nogen fordel.
However, the Commission notes that SNCF received a payment of EUR 2 million from Financière Sernam, which neutralises the EUR 2 million capital injection, which consequently did not confer any advantage.
SNCFs eftergivelse af fordringer på Sernam SA
Concerning the write-off of Sernam SA’s debts to SNCF
Som anført i pkt. 33 omfatter overdragelsen af aktiviteter fra Sernam SA til Financière Sernam ikke SNCFs to fordringer på Sernam SA til et beløb på 38,5 mio. EUR. Ved at eftergive disse fordringer giver SNCF Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam en fordel på et tilsvarende beløb.
As explained in recital 33, the transfer of Sernam SA’s activities to Financière Sernam does not include two of Sernam SA’s debts to SNCF amounting to EUR 38,5 million. By writing off these debts, SNCF grants an advantage for an equivalent amount to Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam.
De af SNCF stillede garantier
Concerning the guarantees granted by SNCF
Ved overdragelsen af Sernam SAs aktiviteter til Financière Sernam har SNCF stillet følgende garantier: SNCF forpligtede sig til inden for en fastsat frist at afslutte et særligt anlægsarbejde (Valenton), som var nødvendigt for driften af TBE.
On the transfer of Sernam SA’s activities to Financière Sernam, SNCF granted the following guarantees:
Forsinkelse ville medføre en bøde på 1 mio. EUR.
It undertook to complete, within a fixed time limit, the development of a specific site (Valenton) necessary for the running of Train Bloc Express (TBE), on pain of a fine of EUR 1 million in the event of delay;
SNCF forpligtede sig til at dække en eventuel forhøjelse af lejen for de nye driftsanlæg, dog højst 3 mio. EUR.
It undertook to cover any increase in rent for the new operating sites, limited to a differential of a maximum of EUR 3 million;
SNCF forlængede retten til at vende tilbage med tre år for […] jernbanearbejdere, der var udstationeret hos Sernam.
It extended by three years the right to return of […] railwaymen seconded within Sernam;
SNCF forlængede en social protokol med tre år, som garanterede […] ansatte hos Sernam overflytning til SNCF i tilfælde af afskedigelse (fra Sernam).
It extended by three years a social protocol guaranteeing to […] Sernam employees re-employment within SNCF in the event of redundancy (by Sernam);
SNCF garanterede eksistensen af konceptet »Train bloc express (TBE)« [38] og adgangen til TBE [39].
SNCF guaranteed ‘the continuity of the Train Bloc Express (TBE)’ [38] and access to the TBE [39].
Med henblik herpå betalte SNCF 3 mio. EUR til Sernam Xpress.
In this connection, SNCF paid EUR 3 million to Sernam Xpress.
Med hensyn de første to garantier er det indlysende, at de giver Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam en fordel.
The first two guarantees obviously confer an advantage on Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam.
For hvis disse to garantier ikke havde været der, ville Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam selv skulle have afholdt de pågældende omkostninger.
In fact, in the absence of these two guarantees, Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam would have had to bear the costs in question themselves.
Kommissionen finder, at TBE-garantierne i væsentlig grad mindsker risikoen for Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam. De giver dermed selskaberne en fordel.
The TBE guarantees, in the Commission’s view, significantly reduce the risk incurred by Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam and therefore confer an advantage.
Ifølge Frankrig er garantien til jernbanearbejderne i realiteten en fordel for SNCF.
According to France, the guarantee granted to the railwaymen would in fact benefit SNCF.
Under henvisning til den frygt, en privatisering kunne afstedkomme, udvidede SNCF den periode, hvor jernbanearbejderne kunne udøve retten med henblik på at undgå, at de i stort tal vendte tilbage, hvilket ville have været dyrere for SNCF.
In the light of the fears to which privatisation could give rise, SNCF then extended the period during which the railwaymen could exercise this right with a view to avoiding their return en masse which would have been more onerous for SNCF.
Kommissionen er af den opfattelse, at jernbanearbejderne, hvis de ikke havde haft denne garanti, højst sandsynligt ville have bedt om at vende tilbage til SNCF på det tidspunkt, hvor aktiviteterne blev overdraget.
The Commission considers that in the absence of this guarantee, the railwaymen would have been very likely to have applied for reintegration in SNCF at the time of the transfer of the activities.
Sernam Xpress ville have skullet erstatte dem med nye medarbejdere med privat status.
Sernam Xpress would have had to replace them with new employees under private status.
