natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Konkurrencefordrejning og påvirkning af samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne
Therefore, Buonotourist should be considered an ‘undertaking’ within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
Buonotourist bemærker, at det italienske marked for offentlig transport ikke var åbent for konkurrence fra virksomheder etableret i andre medlemsstater i den relevante periode, og at foranstaltningen derfor ikke har kunnet påvirke samhandelen eller fordreje konkurrencen.
The granting of the measure should also be considered selective, since it will benefit only Buonotourist.
Kommissionen påpeger for det første, at foranstaltningen blev gennemført den 21. december 2012 og altså længe efter, at der blev åbnet for konkurrence på det italienske marked for offentlig passagerbefordring.
As regards the granting of a selective economic advantage, it follows from the Altmark judgment that compensation granted by the State or through state resources to undertakings as consideration for PSOs imposed on them does not confer such an advantage on the undertakings concerned, and hence does not constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty, provided that four cumulative conditions are satisfied.
Eftersom det er på det tidspunkt, at foranstaltningen har sin virkning på markedet, er det også det tidspunkt, der skal danne udgangspunktet for undersøgelsen af, om foranstaltningen har kunnet fordreje konkurrencen eller påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
First, the recipient undertaking is actually required to discharge PSOs and those obligations have been clearly defined.
Under alle omstændigheder bemærker Kommissionen, som det også fremgår af Domstolens Altmark-dom, at flere medlemsstater siden 1995 var begyndt at åbne visse transportmarkeder for konkurrence fra virksomheder etableret i andre medlemsstater, således at flere virksomheder allerede tilbød transportydelser i byer, forstæder eller regioner i andre medlemsstater end deres hjemstat på dette tidspunkt.
Second, the parameters on the basis of which the compensation is calculated have been established beforehand in an objective and transparent manner.
Enhver kompensation til Buonotourist må derfor anses for at kunne fordreje konkurrencen inden for personbefordring med bus og at kunne påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne, for så vidt som den forringer de muligheder, som transportselskaber etableret i andre medlemsstater har for at tilbyde deres tjenester i Italien, og styrker Buonotourists position på markedet ved at frigøre selskabet for omkostninger, det ellers skulle have båret i forbindelse med den almindelige drift.
Third, the compensation does not exceed what is necessary to cover all or part of the costs incurred in discharging the public service obligations, taking into account the relevant receipts and a reasonable profit for discharging those obligations.
Kommissionen bemærker også, at Buonotourist er aktiv på andre markeder, nemlig markedet for udlejningsvirksomhed, og selskabet konkurrerer derfor med andre virksomheder i EU på disse markeder.
Fourth, where the undertaking which is to discharge public service obligations is not chosen in a public procurement procedure, the level of compensation needed has been determined on the basis of an analysis of the costs which a typical undertaking, well run and adequately provided with means of transport so as to be able to meet the necessary public service requirements, would have incurred in discharging those obligations, taking into account the relevant receipts and a reasonable profit for discharging the obligations.
Enhver kompensation til Buonotourist ville derfor sandsynligvis også fordreje konkurrencen og påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne på disse markeder.
The Altmark judgment requires all four conditions to be cumulatively satisfied to exclude the presence of an economic advantage where compensation is granted to undertakings as consideration for public service obligations imposed on them.
Kommissionen finder derfor, at foranstaltningen fordrejer konkurrencen og påvirker samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
The Commission notes first that neither the Italian authorities nor Buonotourist were able to provide it with any entrustment act related to the period under review and that Buonotourist has not been able to identify clearly obligations that it was required to discharge that could qualify as PSOs, as explained in more detail below in 6.2, subsection (i).
Konklusion
Second, the Commission observes that the compensation awarded by the judgment of the Consiglio di Stato is based solely on an ex post calculation using an ‘inductive method’ in the absence of necessary and reliable data.
I lyset af ovenstående finder Kommissionen, at foranstaltningen udgør statsstøtte efter traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1.
