natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Efter anmodning fra Kommissionen fremsender Østrig omgående oplysninger om, hvilke foranstaltninger der er truffet eller planlagt for at efterkomme afgørelsen.
For the reasons stated above, insofar as the technical support aid granted to undertakings active in the processing and marketing of agricultural products in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008 did not comply with the new conditions stipulated for this category of aid in the 2007-2013 Guidelines (i.e. aid for large undertakings, aid for first participation in fairs, an aid rate over 50 % for any service but consultancy services and participation in fairs over 50 % or compensation in kind) (recital 350, the Commission considers that such aid was incompatible with the common market pursuant to Article 87(3)(c) EC (now: Article 107(3)(c) TFEU).
Østrig giver tillige detaljerede oplysninger om de støttebeløb og renter, støttemodtagerne allerede har tilbagebetalt.
For measures other than those referred to in the recital above the compatibility criteria have not changed as compared to the 2000-2006 Guidelines.
Artikel 8
Reference is made to the compatibility assessment in recital 328 and following.
Denne afgørelse er rettet til Republikken Østrig.
These measures are therefore compatible.
Udfærdiget i Bruxelles, den 7. april 2016.
PARAFISCAL LEVIES AND HYPOTHECATION OF THE AID
På Kommissionens vegne
Since the measures object of the present decision are financed by a parafiscal charge, the Commission must examine both the measures financed, i.e. the aid actually awarded, and the way it is financed.
Medlem af Kommissionen
According to a settled jurisprudence of the Court of Justice, where the method of financing the aid, in particular through compulsory contributions, forms an integral part of the aid measure, the Commission must take that method of financing into account when examining the aid [102].
Opfordring til at fremsætte bemærkninger efter artikel 108, stk. 2, i traktaten om Den Europæiske Unions funktionsmåde vedrørende statsstøttesag nr. SA.15836 af 12.6.2012, C(2012) 3760 final (EUT C 301 af 5.10.2012, s. 22).
For a tax or part of a tax to be considered as forming an integral part of an aid measure, it must be hypothecated to the aid measure under the relevant national rules, in the sense that the revenue from the tax must be necessarily allocated for the financing of the aid measure [103] and the amount of the tax should have a direct impact on the amount of State aid [104].
Domstolens dom af 27. oktober 2011, Østrig mod Scheucher-Fleisch m.fl., C-47/10 P ECLI:EU:C:2011:698.
PERIOD 1995-2001
Rettens dom af 18. november 2009, Scheucher-Fleisch m.fl. mod Kommissionen, T-375/04, ECLI:EU:T:2009:445.
According to recital 235 of the opening decision, the application of these criteria to the measures under examination led the Commission to the following, preliminary conclusions: the first criterion appeared to be fulfilled since according to the Austrian authorities the collected levies exclusively benefited the aid measures covered by the decision (see recital 53).
Den samme argumentation anvendes i en juridisk udtalelse tilknyttet indgivelsen af oplysninger af 26.2.2015.
As regards the question whether the amount of the levy had a direct impact on the amount of State aid, at the stage of the opening decision the Commission did not possess all the necessary information to assess whether this criterion was fulfilled.
AMA-foranstaltningerne vedrørende kvalitets- og økomærket gennemført siden 26.9.2002 efter de ændrede interne regler blev godkendt den 30.6.2004 ved Kommissionens beslutning i sag NN 34A/2000 (se betragtning 10-16).
To this end the Austrian authorities were invited to explain whether the aid amount at stake was directly linked to the revenue from the levy, i.e. whether it was established up-front or whether it depended on the concrete AMA marketing needs.
EFT C 28 af 1.2.2000, s. 2.
The Commission also indicated that, should it conclude after the submission of the necessary information that the levies form an integral part of the aid measure, it would have to examine whether the financing of the scheme discriminates between imported products and products produced in Austria [105], or between exported national products and national products marketed on the domestic market [106] (recital 236 of the opening decision).
EFT C 252 af 12.9.2001, s. 5.
The Austrian authorities were invited to provide information on these points.
Som anført i betragtning 15 ovenfor var reklameforanstaltningerne vedrørende økomærket under støtteordning NN 34A/2000 begrænset til perioden indtil den 31. marts 2006, og kvalitetsstøtteforanstaltningerne vedrørende økomærket var begrænset til perioden indtil den 31. december 2008.
