natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Den 29. juli 2011 fremsendte koncernen CLdN (i det følgende »CLdN«) sine bemærkninger til Kommissionen.
On 29 July 2011, the CLdN group (hereinafter: ‘CLdN’) communicated its comments to the Commission.
CLdN er et transportselskab med hjemsted i Luxembourg, der navnlig beskæftiger sig med godstransport med fragtskib (»roll-on/roll-off« eller »roro«) eller ropax i Kanalen og Nordsøen mellem dels Belgien og Nederlandene, dels Det Forenede Kongerige, Irland, Sverige og Danmark.
CLdN is a Luxembourg-based transport company which is involved in particular in the transport of freight by freight vessel (roll-on/roll-off or ‘ro-ro’) or by ro-pax, in the Channel and the North Sea between Belgium and the Netherlands, on the one hand, and the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark, on the other.
CLdN betragter sig som konkurrent til SeaFrance og vil komme til at lide kraftigt under følgerne af SNCF's foranstaltninger til fordel for datterselskabet SeaFrance på grund af den geografiske nærhed til CLdN's ruter, nemlig Ipswich-Rotterdam og Purfleet-Zeebrugge.
CLdN regards itself as a competitor to SeaFrance which would suffer considerably from the adverse consequences of the measures implemented by the SNCF in favour of its subsidiary SeaFrance on account of the geographical proximity of the routes operated by CLdN, i.e. Ipswich-Rotterdam and Purfleet-Zeebrugge.
CLdN mener, at de pågældende foranstaltninger sandsynligvis får konkurrencehæmmende følger for godstransporten, ikke kun på ruten Calais-Dover, men også på de nærliggende ruter mellem Det Forenede Kongerige og Belgien.
CLdN considers in fact that the measures implemented are very likely to have anti-competitive consequences on freight not only on the Calais-Dover route, but also on the neighbouring routes between the United Kingdom and Belgium.
De negative følger af disse foranstaltninger udlignes ikke i tilstrækkelig høj grad af de modydelser og det egetbidrag, der foreslås i omstruktureringsplanen.
It considers that the negative effects of these measures are not sufficiently offset by the compensatory measures and the own contribution proposed in the restructuring plan.
Tværtimod vil disse foranstaltninger blot betyde, at en kriseramt virksomhed, som ikke er i stand til at mindske sine basisomkostninger, fastholdes på markedet, og at dens kapacitet øges på et marked, hvor der i forvejen er overkapacitet.
On the contrary, these measures would merely maintain a firm in difficulty, incapable of reducing its basic costs, on the market and would enable it to increase its capacities on a market with overcapacity.
Ifølge CLdN vil de pågældende foranstaltninger mindske de eksisterende konkurrenters rentabilitet, fordi der fortsat vil være en transportkapacitet på markedet, som under normale omstændigheder burde være forsvundet.
According to CLdN, the measures in question will reduce the viability of the existing competitors by maintaining on the market transport capacity which should normally have disappeared.
Det vil ikke være realistisk at tro, at SeaFrance kan nå op på en belægningsgrad på 80 %, medmindre selskabet udnytter støtten til en aggressiv priskrig og til at overtage konkurrenternes markedsandele.
It would be unrealistic to rely on SeaFrance being able to achieve a load factor of 80 %, unless the aid is used to carry out aggressive price cuts and to take market shares from competitors.
Men denne strategi er ikke økonomisk bæredygtig på mellemlang eller lang sigt for SeaFrance og vil være skadelig for de direkte konkurrenter, nemlig P&O og Eurotunnel, der opererer på samme rute, Calais-Dover, men også på mellemlang sigt for CLdN.
However, this strategy would be economically unsustainable in the medium or long term for SeaFrance and would be harmful for its direct competitors, i.e. P&O and Eurotunnel, which operate on the same Calais-Dover route, but also, in time, for CLdN.
