natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Alle tre datterselskaber var tabsgivende, da de blev solgt, og i årene forud for salget.
According to Points 38 to 42 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines, restructuring must be accompanied by compensatory measures in proportion to the distortive effects of the aid and, in particular, to the size and the relative importance of the beneficiary firm on its market.
De høje tab, som de tre solgte marine datterselskaber havde lidt, og den alvorlige fortsatte nedgang i Elan Brod d.o.o. viser dog, at afhændelserne under alle omstændigheder var nødvendige for igen at gøre selskabet levedygtigt og kan derfor ikke betragtes som kompenserende modydelser.
Point 40 of the Guidelines stipulates that compensatory measures should in particular take place in the market(s) where the firm will have a significant market position after restructuring.
Kommissionen konkluderer derfor, at Elans afhændelser og dets reduktion i antallet af medarbejdere og markedsføringsudgifterne ikke kan betegnes som kompenserende modydelser.
Slovenia claims that certain divestments carried out by Elan in 2009 and 2010 had a compensatory effect.
Da der ikke blev gennemført kompenserende modydelser, heller ikke i henhold til punkt 56 i rammebestemmelserne for redning og omstrukturering, som fastlægger, at betingelserne for godkendelse af støtte kan være mindre strenge i støtteberettigede områder med hensyn til modydelser, må Kommissionen konkludere, at rammebestemmelsernes krav ikke er opfyldt med hensyn til nødvendigheden af at gennemføre kompenserende modydelser.
With regard to Elan's winter sport division, Slovenia describes Elan as ‘one of last stand-alone winter sports hardgood brands’ and refers to it as ‘only a week [sic] competitor to much larger players in the market [36]’.
Da kravene til forenelig omstruktureringsstøtte i rammebestemmelserne er kumulative, kan anvendeligheden af rammebestemmelserne udelukkes, hvis kun ét krav ikke opfyldes.
The latter characterisation is, however, not in line with the description that Elan's current majority shareholder gives of the firm.
Kommissionen vurderer ikke, om de øvrige krav er opfyldt.
PDP points out that in 2010 Elan sold 448000 pairs of skis and 217000 snowboards, that Elan represented 13 % of global ski production and that it was the 7th global ski brand with the market share of its brand accounting for approximately 8 % of the global market.
På baggrund af ovennævnte konkluderes det, at foranstaltning 2 ikke kan betragtes som forenelig i medfør af rammebestemmelserne for redning og omstrukturering.
Slovenia does not propose any specific definition of the product or geographical market(s), in which Elan's winter sport division is active.
Forenelighed på andet grundlag
As detailed below, taking into account the information provided by Slovenia and keeping in mind considerations with respect to market definition from past merger practice [37], it has to be concluded that Elan did indeed hold considerable market shares at least in some of the relevant markets concerned.
Undtagelserne i artikel 107, stk. 2, i TEUF finder ikke anvendelse i den aktuelle sag, fordi foranstaltningen ikke har en social karakter, ikke er blevet givet til enkelte forbrugere, ikke har til formål at råde bod på skader, der er forårsaget af naturkatastrofer eller af andre begivenheder, og fordi den ikke er blevet givet til støtte for økonomien i visse af Forbundsrepublikken Tysklands områder, som er påvirket af Tysklands deling.
To assess the firm's relative importance in the markets in which it is active, the Commission has examined available evidence, including strategic documents drawn up by Elanitself.
Yderligere undtagelser er fastlagt i artikel 107, stk. 3, i TEUF.
Besides accessories, Elan manufactures in particular alpine skis and snowboards.
Det fremgår af artikel 107, stk. 3, litra a), i TEUF, at »støtte til fremme af den økonomiske udvikling i områder, hvor levestandarden er usædvanlig lav, eller hvor der hersker en alvorlig underbeskæftigelse«, kan betragtes som forenelig med det indre marked.
On the one hand these are sold as Elan branded products to retailers (hereinafter referred to as ‘the retail market’); on the other hand Elan acts as a so-called original equipment manufacturer and supplies skis and snowboards to other (rival) manufacturers (hereinafter referred to as ‘the OEM market’).
Elan er beliggende i en region, der er berettiget til støtte i medfør af artikel 107, stk. 3, litra a), i TEUF [41].
It should be noted that in case No COMP/M.3765 — AMER SALOMON the Commission considered in December 2005 for the purposes of that decision, inter alia, separate product markets for different types of winter sports hard goods, incl. separate relevant product markets for alpine skis, for snowboards and for the OEM market for alpine skis.