In particular, they were invited to indicate whether § 21c(2) of the AMA Act, according to which goods originating outside Austria are exempted from the levy (see recital 58, was in force already in 1995 or whether it was inserted by a later amendment of the law.
Jf. fodnote 1.
Further, the Member State was invited to explain whether products of Austrian origin marketed outside Austria could benefit from the measure to the same extent as products marketed in Austria.
Akt vedrørende vilkårene for Kongeriget Norges, Republikken Østrigs, Republikken Finlands og Kongeriget Sveriges tiltrædelse og tilpasningerne af de traktater, der danner grundlag for Den Europæiske Union (EFT C 241 af 29.8.1994, s. 21, ændret i EFT L 1 af 1.1.1995, s. 1).
In recital 237 of the opening decision the Commission underlined that it also had to verify whether charging the levy did not run counter to the objectives of the common market organisation in the agricultural sector.
Dvs. henvisningen til Kommissionens beslutning N88/98.
In this respect it had to be assessed whether the levies did not interfere with the price of the end products and thus whether domestic products were not discriminated against compared to imported products.
Jf. betragtning 145 ff.
In this regard, in the opening decision the Austrian authorities were invited to provide data showing the percentage of the respective sales prices to which the levy amounted and to explain to which extent a possible negative impact caused by the levy was compensated by the positive effects of the measures financed by the same levy.
Rådets direktiv 92/50/EØF af 18.6.1992 om samordning af fremgangsmåderne ved indgåelse af offentlige tjenesteydelsesaftaler (EFT L 209 af 24.7.1992, s. 1).
This exemption applied since 1 January 1994 and therefore for the entire period of assessment.
Europa-Parlamentets og Rådets direktiv nr. 2004/18/EF af 31. marts 2004 om samordning af fremgangsmåderne ved indgåelse af offentlige vareindkøbskontrakter, offentlige tjenesteydelseskontrakter og offentlige bygge- og anlægskontrakter (EUT L 134 af 30.4.2004, s. 114).
As regards the relationship with the objectives of the common market organisation in the agricultural sector, in their submission of 14 September 2012, the Austrian authorities stated that due to the fact that the prices were formed by supply and demand on the relevant markets and that there was no intervention from the side of the authorities, it was not possible to calculate the percentage of sales prices to which the levy amounted.
Bilag til punkt 31 og 47 i skrivelse af 14.9.2012.
In the same reply the Austrian authorities argued that the amount of the levy did not have a direct impact on the amount of State aid.
Skrivelsen indeholder et hoveddokument med bilag.
In addition to the revenue from the AMA levy, additional sources of financing existed.
Europa-Parlamentets og Rådets direktiv 2000/13/EF af 20.3.2000 om indbyrdes tilnærmelse af medlemsstaternes lovgivning om mærkning af og præsentationsmåder for levnedsmidler samt om reklame for sådanne levnedsmidler (EFT L 109 af 6.5.2000, s. 29).
PERIOD 2002-2008
Rådets forordning (EØF) nr. 2092/91 af 24.6.1991 om økologisk produktionsmetode for landbrugsprodukter og om angivelse heraf på landbrugsprodukter og levnedsmidler (EFT L 198 af 22.7.1991, s. 1).
The Austrian authorities were also invited to provide the necessary information to allow the Commission to assess whether the parafiscal financing of the measure (levy) formed an integral part of the aid measures for the period 2002 to 2008 (recital 238 of the opening decision).
Rådets forordning (EF) nr. 1257/1999 af 17.5.1999 om støtte til udvikling af landdistrikterne fra Den Europæiske Udviklings- og Garantifond for Landbruget (EUGFL) og om ændring og ophævelse af visse forordninger (EFT L 160 af 26.6.1999, s. 80).
For the reasons stated above, and given that the sources of funding remained the same, the Commission considers that no hypothecation between the levy and the State aid measures existed also for the period 2002 to 2008.
AMA-Gütesiegel Richtlinie Frischfleisch af april 1999, Richtlinien Frischfleisch af april 1997, Richtlinien Frischfleisch af april 1997 (Anpassung entsprechend Beiratsbeschluss vom 22.1.1998), Richtlinien Frischfleisch vom Februar 1996, Richtlinien diverse Lebensmittel.
For the reasons stated above, and notwithstanding recital 378 below, the AMA marketing measures constitute State aid.
Februar 1997.
For the reasons stated above, and notwithstanding recital 378 below, the aid measures referred to in recitals 208, 213, 327, third sentence and 355 are incompatible with the internal market.