The Commission therefore concludes that the parameters on the basis of which the alleged undercompensation was calculated by the court-appointed experts were not established in advance and that therefore the second Altmark condition does not appear to have been complied with in relation to the non-notified measure.
FRITAGELSE FOR UNDERRETNINGSPLIGTEN EFTER FORORDNING (EØF) NR.
Considering the cumulative nature of the Altmark conditions, there is no need for the Commission to examine whether the other two Altmark conditions have been met in the present case.
1191/69
Accordingly, the payment of additional compensation to Buonotourist for services performed during the period under review confers on that company a selective economic advantage within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
Ifølge Consiglio di Statos argumentation fik Buonotourist ret til yderligere kompensation for levering af den offentlige personbefordring på det tidspunkt, hvor selskabet leverede de pågældende tjenester.
Distortion of competition and effect on trade between Member States
For at denne argumentation kan holde, skal kompensationen have været fritaget for den forudgående underretning som fastlagt i artikel 17, stk. 2, i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69.
In its observations, Buonotourist argued that the market for public transport in Italy was not open to competition from undertakings established in other Member States during the period under review, so there could be no effect on trade or distortion of competition as regards the disputed measure.
I modsat fald medfører den manglende underretning, for så vidt som kompensationen udgør statsstøtte efter artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF, at kompensationen er ulovlig efter artikel 108 i TEUF.
The Commission recalls, in the first place, that the disputed measure was implemented on 21 December 2012, long after the market for public passenger transport was opened to competition in Italy.
Det skyldes, at kompensationer, der følger af anvendelsen af forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69, i henhold til artikel 17, stk. 2, i denne forordning er undtaget fra den forudgående underretning, der er fastlagt i traktatens artikel 108, stk. 3, og dermed fra kravet om forudgående anmeldelse.
Since it is at that point in time that the measure under review produces its effects on the market, it is also at that point in time that it must be assessed whether the measure is liable to distort competition or affect trade between Member States.
Det følger dog af Combus-dommen, at begrebet »kompensation for offentlig tjeneste« i denne artikels forstand skal fortolkes meget snævert.
In any event, the Commission further notes that, as the CJEU remarked in its Altmark judgment, since 1995 several Member States had started to open certain transport markets to competition from undertakings established in other Member States, so a number of undertakings were already offering their urban, suburban or regional transport services in Member States other than their State of origin by that point in time.
Fritagelsen for underretning efter artikel 17, stk. 2, i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69 omfatter kun kompensation for forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste, der ensidigt er pålagt en virksomhed i henhold til artikel 2 i samme forordning, og som beregnes efter metoden i forordningens artikel 10 til 13 (den fælles kompensationsmetode), og den finder ikke anvendelse på kontrakter om offentlig tjeneste som defineret i artikel 14.
Therefore, any compensation granted to Buonotourist should be considered likely to distort competition for the provision of passenger transport services by bus and likely to affect trade between Member States to the extent that it impairs the ability of transport undertakings established in other Member States to offer their services in Italy and strengthens the market position of Buonotourist by releasing it from costs which it would normally have had to bear in its day-to-day management or normal activities.
Kompensation, der betales i henhold til en kontrakt om offentlig tjeneste som defineret i artikel 14 i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69, og der udgør statsstøtte, skal anmeldes til Kommissionen, før den betales.
The Commission also notes that Buonotourist is active on other markets, i.e. rental services, and thus competes with other companies within the Union on those markets.
I mangel af dette vil kompensationen blive betragtet som ulovligt gennemført støtte efter traktatens artikel 108.
Any compensation granted to Buonotourist might also threaten to distort competition and affect trade between Member States on those markets as well.
Spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt de italienske myndigheder rent faktisk var fritaget for forudgående underretning efter artikel 17, stk. 2, i forordning(EØF) nr. 1191/69 i den foreliggende sag, afhænger derfor for det første af, om regionen rent faktisk ensidigt pålagde Buonotourist en forpligtelse til offentlig tjeneste, og for det andet af, om den kompensation, der blev betalt som følge af denne forpligtelse, er i overensstemmelse med betingelserne i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that the measure distorts competition and affects trade between Member States.