Foreneligheden af statsstøtte til støtteberettigede områder reguleres af regionalstøtteretningslinjerne [42].
The retail markets for winter sports hard goods were considered national, whereas the OEM markets were considered at least EEA wide in scope [38].
I henhold til regionalstøtteretningslinjerne må der i princippet kun ydes støtte til virksomheder, der ikke er kriseramte.
In its Development Plan Elan Ski OEM 2006-2010 the firm indicates its global market share of the 2005 OEM production of skis as 21 % and explains ‘[…]’ The firm's Development Plan Elan Sportartikel 2006-2010 indicates that Elan considered itself the worldwide leading producer of snowboards with a production output of 268000 in 2005, equalling a share of 16 %.
Elan var dog kriseramt, da foranstaltningen blev tildelt (se betragtning (74)).
The vast majority of this output concerns the OEM business, while 30000 snowboards were sold in 2005 under the Elan brand.
Foranstaltning 2 kan derfor ikke betragtes som forenelig regionalstøtte.
With regard to Elan brand skis the Development Plan Market and brand focused penetration strategy Elan Brand 2006-2010 indicates a worldwide market share of 7,5 %, ranking Elan No 7 in terms of market share.
I lyset at det ovenstående konkluderer Kommissionen, at støtten ikke er omfattet af undtagelsen i artikel 107, stk. 3, litra a), i TEUF.
However, the document highlights that the firm believed it could reach a position under the top 5 brands in the mid-term, explaining that […].
I artikel 107, stk. 3, litra b), i TEUF hedder det, at »støtte, der kan fremme virkeliggørelsen af vigtige projekter af fælleseuropæisk interesse eller afhjælpe en alvorlig forstyrrelse i en medlemsstats økonomi« kan betragtes som forenelig med det indre marked.
As the winter sport division accounts for the by far biggest part of Elan's revenue and given Elan's strong position detailed above, at least in certain sectors of the winter sports business, compensatory measures should in particular have taken place in this area.
Kommissionen bemærker, at den pågældende støtte ikke var udformet til at fremme virkeliggørelsen af vigtige projekter af fælleseuropæisk interesse, og Kommissionen har heller ikke fundet bevis for, at den er udformet til at afhjælpe en alvorlig forstyrrelse i den slovenske økonomi.
Examining the elements indicated by Slovenia as compensatory measures taken in the winter sport division, the only divestment was the sale of a [17,5 %-20 %] share of the capital that Elan held in its distribution Joint Venture partner Dal Bello Sports (hereinafter referred to as ‘Dal Bello’) in the US.
I lyset at det ovenstående konkluderer Kommissionen, at støtten ikke er omfattet af undtagelsen i artikel 107, stk. 3, litra b), i TEUF.
Elan's divestment was the consequence of the termination of the marketing and distribution Joint Venture with Dal Bello in North America.
Af artikel 107, stk. 3, litra d), i TEUF fremgår, at støtte til fremme af kulturen og bevarelse af kulturarven kan betragtes som værende forenelig med TEUF, når den ikke ændrer samhandels- og konkurrencevilkårene i Unionen i et omfang, der strider mod de fælles interesser.
Elan argues that the termination of the cooperation led to a decrease of Elan's sales in Canada and in the US and sees in this a ‘compensatory effect’.
Ingen af de øvrige retningslinjer og meddelelser gælder for den omhandlede foranstaltning.
Moreover, while the reduction of sales, leading to a decrease in the beneficiary's market share, may in other circumstances constitute a compensatory measure, the Commission notes that in the case at hand, the transaction concerned the retail market, which was previously considered national by the Commission [39], and that Elan's sales of skis were in any case only reduced in the North American market, but not in the European market(s) and therefore cannot compensate the distortions created in the EEA.
Den omhandlede støtte udgør således uforenelig statsstøtte.
Besides, the Joint Venture was active in the marketing and distribution of skis, and not their manufacturing.
TILBAGEBETALING
Elan's core activity is, however, the manufacturing of skis and snowboards.
I henhold til TEUF og Domstolens faste retspraksis er Kommissionen, når den har fundet støtte uforenelig med det indre marked, kompetent til at beslutte, at den pågældende stat skal ophæve eller ændre den [43].
Only divestitures in a beneficiary's main market can be considered as appropriate compensatory measures.
Ifølge Domstolens faste retspraksis har en stats forpligtelse til at ophæve den støtte, som Kommissionen anser for at være uforenelig med det indre marked, til formål at genetablere den tidligere situation [44].