Ifølge de østrigske myndigheder blev denne formular anvendt indtil den 31.12.2000.
The other measures assessed above are compatible with the internal market.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 3.
Any compensation which at the time of the granting fulfilled the conditions stipulated in the de minimis Regulation [109] is deemed not to constitute aid.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 12.
Any aid which, at the time of the granting fulfilled the conditions of a block exemption or an approved aid scheme is compatible with the internal market, up to the maximum aid intensities applicable to that type of aid.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 35.
RECOVERY
[…] — Fortrolige oplysninger omfattet af tavshedspligt.
In accordance with the Treaty and the Court of Justice's established case-law, the Commission is competent to decide that the Member State concerned must abolish or alter aid [110] when it has found that it is incompatible with the internal market.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 15.
The Court has also consistently held that the obligation on a State to abolish aid regarded by the Commission as being incompatible with the internal market is designed to re-establish the previously existing situation [111].
Begge eksempler nævnes i AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 17.
In this context, the Court has stated that that objective is attained once the recipient has repaid the amounts granted by way of unlawful aid, thus forfeiting the advantage which it had enjoyed over its competitors on the market, and the situation prior to the payment of the aid is restored [112].
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 19.
Following that case-law, Article 16 of Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1589 [113] (hereinafter Procedural Regulation) lays down that ‘where negative decisions are taken in respect of unlawful aid, the Commission shall decide that the Member State concerned shall take all necessary measures to recover the aid from the beneficiary.’
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 13.
According to Article 17 of the Procedural Regulation, the powers of the Commission to recover incompatible aid are subject to a limitation period of 10 years.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1996, s. 26.
The limitation period begins on the day on which the unlawful aid was awarded to the beneficiary.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1997, s. 3.
Any action taken by the Commission with regard to the unlawful aid interrupts the limitation period.
»Die österreichische Naturqualität hat sich mit der Unterstützung der AMA auch 1997 am Heimmarkt eine Position gesichert, mit der es gelungen ist, Eintrittsbarieren gegenüber EU-Anbietern aufzubauen und gleichzeitig den heimischen Produkten Unverwechselbarkeit zu garantieren.
The limitation period is suspended for as long as the decision of the Commission is the subject of proceedings before the ECJ.
Dass der »Geschmack der Natur« am Heimmarkt sogar Marktanteile zurückgewonnen hat, ist im Marktsegment Fruchtjoghurt klar abzulesen.
The complaint which triggered the present procedure was received on 21 September 1999 (see recital 4) and the Commission registered the scheme as a non-notified aid in the year 2000 (see recital 8).
So konnten 1997 von den heimischen Herstellern 15 % Marktanteil von ausländischen Anbietern zurückgewonnen werden«.
Furthermore, the 2004 decision acknowledges the fact that the Commission has decided, for administrative reasons, to split the procedure (see recital 10) and assess the measures before and after the year 2003 separately.
Fortrolige oplysninger omfattet af tavshedspligt
This splitting of the procedure had been a request of the Austrian authorities dated from 8 March 2004.
Se fodnote 47.
The above cited actions (splitting of procedure acknowledged by 2004 decision) and letters (Austrian request of 8 March 2004) are interrupting events in the meaning of Article 17 Council Regulation (EU) 2015/1589.
Dette eksempel findes i AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 1999, s. 10.
This means that the Commission has the power to order recovery as of 1 January 1995, the date of Austria's accession to the European Union.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 2000, s. 9.
The Commission decision NN 34A/2000 was challenged before the General Court on 30 June 2004 and its ruling was appealed before the Court of Justice on 27 January 2010.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 2000, s. 10.
The judgment of the Court was pronounced on 27 October 2011 (see above recital 22).
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 2000, s. 11.
According to Article 15 paragraph 2, third sentence of Regulation (EC) No 659/1999, the limitation period was therefore suspended between 30 June 2004 and 27 October 2011.
AMA's årsberetning (Tätigkeitsbericht) 2000, s. 12.
For the reasons stated above the 10 years limitation period for recovery with regard to the measures assessed in this decision has not expired.
Domstolens dom af 13. marts 2001, Preussen Elektra, C-379/98, ECLI:EU:C:2001:160, præmis 58, og dom af 20. november 2003, GEMO SA, C-126/01, ECLI:EU:C:2003:622, præmis 23.
The incompatible State aid specified at recital 374 above must therefore be recovered by the Austrian authorities.
