natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
BEMÆRKNINGER FRA SPANIEN
The winner of the tender was expected to upgrade it with the necessary equipment, i.e. supply, install and activate the equipment.
GENERELLE BEMÆRKNINGER
In most tenders the organising authorities refer explicitly, through the definition of the object of the tender [25] and/or implicitly, in the description of the technical specifications or the equipment to be financed [26], to terrestrial technology and DTT.
I deres forsvar mod afgørelsen om indledning af undersøgelsesproceduren har Spanien og de selvstyrende regioner fremsat mange argumenter [31].
In the few cases where satellite technology is expressly mentioned, these references are to satellite dishes for the reception of the satellite signal on terrestrial towers [27] or equipment to access digital television in Area III [28].
De falder groft sagt i to kategorier.
Very few tenders for extension are technologically neutral and they do not exclude technologies other than DTT [29].
For det første hævder de spanske myndigheder, at der ikke er tale om statsstøtte, for da tjenesten er en tjenesteydelse af almen økonomisk interesse, udgør foranstaltningen ikke støtte, eftersom den falder ind under de offentlige TV-selskabers public service-opgave.
In total, in the years 2008-2009 almost EUR 163 million from the central budget (partly soft loans granted by MITyC to Autonomous Communities [30]), and EUR 60 million from the budgets of 16 Autonomous Communities investigated were invested in the extension to Area II.
Endvidere skaber den ikke nogen fordel.
In addition, town councils funded the extension for around EUR 3,5 million.
Disse argumenter opsummeres nedenfor.
As a second step after the extension of DTT to Area II, starting from the year 2009, some of the Autonomous Communities have been organising additional tenders, or have concluded relevant contracts without tenders, for the operation and maintenance of the equipment digitised and deployed during the extension.
INGEN STATSSTØTTE
Unlike the aid for switch-over, the latter measures constitute ongoing aid.
Tjenesteydelse af almen økonomisk interesse
As they are for the operation and maintenance of the terrestrial network as installed in Area II, these contracts are not technologically neutral either.
Vedrørende netoperatørerne leverer de ifølge de spanske myndigheder en tjenesteydelse af almen økonomisk interesse, jf. Altmark-dommen [32].
The total amount of funds granted through tenders for operation and maintenance (ongoing aid) in the years 2009-2011 was of at least EUR 32,7 million.
Da de selvstyrende regioner imidlertid er ansvarlige for foranstaltninger til at udvide dækningen, skal det i hvert enkelt tilfælde undersøges, om Altmark-dommen kan anvendes, og det er op til de selvstyrende regioner at bevise, at Altmark-betingelserne er opfyldt.
GROUNDS FOR INITIATING THE PROCEDURE
De mest detaljerede argumenter blev fremsat af Baskerlandet, der foretog digitalisering gennem et offentligt selskab, Itelazpi S.A. (i det følgende benævnt »Itelazpi«).
In the decision to initiate the procedure, the Commission noted, firstly, that the measure described seemed to meet all the criteria of Article 107(1) and could, therefore, be regarded as state aid.
Ingen fordel
As there are different levels in the broadcasting market, three categories of state aid recipients were identified in the opening decision:
Vedrørende hardwareleverandørerne anførte Spanien, at den kendsgerning, at de vandt udbuddene om levering af udstyr udelukkede, at der var tale om en selektiv fordel.
network operators, (ii) hardware suppliers participating in the tenders for supply of the equipment necessary for the extension and (iii) broadcasters of TV channels.
Vedrørende netoperatørerne hedder det, at skønt Abertis er den vigtigste operatør i område I og ejer 29 % af anlæggene i område II, der blev opgraderet, driver det ikke nettet i område II.
The Commission reached the preliminary conclusion that by financing the costs associated with the extension of the DTT platform, the scheme might have created a potential or actual distortion of competition between hardware providers active in different technologies and between the terrestrial and the satellite platforms.
Abertis ville derfor ikke have fordel af foranstaltningen som netoperatør.
The Commission, in its preliminary assessment, considered that the measure constituted state aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU and it did not see any grounds on which it could be compatible with the internal market, since no derogation seemed to be applicable.
Endvidere har de ingen indtægt, da TV-selskaber ikke betaler for levering af sendetjenester i område II.
GENERAL REMARKS
Med hensyn til DTT-selskaber hævder Spanien, at de undersøgte foranstaltningers indvirkning på TV-selskaber er næsten ikkeeksisterende.