Slovenia has also argued that the reduction of employees active in the production of skis and the decrease of its marketing investments could be considered as compensatory measures.
I den sammenhæng har Domstolen fastslået, at dette mål er nået, når modtageren har tilbagebetalt de beløb, der er tildelt som ulovlig støtte, hvorved den fordel fortabes, som selskabet har haft i forhold til sine konkurrenter på markedet, og den situation, der herskede på markedet, før støtten blev ydet, er genskabt [45].
However, as also evidenced by Elan's Long Term Plan and by its Rehabilitation Plan, these measures have to be seen as simple rationalisation measures aimed at cutting costs and increasing efficiency in order to regain financial viability.
I overensstemmelse med retspraksis hedder det i artikel 14 i procedureforordningen, at »I negative beslutninger om ulovlig støtte bestemmer Kommissionen, at den pågældende medlemsstat skal træffe alle nødvendige foranstaltninger til at kræve støtten tilbagebetalt fra støttemodtageren«.
The measures were not taken in order to reduce Elan's market presence or to offset any distortions of competition resulting from the aid received by Elan.
Eftersom den omhandlede foranstaltning udgør ulovlig og uforenelig støtte, skal støtten tilbagebetales for at genoprette markedssituationen fra før ydelsen af støtten.
In the marine sector, Slovenia argues that the following divestments had a compensatory effect: In 2009 Elan sold two companies involved in yacht chartering, Elan Yachting d.o.o. and Elan Marine Charter d.o.o.
Kapitaltilførslen udgjorde i alt 10 mio. EUR, hvoraf 5,924 mio. EUR blev tilført Elan Winter Sport, og 4,076 mio. EUR blev tilført Elan Marine.
The Commission recalls that, according to Point 40 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines, the compensatory measures should take place in particular in the market(s) where the firm will have a significant market position after restructuring.
Disse to selskaber blev dog fusioneret ind i moderselskabet Elan i juni 2010.
Write-offs and closure of loss-making activities which would at any rate be necessary to restore viability are not considered reduction of capacity for the purpose of the assessment of the compensatory measures.
Rente for tilbagebetaling beregnes fra den dato, hvor kapitalen faktisk blev stillet til rådighed for støttemodtageren, dvs. den 8. september 2008.
It needs to be kept in mind that the marine business does not constitute Elan's main activity.
KONKLUSION
The company generates a considerably higher share of its turnover in the winter sport division.
Kapitaltilførslen til fordel for Elan, som kapitalejerne traf beslutning om i januar 2007 (foranstaltning 1), udgør ikke statsstøtte, da kapitalejernes beslutning var i overensstemmelse med det markedsøkonomiske investorprincip.
According to the financial forecast for 2011, the total revenue of the marine division was expected to reach only EUR [20-24] million, compared to EUR [58-68] million in the winter sport division.
Kapitaltilførslen til fordel for Elan, som kapitalejerne traf beslutning om i august 2008 (foranstaltning 2), udgør statsstøtte.
Moreover, the winter sport division also received the bigger part (EUR 5,924 million) of the EUR 10 million capital injection into Elan.
Statsstøtten er ikke forenelig med det indre marked.
In the light of Point 40 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines it appears doubtful, if divestments in the marine division could at all be considered appropriate compensatory measures since, as also further detailed below, the marine business is not the market where the firm has the most significant market position after restructuring.
Den opfylder ikke kravene i rammebestemmelserne for redning og omstrukturering.
In order to fully appreciate the arguments presented by Slovenia the Commission has nevertheless examined to which extent Slovenia could argue that appropriate compensatory measures were taken in the marine business.
Heller ingen af bestemmelserne i artikel 107, stk. 2 og 3, i TEUF opfyldes.
Before the restructuring Elan's maximum production capacity amounted to [280-330] sailing boats and [45-55] motor boats.
Kapitaltilførslen på 10 mio. EUR skal derfor tilbagesøges fra Elan sammen med renter —
Slovenia does not propose any specific definition of the marine product or geographic market(s), in which its relative importance could be measured.
VEDTAGET DENNE AFGØRELSE:
In its submissions it speaks of a reduction of Elan's presence in the ‘pleasure and sporting boat market’, at the same time referring to its withdrawal from the ‘motor boat market segment’.
Artikel 1
However, the analysis of available documents, including strategic documents drawn up by Elan itself, dealing with the competitive position of Elan's marine division provide further insights into the relative importance of the firm on the marine market.
