natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
På baggrund af disse faktiske forhold konkluderer Kommissionen, for så vidt angår salgsgenstanden, at overtagelsen vedrører næste alle CVSL's aktiver (herunder udestående ordrer), alle arbejds- og ansættelseskontrakter indgået af det konkursramte selskab og gældende den 30. september 2008 samt brug af varemærker og intellektuelle ejendomsrettigheder.
To this end, the periods during which CVSL and VSL can be considered undertakings in difficulty should first be determined.
Kommissionen finder således, at de overtagne aktiviteter har haft samme omfang som CVSL's aktiviteter, og at overtagelsen ikke blot omfattede CVSL's aktiviteter, men også de aktiver i VSLI, der er nødvendige for at videreføre krystalfremstillingsaktiviteten.
Moreover, for Measure 3, granted in September 2008, it is also necessary to establish whether there was economic continuity between the bankrupt CVSL and the activities sold to the buyers, who established VSL, in order to ascertain whether VSL benefited from advantages related to the granting of this measure.
Vurdering af overførslens pris
The conclusions of this analysis have consequences for the analysis of the compatibility of Measures 3 and 1.
For at fastslå, om der var økonomisk kontinuitet efter salget af CVSL's aktiver, skal det undersøges, om dette salg er sket til markedspris.
Eligibility of VSL and CVSL under the Guidelines
Denne betingelse finder samme anvendelse på materielle og immaterielle aktiver.
The periods during which CVSL and VSL could be considered undertakings in difficulty must be determined.
De belgiske myndigheder har påpeget, at det afgørende kriterium for realiseringen af aktiverne ifølge belgisk konkursret er kriteriet om kreditorernes interesse.
In their comments, the Belgian authorities do not contest that CVSL was an undertaking in difficulty when the guarantee was granted in September 2008 (Measure 3) but, according to them, this intervention benefited CVSL and not VSL.
I henhold til § 75, stk. 3, i den belgiske konkurslov, kan kreditorerne eller skyldneren gøre indsigelse mod realisering af aktiver, hvis de mener, at den påtænkte realisering kan skade deres interesser.
Moreover, they consider that VSL can be classified as an undertaking in difficulty only after 8 February 2012, the date on which the request for judicial reorganisation was filed.
De belgiske myndigheder har understreget, at den offentlige garantistillelse på 150000 EUR netop var begrundet i ønsket om at opretholde aktiviteten og maksimere salgsprisen ved afhændelsen af aktiverne.
Prior to this, VSL could not be classified as an undertaking in difficulty, according to them, because it was a newly created company and was benefiting from the unconditional support of its majority shareholder, namely CFC, in accordance with points 10 and 11 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines and the Commission's decision-making practice.
Kuratorerne modtog 36 tilbud og udvalgte 12 tilbud i den første fase.
With regard to Measures 5, 6 and 8, the Belgian authorities refer to the Saab decision [22] to justify that VSL was not in difficulty.
Der blev etableret et datarum med alle oplysningerne om CVSL.
In particular, they produced a schedule of accounts listing the financial flows between VSL and its majority shareholder CFC in order to demonstrate that CFC's behaviour can, in fact, be likened to that of General Motors, which continued to support its subsidiary Saab with capital injections and liquidity in order to cover its losses, leading the Commission to rule out the possibility that Saab was an undertaking in difficulty within the meaning of the Guidelines (cf. recital 59 of the Decision).
Udbuddet omfattede tilsyneladende alle aktiverne uden forudgående udskillelse af grupper af aktiver.
Since 25 May 2009, in addition to the capital transferred at the time of the takeover, CFC has injected more than EUR 8 million into the company, demonstrating that VSL could not be considered — in the initial period following the liquidation of CVSL's assets — an undertaking in difficulty on the basis of points 12 and 13 of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines.
Kommissionen konstaterer, at denne procedure først og fremmest gjorde det muligt at maksimere salgsprisen for alle CVSL's aktiver.
In fact, during this period, VSL's majority shareholder was able to support it through regular contributions, thus demonstrating that VSL's difficulties could be covered by its majority shareholder.
To elementer foranlediger imidlertid Kommissionen til at mene, at udbuddet ikke i sig selv er tilstrækkelig til at sikre, at den pris, som køberne tilbyder for aktiverne, svarer til markedsprisen.
Consequently, from January 2009 to February 2012, the Commission considers that VSL did not meet the criteria of an undertaking in difficulty within the meaning of the Guidelines.
Salget af CVSL's aktiver var betinget af overtagelsen af alle ansættelseskontrakterne.
However, VSL had been undergoing a further judicial reorganisation since February 2012.