Kommissionen vil i det følgende undersøge begge spørgsmål.
Conclusion
Ensidig pålæggelse af en forpligtelse til offentlig tjeneste
In the light of the above, the Commission concludes that the measure constitutes aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
Kommissionen hæfter sig ved, at hverken de italienske myndigheder eller Buonotourist har kunnet fremlægge en overdragelsesaftale for den relevante periode.
EXEMPTION FROM THE NOTIFICATION OBLIGATION UNDER REGULATION (EEC) NO 1191/69
Buonotourist har kun indgivet nogle kontrakter til Kommissionen, som var gældende fra 2003.
According to the reasoning of the Consiglio di Stato, Buonotourist acquired the right to obtain additional compensation for the provision of the transport services in question at the time at which it carried out those services.
De italienske myndigheder fremfører, at det eksempel på en koncessionskontrakt, som de har indgivet — som vedrører en anden virksomhed — var den standardkontrakt, der blev anvendt i regionen i den relevante periode.
For this reasoning to hold, the compensation payments must have been exempted from the compulsory notification procedure pursuant to Article 17(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69.
Kontrakteksemplet var dog kun gældende fra april 1972 til december 1973, dvs. mere end 20 år før den relevante periode, og før ikrafttrædelsen af lov nr. 151/1981 som gennemført ved regionallov nr. 16/1983, der udgør retsgrundlaget for ydelsen af kompensation til Buonotourist.
Otherwise, to the extent the compensation constitutes State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU, failure to notify that compensation would render that compensation unlawful in accordance with Article 108 of the Treaty.
Kontrakteksemplet lader til at fastlægge visse forpligtelser, der kunne kvalificeres som forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste (f.eks. punkt 2, 9 og 10), bl.a. pligten til at yde rabat til studerende, arbejdere, lærere og privat og offentligt ansatte samt pligten til gratis befordring af visse passagerkategorier, men Kommissionen har ingen dokumentation for, at disse forpligtelser gjaldt for Buonotourist i den relevante periode, eftersom der ikke findes nogen overdragelseskontrakt.
This is because, in accordance with Article 17(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69, compensation paid pursuant to that Regulation is exempted from the preliminary information procedure laid down in Article 108(3) of the Treaty and thus from notification.
I betragtning af, at de ydede tjenester bestod i fast rutekørsel, var det særlig nødvendigt, at de koncessionsdokumenter, der gav Buonotourist en eksklusiv ret til at yde tjenesterne, på forhånd fastlagde, hvordan disse tjenester skulle ydes.
However, it follows from the Combus judgment that the concept of ‘public service compensation’ within the meaning of that provision must be interpreted in a very restrictive manner.
Buonotourist har ikke fremlagt dokumentation for, at betingelserne blev ensidigt pålagt selskabet af regionen, og at de ikke blev foreslået af operatøren selv til gengæld for retten til at yde tjenester på et eksklusivt grundlag og efterfølgende godkendt af regionen.
The exemption from notification provided by Article 17(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 covers only compensation for PSOs imposed unilaterally on an undertaking pursuant to Article 2 of that Regulation that is calculated using the method described in Articles 10 to 13 of the same Regulation (the common compensation procedure), and not public service contracts as defined by Article 14 of the Regulation.
Under alle omstændigheder henviser metoden, som blev anvendt af den af domstolen udpegede sagkyndige til beregning af den påståede underkompensation, ikke til disse forpligtelser.
Compensation paid pursuant to a public service contract as defined by Article 14 of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 which entails State aid must be notified to the Commission before it is put into effect.
Kommissionen har også undersøgt, om regionallov nr. 16/1983 indebærer en forpligtelse til offentlig tjeneste, eftersom det er det retsgrundlag, som både regionen og Buonotourist henviser til i forbindelse med betalingen af kompensation til selskabet i den relevante periode (se betragtning 23 og 40).
Failure to do so will result in that compensation being deemed to be unlawfully implemented aid in accordance with Article 108 of the Treaty.