Skrivelse af 14.9.2012.
Article 16(1) of the Procedural Regulation specifies that ‘where negative decisions are taken in cases of unlawful aid, the Commission shall decide that the Member State concerned shall take all necessary measures to recover the aid from the beneficiary’.
AMA-lovens § 21i.
Article 16(3) of the Procedural Regulation specifies that ‘recovery shall be effected without delay and in accordance with the procedures under the national law of the Member State concerned, provided that they allow the immediate and effective execution of the Commission's decision.’
AMA-lovens § 21k.
The means according to national law established by the Member States, by which they implement recovery decisions, should give full effect to the recovery decision.
AMA-lovens § 21l.
It is therefore necessary that the national measures taken by Member States lead to an effective and immediate execution of the Commission decision.
AMA-lovens § 21l, stk. 2.
According to a settled jurisprudence, in the case of negative decisions for non-notified aid, particularly where a significant period of time has elapsed, the Commission may resort to approximate evaluations of the sums to be recovered [114].
§ 21a, stk. 1, § 21c og § 21d.
The Commission would like to point out that, according to the jurisprudence ‘no provision of Community law requires the Commission, when ordering the recovery of aid declared incompatible with the common market, to fix the exact amount of the aid to be recovered.
Se fodnote 47.
It is sufficient for the Commission's decision to include information enabling the recipient to work out himself, without overmuch difficulty, that amount.’ [115]
AMA-lovens § 11, stk. 1.
Given the nature of some of the measures concerned (i.e. measures concerning indirect aid to a large number of beneficiaries) the Commission is not in a position to determine in the present decision the exact aid amount per beneficiary for each measure for which recovery has been ordered.
Domstolens dom af 15. juli 2004, Pearle m.fl., C-345/02, ECLI:EU:C:2004:448, præmis 35-38.
The Commission would therefore point out that the sums communicated by the Austrian authorities during the investigation period (see recitals 43-45) constitute the starting point for the calculation of the aids to be recovered from the respective beneficiaries.
Domstolens dom af 30. maj 2013, Doux Élevage og Coopérative agricole UKL-ARREE, C-677/11, ECLI:EU:C:2013:348, præmis 32, 35 og 38.
The categories of incompatible aid, as well as the relevant periods have been identified in the decision.
Domstolens dom af 24. juli 2003, Altmark Trans og Regierungspräsidium Magdeburg, C-280/00, ECLI:EU:C:2003:415, præmis 84.
Therefore, the Commission considers that, in the framework of the recovery procedure, a reasonable method of calculating the aid per beneficiary needs to be provided by the Austrian authorities, and communicated to the Commission, in a spirit of loyal cooperation with the Commission,
Domstolens dom af 23. maj 2005, Freskot, C-355/00, ECLI:EU:C:2003:298, præmis 83.
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Domstolens dom af 22. marts 1977, Steinike og Weinlig, 78/76, ECLI:EU:C:1977:52, præmis 22.
Article 1
Domstolens dom af 17. juni 1999, Belgien mod Kommissionen, C-75/97, ECLI:EU:C:1999:311, præmis 31.
The State aid which Austria has implemented for the following measures and periods is compatible with the internal market within the meaning of Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union:
Domstolens dom af 17. september 1980, Philip Morris mod Kommissionen, 730/79, ECLI:EU:C:1980:209, præmis 11 og 12.
aid for generic advertising in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2001,
Jf. navnlig Domstolens dom af 13. juli 1988, Frankrig mod Kommissionen, 102/87, ECLI:EU:C:1988:391.
advertising aid in the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006,
Kilde: Eurostat.
aid for/by way of advertising campaigns outside Austria and generic advertising in Austria, in the period 1 January 2002 to 1 January 2004,
I artikel 1, litra b), nr. iii), sammenholdt med artikel 4, stk. 6, i Rådets forordning (EF) nr. 659/1999 af 22. marts 1999 om fastlæggelse af regler for anvendelsen af EF-traktatens artikel 93 (EFT L 83 af 27.3.1999, s. 1), bestemmes det, at den berørte medlemsstat — såfremt Kommissionen ikke har vedtaget en beslutning inden for to måneder efter anmeldelsen — kan gennemføre foranstaltningen efter i forvejen at have givet Kommissionen meddelelse herom, medmindre Kommissionen vedtager en beslutning inden for en frist på 15 arbejdsdage efter modtagelsen af meddelelsen.
quality advertising aid in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008,
N 175/2006, N 589/2008 og N 496/2009.