Dette salg var således ikke betingelsesløst, og denne forpligtelse kan have fået salgsprisen til at falde.
Moreover, the Belgian authorities demonstrated that CFC was no longer able to support its subsidiary as it had done until that point.
Endelig er den eksklusive licens på brugen af varemærkerne også underlagt en række betingelser, som en privat investor ikke ville have pålagt.
The opening decision noted that CFC's liquidity was EUR 1,26 million and, consequently, granting VSL an equivalent amount (the minimum necessary for its rescue) would have taken up nearly all of its funds.
Disse betingelser, der er fastfast ud fra politiske hensyn, kan have fået salgsprisen til at falde og afskrækket andre potentielle købere, således at konkurrencevilkårene i forbindelse med udbuddet fordrejes, og det højeste tilbud ikke afspejler den faktiske markedsværdi [25].
Consequently, VSL must be considered an undertaking in difficulty within the meaning of point 10(c) of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines from the time that the rescue aid (Measure 1) was granted in April 2012.
På baggrund af disse faktiske omstændigheder finder Kommissionen ikke, at kriteriet om overførslens pris er opfyldt.
To sum up, the Commission considers that CVSL was in difficulty from 11 August 2008 (when it was declared bankrupt) until the end of November 2008 (when VSL was set up).
Vurdering af kriteriet om transaktionens økonomiske følgerigtighed
VSL had to be considered an undertaking in difficulty from 9 February 2012 (date of the judicial reorganisation procedure) until the judgment on 14 October 2013 (date bankruptcy was declared).
Hensigten med kriteriet om transaktionens økonomiske følgerigtighed er at verificere, om køberen af aktiverne anvender de overdragne aktiver på samme måde som overdrageren med henblik på at videreføre den samme økonomiske aktivitet.
Consequently, CSL and VSL were enterprises in difficulty when Measures 1 and 3 were granted.
Ifølge de belgiske myndigheders opfattelse fulgte VSL en helt anden logik end sine forgængere, navnlig ved at knytte ejendomsprojektet Cristal Park til overtagelsen af krystalglasfabrikkens aktiviteter.
An analysis of their compatibility must therefore be conducted on the basis of the Guidelines.
I denne forbindelse bemærker Kommissionen, at de belgiske myndigheder ikke har påvist en direkte sammenhæng fra oktober 2008 mellem overtagelsen af CVSL og Cristal Park-projektet.
Compatibility of the aid (Measures 1 and 3)
De ældste dokumenter vedrørende Cristal Park-projektet, som de belgiske myndigheder har fremsendt, går kun tilbage til 2011.
Measure 1: rescue aid on 3 April 2012
Kommissionen bemærker, at køberne under alle omstændigheder har købt firmamærket med henblik på fortsat brug og alle aktiverne og produktionsmidlerne.
Belgium considers that this aid is compatible on the basis of the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines.
Selskabets formål som anført i stiftelsesdokument for VSL af 20. november 2008 ligger rent faktisk meget tæt på CVSL's formål.
The Commission considers, however, that the ‘one time, last time’ principle laid down in points 72 et seq. of the Guidelines has not been complied with.
VSL's formål er rent faktisk at videreføre CVSL's krystalfremstillingsaktivitet med samme personale og produktionsmidler.
VSL received incompatible rescue aid in September 2008 (cf. recital 141).
Garantien er i øvrigt stillet med henblik på at opretholde aktiviteten.
It could not, therefore, receive further rescue aid before 2018.
Af ovennævnte grunde konkluderer Kommissionen således, at der er økonomisk kontinuitet mellem CVSL og VSL.
Moreover, the Belgian authorities confirmed that the EUR 1 million loan was covered by a statement of claim to the insolvency administrators on 5 November 2013, to the benefit of Sogepa.
Overtagelsen af alle produktionsmidlerne (til en pris underlagt betingelser, som ikke afspejler den faktiske markedspris), ansættelseskontrakter og eksklusiv og ubegrænset brug af varemærkerne med henblik på fremstilling af krystalvarer er et afgørende indicium for at fastslå, at der er økonomisk kontinuitet.
This claim was recorded in VSL's liabilities and has not been repaid to date.
Belgien har ikke begrundet foreneligheden af disse foranstaltninger i sine bemærkninger til indledningsafgørelsen, og Kommissionen ligger ikke inde med oplysninger, der gør det muligt at konkludere, at en af undtagelserne i artikel 107, stk. 2 og 3, i TEUF kan anvendes.
Measure 3: the guarantee of EUR 150000
Kommissionen finder således, at denne støtte er uforenelig med fællesmarkedet.