Endelig understreger CLdN dels, at antallet af medarbejdere ikke er reduceret nok i omstruktureringsplanen (hvilket på ingen måde vil gøre det muligt for SeaFrance at nærme sig et forhold mellem antal ansatte og omsætning, der er i nærheden af konkurrenternes), dels, at omkostningerne ved afskedigelser vil blive mindre i forhold til en klassisk omstrukturering, da mange af SeaFrances ansatte bliver genansat hos SNCF.
Finally, CLdN emphasises the inadequacy of the workforce cuts provided for in the restructuring plan (which would be far from enabling SeaFrance to approach the staff costs/turnover ratio of its competitors) and the fact that the redundancy costs will be low compared to traditional restructuring, as a large number of SeaFrance employees will be taken on by the SNCF.
CLdN ønsker derfor, at Europa-Kommissionen træffer en negativ afgørelse.
CLdN consequently wishes the European Commission to take a negative decision.
Bemærkninger fra berørte parter, som er for omstruktureringsstøtten
Comments from interested parties in favour of the restructuring aid
SNCF's bemærkninger
Comments by the SNCF
Den 29. juli 2011 sendte SNCF sine bemærkninger til Kommissionen. Disse svarer til bemærkningerne fra de franske myndigheder (se afsnit VI).
On 29 July 2011, the SNCF communicated comments to the Commission, which correspond to the comments made by the French authorities (see section VI).
Bemærkninger fra en erhvervsdrivende, der har ønsket at forblive anonym
Comments by an economic operator wishing to remain anonymous
Den 30. juli 2011 fremsendte en erhvervsdrivende, der har ønsket at forblive anonym, sine bemærkninger til Kommissionen.
On 30 July 2011, an economic operator wishing to remain anonymous communicated its comments to the Commission.
I første omgang gør den pågældende opmærksom på de vigtigste særtræk ved transportmarkedet over Kanalen og konkluderer, at den skærpede konkurrence mellem rederne og Eurotunnel, inflationen i brændstofpriserne og den svingende pundkurs har skabt problemer for SeaFrance, men også udgør en risiko for den langsigtede rentabilitet for P&O og DFDS.
Firstly, it recalls the main characteristics of the cross-Channel market, concluding from this that the keener competition between the shipping companies and Eurotunnel, the inflation in fuel pries and the volatility of the sterling exchange rate have caused difficulties for SeaFrance, but also pose a threat to the long-term viability of P&O and DFDS.
Den pågældende erhvervsdrivende mener, at SeaFrances problemer hovedsagelig er strukturelle (for mange ansatte og en for rigid organisation), men at en rekapitalisering kombineret med omstruktureringen af SeaFrance og en flåde på fire fartøjer kan sikre selskabets rentabilitet på lang sigt.
The operator in question considers that the difficulties of SeaFrance are chiefly structural (employment coefficient too high and organisation too inflexible), but that recapitalisation combined with the restructuring of SeaFrance and a fleet maintained at 4 vessels can guarantee the long-term viability of the company.
Ifølge den pågældende erhvervsdrivende vil de to andre rederes kapacitet, hvis SeaFrance forsvinder, ikke være nok til at sikre overfarten over Kanalen.
According to the operator in question, if SeaFrance were to disappear, the capacity of the other two shipping companies would be insufficient to cope with the traffic in the Channel.
Ifølge den erhvervsdrivende, der har ønsket at være anonym, har Eurotunnel næsten nået sin maksimale kapacitet og kan derfor kun absorbere en lille del af Seafrances trafik.
According to the operator wishing to remain anonymous, Eurotunnel has almost achieved maximum capacity and therefore could absorb only a small proportion of the SeaFrance traffic.
»Overkapaciteten på ruter over Kanalen er i dag […] meget relativ og burde ikke være et alvorligt problem«, for lige så snart der opstår et problem hos en reder eller i en af havnene, skaber det overbelastning i havnene i Calais, Dover og Dunkerque.