In its defence to the opening decision, Spain and the Autonomous Communities have put forward numerous arguments [31].
Foranstaltningerne øgede ikke TV-selskabernes seertal sammenlignet med, da programmerne blev sendt analogt, da 2,5 % af befolkningen, der var målet for den udvidede dækning, allerede modtog jordsendt analog-TV.
Broadly speaking they fall into two categories.
Som følge heraf har foranstaltningerne ingen indvirkning på disse virksomheders økonomiske situation.
First, the Spanish authorities argue that there is no state aid involved, because as the service is an SGEI the measure does not constitute aid, as it falls under the public service remit of public broadcasting.
FORENELIGHED I HENHOLD TIL ARTIKEL 106, STK.
Moreover, it does not generate any advantage.
2, OG ARTIKEL 107, STK.
Secondly, even if there was any state aid, it would be compatible under Article 106(2) or Article 107(3)(c) given that (a) the analogue network already existed and, from an efficiency perspective, a mere upgrade of the existing infrastructure would be less costly than switching to a new platform;
3, LITRA c)
only the DTT technology would fulfil the necessary quality criteria and (c) the tenders were technologically neutral and other platform operators could have participated in the tendering.
Baskerlandets myndigheder anførte, at statsstøtten til Itelazpi er forenelig med det indre marked i medfør af bestemmelserne i artikel 106 i TEUF.
These arguments are summarised below.
I den forbindelse mener de, at foranstaltningen opfylder alle betingelser i beslutningen af 28. november 2005 om anvendelse af bestemmelserne i EF-traktatens artikel 86, stk. 2, på statsstøtte i form af kompensation for offentlig tjeneste ydet til visse virksomheder, der har fået overdraget at udføre tjenesteydelser af almindelig økonomisk interesse (i det følgende benævnt »artikel 86, stk. 2-beslutningen«) [33].
ABSENCE OF AID
Såfremt Kommissionen afgør, at de foranstaltninger, de spanske myndigheder har truffet til implementering af jordsendt digital-TV i område II, udgør statsstøtte, og at de ikke er forenelige med det indre marked i medfør af artikel 106 i TEUF, hævder Spanien, at de afgjort ville være forenelige med det indre marked, idet de har til formål at sikre, at der nås et mål af almen interesse (omstilling til digital TV-spredning), og at de således ville være omfattet af undtagelsen, jf. artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c), i TEUF.
Service of General Economic Interest (SGEI)
Effektivitetsargumenter
Regarding the network operators, according to the Spanish authorities they provide a service of general economic interest within the meaning of the Altmark judgement [32].
Ifølge Spanien er den nationale tekniske plan og den nationale overgangsplan ikke planer for dækningsudvidelse, da de kun vedrører overgangen i område I. Som sådan begrænser planerne ikke de teknologiske muligheder, der er tilgængelige for udvidelsen af dækningen.
However, as the Autonomous Communities are responsible for actions to extend coverage, the applicability of the Altmark judgment must be examined on a case-by-case basis and it is up to the Autonomous Communities to prove that the Altmark conditions had been fulfilled.
Rammeaftalerne har derimod ikke den samme lovgivningsmæssige status som planerne, og de er baseret på aftaler mellem de centrale og regionale myndigheder.
The most thorough arguments were those submitted by the Basque Country, which carried out digitisation through a public company, Itelazpi S.A. (hereinafter ‘Itelazpi’).
Ifølge Spanien vil de heller ikke udelukke brugen af satellit- og andre teknologier.
No advantage
Under alle omstændigheder blev dækningsudvidelsen og valget af teknologi foretaget af de selvstyrende regioner, normalt gennem en udbudsprocedure.
Concerning the hardware providers, Spain expressed the view that the fact that they won tenders for supply of equipment ruled out the existence of a selective advantage.
Et sådant udbud — gennemført af Castilla y Leon — var teknologisk neutralt, og alene afholdelsen af et sådant udbud beviser, at centralmyndighederne ikke krævede, at de selvstyrende regioner anvendte den jordbaserede teknologi.
As regards the network operators, although Abertis is the main operator in Area I and it owns 29 % of the sites in Area II which were upgraded, it does not operate the network in Area II.
Selv om der i nogle udbud afholdt andre steder faktisk henvises til bestemte tekniske elementer af den jordbaserede teknologi, forklares dette ved, at jordbaseret TV-spredning kræver visse elementer, som den satellitbaserede ikke kræver, og det var derfor nødvendigt at omtale dem for ikke at udelukke jordbaserede løsninger fra buddene.