aid for/by way of promotion measures in a broader sense and technical support measures in the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999,
Förderung und Sicherung des Absatzes von inländischen land- und forstwirtschaftlichen Erzeugnissen.
aid in the form of technical assistance, advisory services and control measures relating to quality products in the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999,
Se fodnote 3, præmis 86 og 87.
aid for quality products in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2006,
Denne henvisning findes i alle paragraffer om produkters oprindelse i reglerne om logoet for fersk kød siden 1995.
aid in the form of technical support in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2006,
EUT C 119 af 22.5.2002, s. 22.
aid in the form of technical support for generic products in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004,
EUT C 319 af 27.12.2006, s. 1.
aid in the form of technical support in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008 for primary producers.
Domstolens dom av of 12. februar 2008, CELF og ministre de la Culture and de la Communication, C-199/06, ECLI:EU:C:2008:79, præmis 68.
Article 2
EFT C 272 af 28.10.1986, s. 3.
The following State aid schemes, unlawfully put into effect by Austria in breach of Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union are incompatible with the internal market, for the respective periods indicated:
EFT C 302 af 12.11.1987, s. 6.
aid for generic advertising in the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999,
EFT C 252 af 12.9.2001, s. 5.
aid for the quality label in the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999,
Punkt 1.1 i rammeordningen for reklame 1987.
aid for quality products in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008,
Punkt 5, litra b), i rammebestemmelserne for reklame 2001.
technical support for undertakings active in processing and marketing in the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2008.
Punkt 7 i rammebestemmelserne for reklame 2001.
Article 3
Punkt 152, litra a), i rammebestemmelserne 2007-2013.
Individual aid granted under the scheme referred to in Article 2 does not constitute aid if, at the time it was granted, it fulfilled the conditions laid down by a regulation adopted pursuant to Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 994/98 [116] which was applicable at the time the aid was granted.Article 4
Det bør bemærkes, at punkt 2.1.1 (med fodnote 1) i rammeordningen for reklame 1987 henviser direkte til Kommissionens retningslinjer i 1986-meddelelsen.
Individual aid granted under the scheme referred to in Article 2 which, at the time it was granted, fulfilled the conditions laid down by a regulation adopted pursuant to Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 994/98 or by any other approved aid scheme is compatible with the internal market, up to the maximum aid intensities applicable to that type of aid.
Med henvisning til 1986-meddelelsen.
Article 5 Austria shall recover the incompatible aid referred to in Article 2 from its beneficiaries.
Se også betragtning 65 ovenfor.
The sums to be recovered shall bear interest from the date of their disbursement until their actual recovery.
Det samlede budget for foranstaltningen beløb sig til 4165399 EUR og modtog medfinansiering fra EU på 2082699 EUR og fra nationale midler på 709721,78 EUR.
The interest shall be calculated on a compound basis in accordance with Chapter V of Commission Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 [117].Article 6
Resten blev finansieret af AMA-afgiften.
Recovery of the aid referred to in Article 2 shall be immediate and effective.
Det samlede budget var 2659974 EUR.
Austria shall ensure that this Decision is implemented within 4 months following the date of notification of this Decision.
I årene 2007 og 2008 beløb EU's andel sig til 550047 EUR, og den nationale andel beløb sig til 142967 EUR.
Article 7
Perioden efter 2004 er omfattet af beslutning N 239/2004.
Within 2 months following notification of this Decision, Austria shall submit the following information to the Commission:
Se betragtning 39.
the list of beneficiaries that have received aid under the schemes referred to in Article 2 and the total amount of aid received by each of them under the scheme;
Rådets forordning (EF) nr. 1698/2005 af 20.9.2005 om støtte til udvikling af landdistrikterne fra Den Europæiske Landbrugsfond for Udvikling af Landdistrikterne (ELFUL) (EUT L 277 af 21.10.2005, s. 1).
the total amount (principal and recovery interests) to be recovered from the beneficiaries;
Jf. i denne retning f.eks. Kommissionens beslutninger i sag N 570/1998 (jf. betragtning 41 ovenfor), sag N 662/1998 (Kommissionens beslutning af 30.4.1999, SG(99) D/3095) Kommissionens beslutning af 25. november 1999 om Tysklands påtænkte foranstaltning til fremme af salget af landbrugsprodukter i Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, EFT L 37 af 12.2.2000, s. 31).
a detailed description of the measures already taken and planned to comply with this Decision;