The Commission considered in section 5.2.1 that CVSL was an undertaking in difficulty at the time the guarantee was granted.
Tilbagebetaling
The element of aid resulting from the free granting of the guarantee could thus be declared compatible only if it meets the conditions set out in the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines.
Kommissionen gør opmærksom på, at enhver ulovlig støtte, som er uforenelig med det indre marked, skal tilbagesøges hos modtageren i henhold til artikel 14, stk. 1, i forordning (EF) nr. 659/1999 [26].
And yet, as has been seen, the guarantee was granted without remuneration.
I den foreliggende sag følger det af ovenstående betragtninger, at følgende foranstaltninger omfatter elementer af støtte, både ulovlig og uforenelig støtte, og støtten skal tilbagesøges, hvis den er blevet stillet til rådighed for VSL:
Point 25(a) of the Guidelines states that liquidity support in the form of loan guarantees must be granted at ‘an interest rate at least comparable to those observed for loans to healthy firms …’.
Foranstaltning 1: Lån med rentegodtgørelse på 1 mio. EUR ydet til VSL den 3. april 2012 af regionen Vallonien, repræsenteret ved Société Wallonne de Gestion et de Participations (»SOGEPA«)
Moreover, the Belgian authorities, despite a specific request for information on this point, have not provided details on whether the obligation to end the guarantee after 6 months (point 25(a) of the Guidelines) was met.
Hele lånet udgør støtte.
In the light of the above, the Commission considers that the aid resulting from the free granting of the guarantee cannot be considered rescue aid compatible with the common market, nor can it be declared compatible on other bases.
De 400000 EUR blev ydet på datoen for indgåelse af låneaftalen.
Consequently, Measure 3 is incompatible rescue aid granted in 2008 prior to CVSL's takeover and it is therefore necessary to establish whether there was economic continuity between the bankrupt CVSL and the activities transferred to the buyers who established VSL, in order to determine whether VSL benefited from advantages relating to the granting of this measure.
De resterende 600000 EUR blev ydet på et senere tidspunkt, som de belgiske myndigheder ikke har oplyst.
Assessment of the presence of economic continuity between CVSL and VSL
Foranstaltning 2: Omstruktureringsstøtte i form af en forlængelse af løbetiden for lånet på 1 mio. EUR
In the opening decision, the Commission queried whether or not economic continuity had been established between CVSL and VSL, in other words, whether the advantages resulting from the granting of the guarantee of EUR 150000 in September 2008 had been passed on to the buyers of CVSL who established VSL.
Denne foranstaltning er ikke blevet gennemført, og det er således ikke relevant at tilbagesøge støtten.
The conclusions of this analysis depend both on identifying the company which would have to repay any incompatible unlawful aid, and on an analysis of the compatibility of Measure 1, in particular with regard to the ‘one time, last time’ principle.
Foranstaltning 3: Garanti på 150000 EUR stillet af SOGEPA den 24. september 2008 over for CVSL's kurator
In this regard, the Belgian authorities consider that this measure benefited CVSL and not VSL and that there was a break in economic continuity between CVSL and the buyers.
Denne garanti omfatter et støtteelement, eftersom betalingen ikke svarer til markedsprisen.
According to case law, the recovery obligation may be extended to a new company to which the beneficiary company has transferred its assets where that transfer permits the conclusion that there is an economic continuity between the two companies [23].
Støtteelementet beregnes på grundlag af metoden anført i denne afgørelse.
Extension of the repayment obligation to another entity cannot be ruled out, provided it is established that this entity is effectively benefiting from the aid in question, due to an economic continuity between the two.
Foranstaltning 4: Aftale om overdragelse og brug af varemærkerne Val Saint-Lambert indgået den 29. januar 2009 mellem CFV og VSL
According to the judgment of the Court of Justice of 8 May 2003 in Joined Cases C-328/99 and C-399/00 Italy v Commission [24], the economic continuity between the original company and new structures is assessed by means of a number of factors: in particular the purpose of the sale (assets and liabilities, continuity of the workforce, bundled assets), the transfer price, the identity of the shareholders or owners of the new company, the moment at which the transfer was carried out (after the start of the investigation, the initiation of the formal investigation procedure or the final decision) and, lastly, the economic logic of the transaction.
Foranstaltningen vedrørende overdragelse af varemærkerne er ikke blevet gennemført, og det er således ikke relevant at tilbagesøge støtten.
Assessment of the criterion of the purpose of the sale (assets and liabilities, continuity of the workforce, bundled assets)
Dette lån omfatter et element af støtte til VSL, der svarer til differencen mellem markedsrenten og renten på lånet, dvs. 1,07 %, (5,77 % – 4,7 %) = 16050 EUR pr. år.