Abertis would therefore not benefit from the measure as a network operator.
De spanske myndigheder henviser også til en feasibilityundersøgelse af leveringen af en universel DTT-tjeneste gennem forskellige teknologier (DTT og satellit), som blev foretaget af MITyC i juli 2007, dvs. før forslaget om støtte til at udvide DTT-dækningen.
Network operation is, instead, carried out by some regional operators, by the Autonomous Communities or by local councils, which simply rent Abertis' premises and installations.
Skønt myndighederne indrømmer, at undersøgelsen kun var et internt dokument, som ikke senere blev inddraget, understreger de ikke desto mindre, at de tog hensyn til de realistiske omkostninger ved at benytte enten DTT eller satellittransmission.
The Autonomous Communities and local councils do not compete with other network operators, and therefore they do not obtain a competitive advantage.
Undersøgelsens konklusioner var, at det ikke er muligt på forhånd at fastslå, hvilken teknologi der er mest effektiv eller billigst til at udvide dækningen af TV-signalet.
Moreover, they do not earn any revenue, as broadcasters do not pay for the provision of transmission services in Area II.
I stedet bør der vælges regionsvist, helst på grundlag af undersøgelser foretaget af den enkelte selvstyrende region med analyser af faktorer som topografi, geografisk befolkningsspredning og den eksisterende infrastrukturs tilstand.
As for the DTT broadcasters, Spain argues that the impact of the investigated measures on broadcasters is almost non-existent.
Kvalitetsmæssige krav
The measures did not increase broadcasters' audiences compared with when programmes were transmitted on analogue, as 2,5 % of the population targeted by the extended coverage already received analogue terrestrial television.
Der er fremsat to argumenter vedrørende kvalitet.
As a result, the measures have no impact on these businesses' finances.
For det første har jordsendte digitale free-to-air-TV-tjenester ikke været tilgængelige gennem satellitudsendelser i dette område.
COMPATIBILITY UNDER ARTICLE 106(2) AND 107(3)(c)
En overgang til satellitplatformen ville derfor betyde, at kunderne ville skulle betale for tjenesten.
The Basque Country authorities submitted that the state aid granted to Itelazpi is compatible with the internal market by virtue of the provisions of article 106 TFEU.
Ud over nationale kanaler skal de regionale kanaler også udsendes.
In this respect, they believe that the measure fulfils all the conditions of the Decision of 28 November 2005 on the application of Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty to state aid in the form of public service compensation granted to certain undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest (hereinafter ‘86(2) Decision’) [33].
DTT-teknologien giver hvert geografisk område mulighed for at modtage kanaler for det pågældende område.
In the event of the Commission deciding that the measures taken by the Spanish authorities with regard the deployment of digital terrestrial television in Area II constitute state aid, and that they are not compatible with the internal market in application of article 106 TFEU, Spain claims that they would certainly be compatible with the internal market insofar as their purpose is to ensure that an objective which is of community interest is achieved (the conversion to digital broadcasting), so they would benefit from the exemption provided for in Article 107(3)(c) TFEU.
På grundlag af de regionale og lokale kanaler tildeles jordsendt TV i hele Spanien i alt 1380 frekvenser, uden behov for tekniske begrænsninger og uden at udvide TV-spredningen ud over hver kanals målområde.
Efficiency arguments
Ifølge Spanien ville dette være umuligt for satellitnet, da de ikke giver mulighed for en geografisk afgrænsning og derfor ville skulle anvende et komplekst system med betinget adgang.
According to Spain, at national level the National Technical Plan and Transition Plan are not coverage extension plans since they refer only to the switchover in Area I. As such, the plans do not restrict the technology options available for the extension of coverage.
Det ville yderligere øge omkostningerne ved TV-spredning via satellit, og TV-selskaberne ville ikke være villige til at give adgang til deres kanaler uden at være sikre på, at den afgrænsning var mulig.
The framework agreements, on the other hand, do not have the same regulatory status as the Plans and they are based on agreements between the central and regional authorities.
Teknologisk neutralitet
Moreover, according to Spain, they would not exclude the use of satellite and other technologies.
Ifølge Spanien krævede de bilaterale aftaler mellem de centrale og regionale myndigheder ikke en særlig digitaliseringsteknologi.
In any event, the extension of coverage and the choice of technology were done by the Autonomous Communities, usually through tendering procedure.