I den forbindelse skal det bemærkes, at regionalloven kun fastsætter, at enheder og offentlige eller private virksomheder, der yder offentlig personbefordring under en koncessionsordning, kan modtage offentlige tilskud.
The question of whether Article 17(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 indeed released the Italian authorities from prior notification in the present case thus depends, first, on whether a PSO was in fact unilaterally imposed on Buonotourist by the Region and, second, on whether the compensation paid pursuant to that obligation complies with the requirements of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69.
Det fremgår klart af § 2 i regionalloven, at eventuelle tab eller underskud, der ikke dækkes af de offentlige tilskud som fastsat i § 2, afholdes af de enkelte virksomheder.
The Commission will examine both questions in turn.
Kommissionen bemærker endvidere, at de regionallove, som Buonotourist henviser til (se betragtning 40), omhandler visse kontraktlige forpligtelser mellem Buonotourist og regionen i den relevante periode.
PSO unilaterally imposed
Disse love fastsætter dog ikke klare forpligtelser, der kan kvalificeres som forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste, selv om de kan være tegn på, at de findes.
The Commission notes that neither the Italian authorities nor Buonotourist were able to provide it with any entrustment act related to the period under review.
Det forhold, at der findes kontraktlige forpligtelser, udelukker imidlertid, at Buonotourist ensidigt er blevet pålagt forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste.
Buonotourist only provided the Commission with contracts which were implemented as from 2003.
Med hensyn til den eventuelle tarifpligt har Kommissionen, til trods for at den af domstolen udpegede sagkyndiges beregning af kompensationsbeløbet tog udgangspunkt i artikel 11 i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69, ingen dokumentation for, at sådanne pligter blev pålagt Buonotourist ensidigt.
The Italian authorities claim that the sample concession contract provided by them — which concerned another undertaking — was the standard one in use in the Region during the period under review.
I henhold til artikel 2, stk. 5, i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69 er tarifpligter »transportvirksomheders forpligtelse til at anvende af myndighederne fastsatte eller godkendte, med virksomhedens forretningsmæssige interesse uforenelige vederlag, som især forekommer ved bestemte grupper af rejsende, bestemte godsarter eller bestemte forbindelser på grund af påbud om eller afslag på ændring af særlige tarifmæssige foranstaltninger«.
However, the sample concession contract was only valid from April 1972 to December 1973, which is more than 20 years before the period under review, and before the entry into force of Law No 151/1981, as enacted by Regional Law No 16/1983, on which basis Buonotourist was compensated in the first instance.
Definitionen af tarifpligt omfatter til gengæld ikke forpligtelser, som for al erhvervsmæssig virksomhed følger af almindelige prispolitiske foranstaltninger, eller for forpligtelser, der følger af foranstaltninger, som med henblik på organisationen af transportmarkedet eller en del af transportmarkedet træffes med hensyn til de almindelige befordringsvederlag og -vilkår.
Although the sample concession contract would seem to provide for some obligations that could qualify as PSOs (e.g. at points 2, 9 and 10), including the duty to apply discounts for students, workers, teachers, and private and public employees and the duty to transport certain categories of passengers for free, the Commission has no evidence that the same obligations were actually applicable to Buonotourist during the period under review because of the absence of an entrustment act.
Kommissionen anerkender, at punkt 27 i kontrakteksemplet fra 1972/73 fastsætter de gældende tariffer for den operatør, som kontrakten dækker, men minder om, at den ikke har modtaget en tilsvarende koncessions- eller overdragelseskontrakt for Buonotourist for den relevante periode som dokumentation for, at selskabet fik pålagt sådanne forpligtelser.
Rather, considering that the services provided were regular scheduled services, it was necessary for the concession regulations, which granted Buonotourist an exclusive right to provide those services, to specify in advance the arrangements for the services to be provided.
Kommissionen bemærker desuden, at den årlige kompensation til virksomheder, der leverer offentlig personbefordring, i henhold til § 2 i regionallov nr. 16/1983 var beregnet på forhånd som forskellen mellem indtægterne hidrørende fra anvendelsen af minimumstariffer og de såkaldte standardiserede omkostninger (se betragtning 23).