‘The overcapacity in the Channel today is […] very relative and should not constitute a serious problem’ since as soon as a problem arises at one shipping company or in the ports, this leads to congestion in the ports of Calais, Dover and Dunkerque.
En enkelt befragter, der sejler på Kanalen og er tilknyttet P&O, vil ikke kunne garantere den nødvendige transportkapacitet og vil fordreje markedet til fordel for P&O, som således ville få monopol på transport af farligt gods.
Moreover, a single freighter in the Channel operated by P&O would not guarantee the necessary transport capacity and would distort the market in favour of P&O, which would in this way hold a monopoly for the transport of hazardous goods.
Ifølge den pågældende erhvervsdrivende er det P&O, der har startet priskrigen, og den pågældende tror på, at SeaFrance er rentabel på grund af selskabets ledelse, der er af høj kvalitet (godt samarbejde med sine agenter), den moderne flåde, der kan holde i mindst 10 år, og personalets høje arbejdsmoral.
According to the operator in question, P&O is at the origin of the price undercutting; this operator believes in the viability of SeaFrance on account of the quality of management of the company (quality of cooperation with its agents), its modern fleet capable of functioning for at least 10 years and the high motivation of its staff.
Bemærkninger fra transportvirksomhederne
Comments by road haulage companies
Ved brev af 26., 27. og 28. juli 2011 har fem transportvirksomheder og repræsentative sammenslutninger (LKW Walter Internationale Transportorganisation AG, Youngs Transportation & Logistics Ltd, Laser Transport International Limited, Carna Transport Ltd og Road Haulage association international group) sendt deres bemærkninger til Kommissionen.
By letters dated 26, 27 and 28 July 2011, five road haulage companies and representative associations (LKW Walter Internationale Transportorganisation AG, Youngs Transportation & Logistics Ltd, Laser Transport International Limited, Carna Transport Ltd and Road Haulage association international group) communicated their comments to the Commission.
Disse fem selskaber og sammenslutninger udtrykker bekymring over SeaFrances eventuelle lukning.
These five companies and associations express their concerns in the event of the disappearance of SeaFrance.
De mener, at SeaFrances lukning dels vil skabe et oligopol på markedet for transport over Kanalen med deraf følgende nedgang i ydelsernes kvalitet og prisstigning, dels vil skabe en risiko med hensyn til, om de erhvervsdrivende, der stadig vil være på markedet, fortsat vil have kapaciteten til at kunne opfylde behovet for godstransport, især hvis en af de to bliver forhindret i at betjene ruten.
In their opinion, the disappearance of SeaFrance would result, on the one hand, in an oligopoly on the cross-Channel transport market leading to a decline in the quality of services and an increase in prices and, on the other hand, a risk regarding the capacity of the operators remaining on the market to be able to cope with the volume of freight, especially in cases where one of them is unable to provide services.
Hvis SeaFrance bliver tvunget til at skille sig af med fragtskibet Nord Pas-de Calais, frygter de, at P&O ender med at komme i en monopolsituation, for så vidt angår transport af farligt gods, som ikke må ske gennem tunnelen eller med en kombifærge.
If SeaFrance were to dispose of its freight vessel, the Nord Pas-de Calais, they are also worried about the emergence of a de facto P&O monopoly for the transport of hazardous goods which cannot be undertaken through the Tunnel or by a multi-purpose ferry.