Kommissionen finder, at det i den foreliggende sag er sandsynligt, at disse nye medarbejderes lønninger ville have været lavere end jernbanearbejdernes på grund af deres mere begrænsede erfaring, hvilket ville have opvejet de ekstra omkostninger for Sernam Xpress, eller også ville have givet dem problemer med at få ansat et stort antal nye medarbejdere på meget kort tid.
The Commission considers it likely that in this case the salary of these new employees would have been less high than that of the railwaymen, which would have offset the additional cost for Sernam Xpress resulting from their more limited experience or difficulties in recruiting a large number of new employees in a very short time.
Med hensyn til udvidelsen af overflytningsgarantien med tre år mener Frankrig, at det er en individuel ret, SNCF har givet bestemte medarbejdere.
France considers the three-year extension of the guarantee of re-employment to be a personal right granted to certain employees by SNCF.
Hverken Financière Sernam eller Sernam Xpress er parter i den aftale.
Neither Financière Sernam nor Sernam Xpress were apparently parties to this agreement.
Kommissionen tilslutter sig ikke denne analyse.
The Commission does not concur with this analysis.
Denne garanti gør det nemlig mere attraktivt at forblive ansat hos Sernam Xpress i den pågældende periode, uden at Sernam Xpress skal afholde den mindste ekstra udgift.
In fact, this guarantee makes it more attractive to remain employed at Sernam Xpress during the period in question, without Sernam Xpress having to bear the slightest additional cost.
Kommissionen konkluderer, at de garantier, SNCF har stillet i protokollen af 21. juli 2005 med undtagelse af garantien til jernbanearbejderne, giver Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam en fordel.
The Commission concludes that the guarantees granted by SNCF in the memorandum of understanding of 21 July 2005, with the exception of the guarantee for the railwaymen, confer an advantage on Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam.
Mens det er let at sætte tal på værdien af de første tre garantier (henholdsvis 1 mio. EUR, 3 mio. EUR og 3 mio. EUR), gælder det ikke for garantien om overflytning af ansatte.
Whereas it is easy to put a figure on the value of the first three guarantees (EUR 1 million, EUR 3 million and EUR 3 million respectively), this is not the case for the guarantee of re-employment of employees.
Frankrig bør fastlægge, hvilken lønforhøjelse, Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam skulle have givet medarbejderne for at nå det samme mål, hvis denne garanti ikke var stillet.
France should have established the salary increase that Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam should have awarded to the employees in the absence of these guarantees to achieve the same objective.
I nr. 164 i indledningsbeslutningen satte Kommissionen også spørgsmålstegn ved, om den negative pris, Financière Sernam havde »betalt«, faktisk svarede til markedsværdien.
In recital 164 of the opening decision, the Commission also considered the question whether the negative price ‘paid’ by Financière Sernam did in fact correspond to market value.
I den henseende bemærker Kommissionen, at der i mellemtiden er sket en fusion mellem Sernam Xpress og Financière Sernam, og at en mulig støtte til Financière Sernam i form af en for høj negativ pris ikke overstiger de 57 mio. EUR i støtte, Sernam Xpress modtog som ny støtte.
In this respect, the Commission observes that in the meantime, the merger had taken place between Sernam Xpress and Financière Sernam, and that possible aid to Financière Sernam consisting in too high a negative price would not exceed the EUR 57 million of aid that Sernam Xpress received as new aid.
Derfor er det ikke længere nødvendigt at udtale sig om spørgsmålet om en mulig støtte til køber.
Consequently, it is no longer necessary to decide on the question of possible aid to the purchaser.
Konklusion om tilstedeværelsen af ny støtte
Conclusion on the presence of new aid
Foranstaltningerne i aftaleprotokollen af 21. juli 2005, der er beskrevet i dette afsnit 3.4, udgør ny støtte til Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam.
The measures provided for in the memorandum of understanding of 21 July 2005 described in the present section 3.4 constitute new aid for Sernam Xpress/Financière Sernam.
Uforenelighed med det indre marked og tilbagesøgning
Incompatibility with the internal market and recovery
Da Frankrig ikke har påberåbt sig nogen begrundelse for foreneligheden, konkluderer Kommissionen, at denne støtte er uforenelig med det indre marked og skal tilbagesøges med tillæg af renter.
Since France invoked no reason for compatibility, the Commission concludes that this aid is incompatible with the internal market and must be recovered, together with interest.