By way of introduction, the Belgian authorities pointed out that CVSL's assets had been distributed among several companies (the parent company VSLI, VSLI SARL in France and CVSL).
Denne støtte er ulovlig og skal således tilbagebetales.
To facilitate the takeover, on 23 October 2008 the insolvency administrators concluded a transaction agreement to transfer assets shared between these different companies into the hands of the failed company.
Foranstaltning 6: Kapitalforhøjelse på 1,5 mio. EUR i VSL gennemført af regionen Vallonien den 17. marts 2011
According to the Memorandum of Understanding of 1 October 2008 and the takeover agreement of 31 August 2009, VSL took over all the assets belonging to CVSL, excluding current assets: the buildings in which CVSL's workshops were housed and the storage areas, the land on which they were built, CVSL's equipment and stock-in-trade i.e. production tools, moulds, patents and possible sub-brands that belonged to CVSL on that date, orders under way, and stock, including that sold to Val Saint-Lambert International SARL, a company incorporated under French law, which the insolvency administrators had undertaken to make available to the buyers.
Hele denne kapitalforhøjelse udgør støtte, eftersom kapitalforhøjelsen ikke opfylder kravet til den handlemåde, som en privat investor ville have fulgt.
Part of the assets that belonged to VSLI was also sold, i.e. the trade marks, designs and models and other intellectual property (the items referred to in the agreement signed on 5 October 2005 and including plans, moulds, designs, sketches, …, the built and non-built immovable assets owned by VSLI at Seraing, stocks of VSL products, the business premises at Seraing (showroom), the stocks at sales outlets in Seraing and Brussels (Sablon).
Foranstaltning 8: Delforanstaltning vedrørende vederlagsfri tilrådighedsstillelse af en del af anlægsområdet »Cristalleries du Val Saint-Lambert«
Full ownership of the leased production tools (cutting machine, furnace and furnace nose) was also transferred to VSL.
Aftalen om midlertidig tilrådighedsstillelse af en del af anlægsområdet »Cristalleries du Val Saint-Lambert« indgået den 11. december 2012 mellem SPAQuE og VSL giver VSL en fordel i form af den lejeindtægt, som SPAQuE frivilligt har givet afkald på.
Releasing CVSL from all responsibility, VSL undertook to continue all the work and employment contracts signed by VSL that were current on 30 September 2008.
Det præcise støttebeløb beregnes som angivet i betragtning 123.
VSL also undertook to continue the individual, collective and social agreements that had been concluded, merely reserving the right to jointly renegotiate some of their terms should the new circumstances so require.
Med henblik på denne tilbagesøgning skal de belgiske myndigheder desuden tillægge støttebeløbet renter fra den dato, den omtvistede støtte blev stillet til rådighed for virksomheden, og indtil den er tilbagebetalt i overensstemmelse med kapitel V i Kommissionens forordning (EF) nr. 794/2004 [27].
Finally, VSL also took over a liability of EUR 280000 resulting from CFV's sale of CVSL's intellectual rights.
KONKLUSIONER
In accordance with the agreement of 29 January 2009 between Compagnie financière du Val SL and VSL, VSL replaced Interagora SA and took over the commitments it had made to CFV in an agreement dated 5 October 2005.
Kommissionen fastslår, at Belgien ulovligt har iværksat en række foranstaltninger i strid med artikel 108, stk. 3, i traktaten om Den Europæiske Unions funktionsmåde.
Through this agreement, CFV had transferred to Interagora SA all the trade marks, designs and models relating directly or indirectly to CVSL.
Der er tale om følgende foranstaltninger: redningsstøtte på 1 mio. EUR (foranstaltning 1), garanti på 150000 EUR (foranstaltning 3), overdragelse og brug af varemærkerne Val Saint-Lambert (foranstaltning 4), lån på 1,5 mio. EUR (foranstaltning 5), kapitalforhøjelse på 1,5 mio. EUR (foranstaltning 6) og SPAQuE's vederlagsfri tilrådighedsstillelse af visse bygninger for VSL. (omfattet af foranstaltning 8).
EUR 280000 of the agreed price remained unpaid.
Ved brev af 18. juni 2014 gav de belgiske myndigheder Kommissionen tilladelse til at vedtage og meddele denne afgørelse udelukkende på fransk —
The takeover of CVSL's assets was approved by Liège Commercial Court on 20 October 2009.