Bemærkninger fra rejseselskaber og turoperatører
Comments of tour operators and travel agencies
Mange rejseselskaber og turoperatører har udtrykt bekymring over SeaFrances eventuelle lukning (se nedenstående liste):
A large number of travel agencies and tour operators expressed their concern regarding the possible disappearance of SeaFrance (see list in the table in this recital):
Dato for bemærkningerne
Date of the comments
Navn på de interesserede parter
Name of the interested parties
4 separate bemærkninger: 1) R&T Tours, 2) Sports Tours Ltd, 3) TM Ski&Travel Ltd, 4) International Sport & Leisure
4 separate position papers: 1) R&T Tours; 2) Sports Tours Ltd; 3) TM Ski&Travel Ltd; 4) International Sport & Leisure
5 separate bemærkninger: 1) Broadway Tours, 2) Gemini Travel, 3) DE Vere Travel Group, 4) Adaptable Travel, 5) Gower Tours Ltd
5 separate position papers: 1) Broadway Tours; 2) Gemini Travel; 3)DE Vere Travel Group; 4) Adaptable Travel; 5) Gower Tours Ltd
2 separate bemærkninger: Angling Lines Ltd, Acorn Ventures Ltd
2 separate position papers: Angling Lines Ltd; Acorn Ventures Ltd
De mener, at SeaFrances lukning dels vil skabe et oligopol på markedet for transport over Kanalen med deraf følgende nedgang i ydelsernes kvalitet og prisstigning, dels vil skabe en risiko med hensyn til, om de erhvervsdrivende, der stadig vil være på markedet, fortsat vil have kapaciteten til at kunne opfylde behovet for godstransport, især hvis en af de to bliver forhindret i at betjene ruten.
In their opinion, the disappearance of SeaFrance would lead, on the one hand, to the emergence of an oligopoly on the cross-Channel transport market, with the consequence of a decline in the quality of the services and a rise in prices and, on the other hand, a risk regarding the capacity of the operators remaining on the market to cope with the passenger volume, especially in cases where one of them is unable to provide services.
Bemærkninger fra handels- og industrikammeret for Côte d'Opale
Comments from the Côte d’Opale Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Den 29. juli 2011 fremsendte handels- og industrikammeret for Côte d'Opale (i det følgende »CCI«) sine bemærkninger til Kommissionen.
By letter dated 29 July 2011, the Côte d’Opale Chamber of Commerce and Industry (hereinafter: ‘CCI’) communicated its comments to the Commission.
CCI beskriver sig selv som et offentligt organ, der skal fremme den økonomiske udvikling i regionen Nord Pas-de-Calais, gøre den mere tiltrækkende og støtte regionens virksomheder.
The CCI specifies that it is a public institution responsible for contributing to economic development, attractiveness and support of businesses in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region.
CCI har også koncession på og varetager driften af havnen i Calais.
The CCI is also the concessionaire of the Port of Calais and, in this capacity, runs the port.
CCI henleder opmærksomheden på den centrale rolle, som SeaFrance har spillet for udviklingen af havnen i Calais.
Firstly, the CCI recalls the key role played by SeaFrance in the development of the Port of Calais.
SeaFrance havde ultimo 2008 1600 ansatte, de fleste bosiddende i regionen Nord Pas-de-Calais.
At the end of 2008, the SeaFrance workforce comprised 1600 employees, most of whom lived in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region.
Selskabet bidrager også til havnens indtægter takket være serviceydelserne til skibe og godshåndtering.
It also contributes to the revenue received by the Port of Calais in respect of services to ships and goods services.
Ifølge CCI vil en lukning af SeaFrance i høj grad påvirke udviklingen af havnen i Calais på grund af nedlæggelsen af stillinger og reduktionen af de indtægter, som selskabet direkte og indirekte genererer.
According to the CCI, the disappearance of SeaFrance would have a significant impact on the development of the Port of Calais on account of the loss of jobs and of direct and indirect revenue generated by the company.
Regionen Nord Pas-de-Calais har ligeledes godkendt projektet »Port 2015«, der omfatter en havneudvidelse, opførelse af et nyt havnebassin og forbedring af de eksisterende strukturer.
The Nord Pas-de-Calais region has also approved the implementation of the ‘Port 2015’ project which provides for the extension of the port, the construction of a new sea dock and the improvement of the existing structures.
Projektet er baseret på aktivitetsprognoser, som risikerer at blive kraftigt forringet, hvis SeaFrance forsvinder.
This project is based on operational forecasts which risk being seriously affected in the event of the disappearance of SeaFrance.
CCI frygter desuden duopolet Eurotunnel-P&O, som vil få en negativ indvirkning på priser og tjenesteydelser, hvis SeaFrance forsvinder.