De indførte blot overførsler til de selvstyrende regioner i overensstemmelse med digitaliseringsomkostningerne beregnet på grundlag af det, der blev betragtet som en effektiv referenceteknologi, nemlig DTT.
One such tender — carried out in Castilla y Leon — was technologically neutral and the mere fact that such a tender was held proves that the central authorities did not impose the terrestrial technology on the Autonomous Communities.
I den forbindelse skal der ifølge Spanien tages hensyn til, at 98,5 % af de spanske hjem på tidspunktet for udvidelsen modtog jordsendt digital-TV.
Even if some tenders held elsewhere do refer to certain technical elements of the terrestrial technology, this is explained by the fact that terrestrial broadcasting requires certain elements that satellite does not, and their insertion was necessary in order not to exclude terrestrial solutions from the tenders.
Vedrørende udbuddet i Cantabria, jf. afgørelsen om indledning af undersøgelsesproceduren, understreger de spanske myndigheder, at det udbud, Astra vandt, både inkluderede område II og III, dvs. sigtede mod en universel digital-TV-dækning i Cantabria.
The Spanish authorities also refer to a study into the feasibility of providing a universal DTT service through different technologies (DTT and satellite) carried out by the MITyC in July 2007, i.e. before proposing funding to extend DTT coverage.
Det ville have en dobbelt indvirkning på vurderingen af sagen.
Although the authorities admit that the study was only an internal document not later taken on board, they nevertheless emphasise that it took into account the realistic costs of using either DTT or satellite transmission.
For det første blev det cantabriske projekt en fiasko, da nogle af de største TV-selskaber efter tildelingen af kontrakten til Astra meddelte Astra og den cantabriske regering, at de ikke ville tillade, at deres indhold blev udsendt via satellit.
The conclusions of the study were that it is not possible to establish in advance which technology is more efficient or cheaper to extend the coverage of television signal.
Som følge heraf var det ikke længere så let at nå målet for planen.
Instead, a choice should be made on a region-by-region basis, preferably by means of studies carried out by the particular Autonomous Communities which analyse such factors as topography, territorial distribution of population and the state of the existing infrastructure.
For det andet var den vigtigste årsag til at ophæve kontrakten centralregeringens beslutning om at levere satellitdækning i hele område III i Spanien og ikke beslutningen om at give støtte fra centralregeringen til at udvide dækningen i område II.
Qualitative requirements
Endvidere blev kontrakten ophævet i november 2008, fordi det på det tidspunkt var tydeligt, at Astra ikke ville kunne opfylde sine forpligtelser.
Two qualitative arguments have been put forward.
Navnlig iværksatte Astra ikke det nødvendige arbejde til tiden og fik ikke tilladelser fra free-to-air-selskaber til at udsende deres kanaler.
Firstly, to date DTT free-to-air channels have not been available via satellite broadcast in this area.
I forbindelse med denne afgørelse er det cantabriske projekt kun relevant i den udstrækning, satellitplatformen kan anses for at være et gyldigt alternativ til den jordbaserede platform.
Switching to the satellite platform would therefore mean that customers would have to pay for the service.
I den henseende er ovenstående argumenter ikke relevante.
Secondly, apart from national channels, regional channels also need to be broadcast.
Ved valg af satellitplatformen til område III vedtog de spanske myndigheder en national plan og udstedte særlige forskrifter med krav til TV-selskaberne om indbyrdes at koordinere og udvælge en fælles satellitplatformsudbyder.
DTT technology allows each geographical area to receive the channels for that area.
En lignende ordning kunne også have været anvendt for område II.
On the basis of the regional and local channels, a total of 1380 frequencies are allocated to terrestrial television throughout Spain, without the need for any technical restrictions and without extending broadcasting beyond the target area of each channel.
De årsager, der angives til at ophæve kontrakten, efterlader ingen tvivl om, at satellitteknologi kan være en fornuftig platform for udsendelse af TV-signaler i område II.
According to Spain, this would be impossible for satellite networks as they do not provide the possibility of geographical delimitation and would therefore have to use a complex system of conditional access.
Endvidere er de blevet forkastet af en national ret i Spanien.
This would further increase the costs of satellite broadcasting, and broadcasters would not be willing to give access to their channels without being sure that delimitation is possible.
Ingen konkurrencefordrejning og ingen påvirkning af samhandelen
Technological neutrality
Vedrørende konkurrence mellem netoperatører gav Spanien udtryk for den holdning, at jordsendt TV og satellit-TV er to helt forskellige markeder, og at de undersøgte foranstaltninger derfor ikke fordrejer konkurrencen på de berørte markeder.