Kapitaltilførslen i januar 2007 udgør ikke statsstøtte som defineret i artikel 107, stk. 1, i traktaten om Den Europæiske Unions funktionsmåde.
The Development Plan Elan Marine Division 2006-2010 stated that the world market of all new boats was about EUR 25 billion, of which 80 % were power boats and 20 % sailing boats with the same ratio applying to Europe.
Artikel 2
Elan described the market as ‘highly fragmented’ and put the EU market share of its sail program at approximately [0-5] %, of its motor boat program at << 1 %.
Statsstøtteforanstaltningen til fordel for Elan i form af en kapitalforhøjelse på 10 mio. EUR i 2008 blev ulovligt tildelt af Slovenien i strid med artikel 108, stk. 3, i traktaten om Den Europæiske Unions funktionsmåde og er uforenelig med det indre marked.
The Development Plan did, however, point to the existence of different market segments characterised by different competitive conditions, including entry barriers.
Artikel 3
Elan's Long Term Plan of the Skimar Group 2008-2012 of June 2008 provided for a segmentation of the boat market by boat length and stated that competition was stiffest in the segment of small vessels (30 feet), whereas Elan manufactured and sold medium-category products of 30 to 50 feet in length and intended to develop new models […].
Slovenien tilbagesøger den i artikel 2 omhandlede støtte fra støttemodtageren Elan.
The clearest statement on Elan's market share in the segment in which it sees itself competing comes from a presentation of Elan's current majority shareholder PDP stating: ‘In 2010 Elan, in a segment of sailing boats between 32 and 60 ft (that represents 20 % of the nautical market) sold 122 boats, getting a 5,2 % market share.’
Der betales renter af de beløb, som skal tilbagebetales, fra den dato, hvor de blev stillet til rådighed for støttemodtageren (8.9.2008), frem til den dato, hvor de rent faktisk tilbagebetales.
It appears plausible that market segmentation uses criteria such as type of power (sail, motor) and size as a starting point.
Renten beregnes med renters rente i overensstemmelse med kapitel V i Kommissionens forordning (EF) nr. 794/2004 [46].
In the absence of an opposing view, for the purpose of this decision the Commission can accept PDP's assessment that Elan held a market share of > 5 % in the fragmented sailing boat market.
Slovenien indstiller alle resterende udbetalinger af den i artikel 2 omhandlede støtte med virkning fra datoen for vedtagelsen af denne afgørelse.
Based on the above, even if Elan's divestments in the marine division could be taken into account for the purpose of the Commission's compatibility assessment, within the marine sector any compensatory measures would have had to take place in the manufacturing of sailing boats, which was clearly the main activity of Elan's marine division and where, as discussed, the firm had a non-negligible share of the, according to Elan,‘highly fragmented market’.
Artikel 4
The divestment of the charter activities that were at most indirectly supporting Elan's sales of yachts, and the divestment of the motor boat production, a sector which Elan exited through the sale of Elan Brod d.o.o. altogether, are therefore not in line with Point 40 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines.
Tilbagesøgningen af den i artikel 2 omhandlede støtte iværksættes øjeblikkeligt og effektivt.
As far as motor boats are concerned, Elan only started producing such boats in the year 2002, intending to use the reputation gained in the sailing boat sector also for production of motor boats.
Slovenien sikrer, at denne afgørelse efterkommes senest fire måneder efter meddelelsen deraf.
However, sales peaked at 50 motor boats in 2006 and 2007 and then decreased to [25-29] boats in 2008 and only [7-9] boats in 2009.
Artikel 5
Also Submissions from Slovenia highlight the fact that Elan's shareholders and the banks considered the divested activities to be non-core activities [40].
Senest to måneder efter meddelelsen af denne afgørelse sender Slovenien følgende oplysninger til Kommissionen:
It should also be noted that the sale of Elan's subsidiaries was not meant to offset any distortions of competition.
det samlede beløb (hovedstol og renter), der skal tilbagesøges fra støttemodtageren
All three subsidiaries were loss making at the time of the sale as well as in the years prior to the sale.
en detaljeret beskrivelse af allerede trufne og planlagte foranstaltninger med henblik på at efterkomme denne afgørelse
Slovenia informed the Commission that the total (combined) net result of Elan Yachting d.o.o. and Elan Marine Charter d.o.o. was EUR – 157000 in 2007, EUR – 100000 in 2008 and EUR – 57000 in 2009.
dokumentation for, at støttemodtageren har fået påbud om at tilbagebetale støtten.