Furthermore, the CCI is worried about the emergence of a Eurotunnel-P&O duopoly which would have a negative impact on prices and services, if SeaFrance were to disappear.
CCI konkluderer, at det er vigtigt at bevare SeaFrances aktiviteter i det nuværende konkurrencemiljø, og så meget desto mere fordi trafikprognoserne, især for godstransport, er stigende.
The CCI concludes from this that keeping SeaFrance in operation is necessary in the present competitive context, particularly as the traffic forecasts are upwards, especially for freight transport.
Bemærkninger fra fagforbundet CFDT
Comments by the CFDT trade union
Den 29. juli 2011 fremsendte Syndicat Maritime Nord (i det følgende »SMN«), der er medlem af CFDT, sine bemærkninger til Kommissionen.
By letter dated 29 July 2011, the Syndicat Maritime Nord (hereinafter: ‘the SMN’), which belongs to the CFDT, communicated its comments to the Commission.
SMN understreger i første omgang, at SeaFrance siden oprettelsen i 1996 aldrig er blevet rekapitaliseret af sin eneaktionær, SNCF.
The SMN firstly stresses that since its creation in 1996, SeaFrance has never been recapitalised by its sole shareholder, the SNCF.
SeaFrance har derfor selv skulle afholde udgifter til at forny sin flåde, hvilket i høj grad har påvirket virksomhedens likviditet.
SeaFrance has therefore had to pay for the renewal of its fleet from its equity, which has had a considerable impact on the cash position of the company.
SMN gør opmærksom på forskellene mellem den britiske og den franske sociallovgivning (længere arbejdstid i Det Forenede Kongerige, som ikke helt udlignes af det lavere antal besætninger i Frankrig).
The SMN also points out the disparities existing between British and French social legislation (longer working hours in the United Kingdom not entirely offset by smaller crews in France).
På grund af forholdet mellem personale og omsætning understreger SMN, at SeaFrance ikke i praksis er tilbøjelig til at føre en lavprispolitik, men til gengæld tilbyder ydelser af høj kvalitet.
On account of the staff costs/turnover ratio, the SMN emphasises the fact that SeaFrance is not inclined to practise a low price policy and compensates for this by the quality of the services offered.
Da SeaFrance har en meget mindre markedsandel end de førende på markedet, både for så vidt angår gods- og passagertransport, har SeaFrance ingen større indflydelse på prisniveauet.
It also points out that in view of the market shares of SeaFrance, which are well below those of the market leaders, both in freight and in passenger transport, SeaFrance has little impact on prices.
Ifølge SMN har det britiske punds faldende kurs stadig negative følger, fordi udgifterne og især de tekniske udgifter så ofte som muligt afholdes i pund.
The SMN considers that the adverse impacts of the fall in sterling continue to decrease as expenses, and especially technical expenses, are as often as possible denominated in sterling.
SMN mener, at SeaFrance allerede har reduceret antallet af overfarter og transportkapaciteten kraftigt siden 2009 (-30 % for overfarter og -25 % i volumen), og at SeaFrance med de nuværende fire fartøjer har nået en mindstestørrelse, der gør det muligt at sikre en rotationshyppighed, som er tilstrækkelig til fortsat at være troværdig.
The SMN considers that SeaFrance has already made significant cuts in the number of crossings and the transport capacities since 2009 (– 30 % in frequency and – 25 % in volume) and with the 4 vessels currently operating, SeaFrance has reached the minimum size allowing it a sufficient rotation frequency to remain credible.
SMN gør endelig opmærksom på, at SeaFrances medarbejdere ikke vil kunne forstå det, hvis Kommissionen ikke tager hensyn til følgerne af omstruktureringerne, både for arbejdsvilkårene og for antallet af stillinger hos SeaFrance, men også for beskæftigelsen i Calais, der har en af de største arbejdsløshedsprocenter i Frankrig.