Følgende foranstaltninger: redningsstøtte på 1 mio. EUR (foranstaltning 1), garanti på 150000 EUR (foranstaltning 3), overdragelse og brug af varemærkerne Val Saint-Lambert (foranstaltning 4), lån på 1,5 mio. EUR (foranstaltning 5), kapitalforhøjelse på 1,5 mio. EUR (foranstaltning 6) og SPAQuE's vederlagsfri tilrådighedsstillelse af visse bygninger for VSL (omfattet af foranstaltning 8) indebærer elementer af støtte, som Belgien ulovligt har iværksat i strid med artikel 108, stk. 3, i traktaten om Den Europæiske Unions funktionsmåde, og som er uforenelige med det indre marked.
In the light of these facts, the Commission has come to the following conclusion with regard to the purpose of the sale: the takeover related to almost all of CVSL's assets (including orders commenced), all work and employment contracts signed by the bankrupt company and in effect on 30 September 2008, and the use of trade marks and intellectual rights.
I overensstemmelse med artikel 8, stk. 2, i forordning (EF) nr. 659/1999 har Belgien trukket sin anmeldelse vedrørende foranstaltning 2 (omstruktureringsstøtte) tilbage efter afgørelsen om indledning af den formelle undersøgelsesprocedure.
Consequently, the Commission notes that the scope of the activities taken over was the same as that of CVSL and that the scope of the takeover went even beyond CVSL to include the assets of VSLI which were necessary to continue crystal production.
Artikel 2
Assessment of the sale price
De beløb, der skal tilbagebetales, forrentes fra den dato, hvor de er stillet til rådighed for støttemodtageren, og indtil deres faktiske tilbagebetaling.
This condition applies both to tangible and intangible assets.
Renten tilskrives med renters rente i overensstemmelse med kapitel V i forordning (EF) nr. 794/2004 og Kommissionens forordning (EF) nr. 271/2008 [28] om ændring af forordning (EF) nr. 794/2004.
The Belgian authorities pointed out that, under Belgian bankruptcy laws, the determining factor when liquidating assets is that of the creditors' interest.
Artikel 3
Article 75(3) of the Bankruptcy Law enables the creditors or the bankrupt party to oppose the disposal of certain assets if they feel that the planned disposal might harm them.
Tilbagesøgningen af den i artikel 1 omhandlede støtte sker omgående og effektivt.
The Belgian authorities pointed out that the granting of the public guarantee of EUR 150000 was in fact motivated by a desire to maintain continuity of activity and make the most of the steps taken to sell assets.
Belgien efterkommer denne afgørelse senest fire måneder efter meddelelsen heraf.
The Commission notes that the sale of CVSL's assets took place via an open call for bids, managed by the insolvency administrators.
Artikel 4
Thirty-six bids were received by the insolvency administrators, who selected 12 at the end of an initial phase.
Belgien forelægger senest to måneder efter meddelelsen af denne afgørelse Kommissionen følgende oplysninger:
A data room of information on CVSL was organised.
det samlede beløb (hovedstol og renter), som støttemodtagerne skal tilbagebetale
The publicity apparently focused on all the assets, without any bundled assets having been defined in advance.
en detaljeret beskrivelse af, hvilke foranstaltninger der allerede er truffet eller er planlagt for at efterkomme afgørelsen
The Commission notes that this procedure would a priori enable the sale price of each of CVSL's assets to be maximised.
dokumentation for, at støttemodtageren har fået påbud om at tilbagebetale støtten.
However, two factors lead the Commission to consider that this procedure alone was insufficient to guarantee that the price offered by the buyers for the assets was the market price.
Belgien holder løbende Kommissionen orienteret om de nationale foranstaltninger, der træffes for at efterkomme denne afgørelse, indtil den i artikel 1 omhandlede støtte er fuldt tilbagebetalt.
The sale of CVSL's assets was conditional on taking over all the work contracts.
På Kommissionens anmodning giver Belgien omgående oplysninger om de planlagte eller allerede gennemførte foranstaltninger med henblik på at efterkomme denne afgørelse.
This shows that the sale was not unconditional and this obligation may have lowered the sale price.
Artikel 5
In exchange, the Walloon Region required compensation from VSL, as recorded in the novation agreement dated 29 January 2009 between the Walloon Region (represented by CFV) and VSL: ‘This licence for use may be cancelled at any moment, automatically and without notice by the Walloon Region should VSL (or its successors) be unable to demonstrate production on the Val Saint-Lambert site at Seraing of high added-value crystal products now in activity at a minimum 60 % of the full-time equivalent employment, excluding temporary lay-offs, existing on the day of CVSL's bankruptcy …’.
Denne afgørelse er rettet til Belgien.
The Commission notes that, in return for granting the exclusive licence, the Walloon Region imposed on VSL an obligation to maintain production at the Seraing site and to maintain a previously determined level of employment.