According to Spain, the bilateral agreements between the central and regional authorities did not impose a particular digitisation technology.
Spanien fastholder, at de undersøgte foranstaltninger ikke påvirker EU-markedet, da de er rettet mod beboere i et begrænset geografisk område.
They merely established transfers to the Autonomous Communities in line with the costs of digitisation, calculated on the basis of what was considered to be an efficient reference technology, i.e. DTT.
Eftersom det er lokale tjenester, vil foranstaltningen sandsynligvis ikke påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
In this respect it should be taken to consideration, according to Spain, that at the time of extension, terrestrial analogue television reached 98,5 % of Spanish homes.
ANVENDELSE AF DE MINIMIS-REGLEN
Concerning the tender in Cantabria referred to in the opening decision, the Spanish authorities emphasise that the tender won by Astra concerned both Areas II and III, i.e. was aimed at universal provision of digital television in Cantabria.
De spanske myndigheder gav også udtryk for, at de minimis-reglen, der blev indført ved Kommissionens forordning (EF) nr. 1998/2006 [34], om de minimis-støtte bestemt gælder for en betydelig del af støtten.
This would have a twofold impact on the assessment of the case.
Hardwaren blev indkøbt uafhængigt af hver enkelt selvstyrende region eller lokalt råd, og derfor bør de minimis-bestemmelserne analyseres på det niveau.
Firstly, the Cantabrian project became a failure when, after the award of the contract to Astra, some of the main broadcasters informed Astra and the Cantabrian government that they would not allow their content to be broadcast via satellite.
Da det nøjagtig beløb, der blev udbetalt, er kendt i disse tilfælde, hvilket også gælder for de indkøbte varer og tjenesteydelser, var støtten tilstrækkeligt gennemsigtig til, at bagatelgrænserne finder anvendelse.
As a result, the objective of the plan was no longer readily achievable.
LØBENDE STATSSTØTTE
Secondly, the main reason for termination of the contract was the decision of the central government to provide satellite coverage across the whole of Area III in Spain, and not the decision to provide funding from the central government to extend the coverage in Area II.
Drift og vedligeholdelse af transmissionscentrene falder ifølge de spanske centralmyndigheder uden for arbejdet med at udvide dækningen, som delvist blev finansieret af MITyC.
Furthermore, the contract was terminated in November 2008 because at this point in time it was obvious that Astra would not be able to comply with its obligations.
Ministeriet har ingen kompetence til at forlange, at råd eller selvstyrende regioner fortsætter drift og vedligeholdelse ud over den periode, som er inkluderet i udbuddene om dækningsudvidelse.
In particular, Astra did not undertake the necessary works on time and did not receive authorisations from free-to-air broadcasters to broadcast their channels.
Derfor kan det ikke helt udelukkes, at drift og vedligeholdelse af nogle centre måske afbrydes på grund af lokale budgetnedskæringer.
In the context of this decision, the Cantabria project is relevant only to the extent that the satellite platform can be considered to be a valid alternative to the terrestrial platform.
De årlige drifts- og vedligeholdelsesomkostninger blev foreløbigt vurderet af centralmyndighederne til 10 % af den oprindelige investering.
In this regard the above arguments are not pertinent.
I løbet af investeringen gav flere selvstyrende regioner mere detaljerede oplysninger om de midler, der blev brugt til drift og vedligeholdelse af DTT-nettet i område II.
When opting for the satellite platform for Area III, the Spanish authorities adopted a national plan and enacted a special regulation requiring broadcasters to coordinate among themselves and to select one common satellite platform provider.
BEMÆRKNINGER FRA INTERESSEREDE PARTER
A similar mechanism could also have been applied for Area II.
Generelle bemærkninger
The reasons given for the termination of the contract do not cast any doubt on the fact that satellite technology may be a valid platform for the transmission of TV signals in Area II.
Astra gentager sin tidligere holdning om, at foranstaltningerne, der førte til overgangen til jordsendt digital-TV, var en plan koordineret af centralregeringen, som blev gennemført af de regionale myndigheder.
Furthermore, they have been refuted by a national Court in Spain.
Selv om man antager, at statsstøtten til dækningsudvidelse blev udformet, organiseret og implementeret på regionalt plan, mener Astra dog, at den ville udgøre ulovlig og uforenelig støtte.
No distortion of competition and trade