Also Elan Brod d.o.o. recorded losses during the entire period, namely EUR – 58000 in the year 2006, EUR – 436000 in 2007, EUR – 1 million in 2008 and EUR – 1,5 million in 2009.
Slovenien holder Kommissionen underrettet om fremskridtene med de foranstaltninger, der på nationalt plan træffes for at efterkomme denne afgørelse, indtil den i artikel 2 omhandlede støtte er fuldt tilbagebetalt.
In the light of these numbers Slovenia's statement that the companies were not structurally loss making appears to be a merely self-serving assertion.
Slovenien indsender på Kommissionens anmodning straks oplysninger om, hvilke foranstaltninger der allerede er truffet eller planlagt for at efterkomme afgørelsen.
As set out above, pursuant to the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines write-offs and closure of loss-making activities which would at any rate be necessary to restore viability are not considered reduction of capacity for the purpose of the assessment of the compensatory measures.
Slovenien sender tillige detaljerede oplysninger om, hvor store støttebeløb og renter støttemodtageren allerede har tilbagebetalt.
The high losses recorded by the three marine subsidiaries sold and the severe continuous downward trend of Elan Brod d.o.o. however highlight that the divestments were indeed at any rate necessary to restore viability and can also for this reason not be considered to qualify as compensatory measures.
Artikel 6
The Commission therefore concludes that Elan's divestments and its reduction of employees and of its marketing expenditure cannot be qualified as compensatory measures.
Denne afgørelse er rettet til Republikken Slovenien.
Since no appropriate compensatory measures were implemented, even taking into account Point 56 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines, which stipulates that the conditions for authorising aid may be less stringent in assisted areas as regards the implementation of compensatory measures, the Commission has to conclude that the requirement of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines are not met with regard to the necessity to implement appropriate compensatory measures.
Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den 19. september 2012.
As the requirements for compatible restructuring aid laid down in the Guidelines are cumulative, it is sufficient to exclude the applicability of the Guidelines if only one requirement is not met.
På Kommissionens vegne
The Commission does therefore not further assess whether the other requirements are met.
Næstformand
In light of the above, it is concluded that Measure 2 cannot be considered compatible according to the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines.
EUT C 223 af 18.8.2010, s. 8.
Compatibility on another basis
Se fodnote 1.
The exemptions in Article 107(2) of the TFEU do not apply in the present case because this measure does not have a social character, has not been awarded to individual consumers, is not designed to make good damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences and has not been awarded to the economy of certain areas of the Federal Republic of Germany affected by the division of that country.
Retningslinjer for statsstøtte med regionalt sigte for 2007-2013, EUT C 54 af 4.3.2006, s. 13.
Further exemptions are set out in Article 107(3) TFEU.
»Structural Adjustments 2010 and 2011«, Sloveniens regering, oktober 2009, s. 12, på: http://www.svrez.gov.si/fileadmin/svez.gov.si/pageuploads/docs/strukturne_prilagoditve/Structural_adjustmements_SLO_EN.pdf.
Article 107(3)(a) of the TFEU states that ‘aid to promote the economic development of areas where the standard of living is abnormally low or where there is serious underemployment’ may be declared compatible with the internal market.
I december 2009 havde PDP interesser i 10 slovenske selskaber, der tidligere var ejet af KAD, SOD og DSU; jf. »Who we are« — PowerPoint-præsentation af PDP indgivet af de slovenske myndigheder.
Elan is located in a region eligible for aid under Article 107(3)(a) of the TFEU [41].
Forretningshemmelighed.
Compatibility of state aid to assisted areas is regulated by the Regional Aid Guidelines [42].
Dokument af 30. maj 2006 udarbejdet af Elans direktion vedrørende kapitalforhøjelsen i Elans selskaber.
Under the Regional Aid Guidelines, State aid can in principle only be granted to companies that are not in difficulty.
Brev fra Elans direktion til KAD af 30. november 2006.
Elan was however in difficulties at the time the measure was granted (see recital (74)).
Se referat af det 134. møde i KAD's bestyrelse, 4. juli 2008, dagsordenens punkt 2, afsnit 2.
Therefore, Measure 2 cannot be considered as compatible regional aid.
Sag C-482/99.
In view of the above, the Commission concludes that the aid is not eligible for the derogation provided for in Article 107(3)(a) of the TFEU.
Frankrig mod Kommissionen (Stardust Marine), Sml. 2002 I, s. 4397.
Article 107(3)(b) of the TFEU states that ‘aid to promote the execution of an important project of common European interest or to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State’ may be declared compatible with the internal market.