Finally, the SMN points out that the employees of SeaFrance would not understand the Commission not taking account of the consequences of the successive restructuring implemented, in terms of both working conditions and employment at SeaFrance, but also in the Calais employment area, which is one of the most stricken in France.
Generelle bemærkninger vedrørende SeaFrances problemer
Comments concerning the reasons for SeaFrance’s difficulties in general
Vedrørende SeaFrances vanskeligheder understreger de franske myndigheder, at oplysningerne fra P&O i vid udstrækning er forkerte.
Regarding the difficulties of SeaFrance, the French authorities point out that the information communicated by P&O is largely incorrect and that, contrary to the results of SeaFrance as presented by P&O — which contain errors for the years 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 (see recital 40), the cumulated losses of SeaFrance between 1996 and 2010 amount to EUR – 151,4 million and not EUR – 169 million.
I strid med P&O's tal for SeaFrances resultater — der er forkerte for 2002, 2004, 2005 et 2006 (se betragtning 39)) — ligger SeaFrances tab mellem 1996 og 2010 på 151,4 mio. EUR og ikke 169 mio. EUR. De franske myndigheder har medsendt nedenstående tabel og her korrigeret fejlene i den tabel, som P&O har vedlagt sin klage:
The French authorities communicated the following table, rectifying the errors appearing in the table drawn up by P&O in its complaint:
Overskud/tab for SeaFrance [27]
Profits/losses of SeaFrance [27]
De franske myndigheder kan ikke tilslutte sig P&O's beskrivelse af årsagerne til SeaFrances problemer, såsom værdien af goodwillen, SeaFrances ry, at markedsandelen for gods skulle være faldet betydeligt på grund af navnlig de hyppige driftsafbrydelser og markedets kendskab til SeaFrances problemer (se betragtning (41)).
The French authorities dispute the reasons for the difficulties of SeaFrance put forward by P&O, i.e. that the value of the goodwill, reputation and market share of SeaFrance concerning freight has declined significantly on account, in particular, of the frequent interruptions in service and market awareness of SeaFrance’s difficulties (see recital 42).
De gør opmærksom på bemærkningerne fra SeaFrances kunder, der understreger kvaliteten af selskabets ydelser og de seneste års fremskridt med at forbedre denne kvalitet (se betragtning 85)-89)).
They counter this with the observations of SeaFrance customers which underline the quality of the services provided by the company and the progress achieved in recent years to improve the quality of the services supplied (see recitals 85 to 89).
Som svar på argumentet fra SeaFrances konkurrenter om, at virksomheden skulle have for mange ansatte, erindrer de franske myndigheder om, at SeaFrance har reduceret antallet af ansatte kraftigt og således nedlagt næsten 725 stillinger. Derved vil forholdet mellem personaleudgifter og omsætning ligge på 26 % i 2013.
In response to the argument of the competitors of SeaFrance that the company workforce is too large, the French authorities point out that SeaFrance undertook a significant reduction in the workforce, as a result of which nearly 725 jobs were cut, this drastic measure being designed to enable a staff costs/turnover ratio of 26 % to be restored in 2013.
Dette forhold vil fortsat være lidt højere end hos Eurotunnel og Irish Ferries.
This ratio would remain slightly higher than those obtained by Eurotunnel and Irish Ferries.
Men SeaFrances aktiviteter adskiller sig i høj grad fra Eurotunnels og dette selskabs forhold mellem personaleudgifter og omsætning på 22,5 % i 2010, og man kan ikke forvente, at SeaFrance, der sejler under fransk flag, kan opnå samme lave forholdsprocent som Irish Ferries, hvis skibe sejler under cypriotisk flag.
However, the activities of SeaFrance will be quite significantly different in their implementation from those of the Channel Tunnel operator, whose ratio stood at 22,5 % in 2010, and it is inconceivable, under the French flag, for SeaFrance to manage to achieve such a low ratio as Irish Ferries, whose vessels are apparently under the Cypriot flag.