Buonotourist has not provided evidence to show that those arrangements were unilaterally imposed by the Region, instead of being proposed by the operator, in return for the right to provide services on an exclusive basis, and subsequently authorised by the Region.
Kommissionen finder derfor, at regionalloven fastsatte minimumstariffer, hvilket også udelukker, at der skulle være tale om en generel tarifpligt.
In any case, the methodology used by the court-appointed expert to calculate the alleged undercompensation does not refer to those obligations.
Det lader under alle omstændigheder ikke til, at Buonotourists eventuelle forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste var ensidigt pålagt selskabet.
The Commission has also assessed whether a PSO could be inferred from Regional Law No 16/1983, it being the legal basis identified by both the Region and Buonotourist for the compensation granted to the company in the period under review (see recitals 23 and 40).
I den forbindelse bemærker Kommissionen, at Buonotourist i alle syv år i den relevante periode selv tog initiativ til at anmode om forlængelse af koncessionen.
In this respect, it must be noted that that Regional Law only provides that entities and public or private undertakings providing public local transport services under a concession regime could receive public contributions.
Buonotourists argument om, at operatørerne var forpligtet til at drive ruterne under en forpligtelse til offentlig tjeneste, selv om regionen løbende havde nedsat størrelsen af standardomkostningerne, og at der ville blive anlagt sag mod dem for afbrydelse af offentlig tjeneste, hvis ruterne blev nedlagt, understøttes ikke af nogen dokumentation og danner derfor ikke basis for at konkludere, at Buonotourist blev pålagt ensidige forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste.
Article 2 of the Regional Law clearly states that: ‘any possible loss or deficit not covered by the regional contributions as determined above [in Article 2] remains chargeable to the individual undertakings’.
Kompensationens overensstemmelse med den almindelige kompensationsprocedure
The Commission further notes that the Regional acts provided by Buonotourist (see recital 40) mentioned some contractual obligations in place between Buonotourist and the Region during the period under review.
Selv hvis forpligtelserne til offentlig tjeneste blev anset for at være ensidigt pålagt Buonotourist, hvilket ikke er tilfældet, ville kompensationen for disse tjenester stadig skulle være i overensstemmelse med den almindelige kompensationsprocedure (afdeling IV) i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69 for at kunne fritages for forudgående underretning efter artikel 17, stk. 2.
However, those acts do not clearly identify obligations that could qualify as PSOs, despite being an indicator of their possible existence.
Kommissionen mener ikke, at det er tilfældet.
Moreover, the existence of contractual obligations excludes a PSO being unilaterally imposed on Buonotourist.
For det første bemærker Kommissionen, at den almindelige kompensationsprocedure i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69 fassætter metoden for beregning af størrelsen af den kompensation, der skal betales for de økonomiske ulemper, der følger af forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste.
On the possible existence of a tariff obligation, although the calculation of additional compensation by the court-appointed expert was made on the basis of Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69, the Commission has no evidence that such obligations were in fact unilaterally imposed on Buonotourist.
Fra den 1. juli 1992 skal transportvirksomheder, der ikke kun yder tjeneste under forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste, men også udfører andre aktiviteter, i henhold til artikel 1, stk. 5, litra a), i forordning (EØF) nr. 1191/69 oprette særlige afdelinger for de pågældende offentlige tjenester, og at i) regnskaberne for hver af disse driftsaktiviteter skal føres særskilt, og de tilsvarende aktiver bogføres efter de gældende regnskabsforskrifter, og at ii) udgifterne skal balancere med driftsindtægterne og de offentlige myndigheders indbetalinger uden mulighed for overførsel fra eller til et andet af virksomhedens aktivitetsområder.
According to Article 2(5) of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69, tariff obligations are ‘obligation[s] imposed on transport undertakings to apply, in particular for certain categories of passenger, for certain categories of goods, or on certain routes, rates fixed or approved by any public authority which are contrary to the commercial interests of the undertaking and which result from the imposition of, or refusal to modify, special tariff provisions’.