natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
For så vidt som Tyskland finder, at driften af Zweibrücken lufthavn udgør en tjenesteydelse af almindelig økonomisk interesse, har det derfor begået en grundlæggende fejl i definitionen af tjenesteydelsen af almindelig økonomisk interesse [77].
In 2012, 425000 passengers used Saarbrücken Airport.
Overdragelsesakt
Considering that Saarbrücken's capacity is currently also 700000 passengers per annum, only between 50-75 % of its available capacity was used.
Som relevante overdragelsesakter har Tyskland kun nævnt lufthavnens almindelige driftslicens og dens »forpligtelse til at drive lufthavnen«, som er anført i § 45 i LuftVZO.
In this regard it must be noted that the capacity of Saarbrücken Airport could be higher (namely 750000-800000 passengers per annum) if it were not limited with respect to the number of security checks on passengers the Airport can handle per hour.
Kommissionen bemærker, at forpligtelsen til at drive lufthavnen ifølge Tyskland var resultatet af opgraderingen af Zweibrücken lufthavn fra en »flyveplads« til en »lufthavn« i den forstand, der er fastlagt i § 49 og § 38 i LuftVZO [78].
This limitation arises from the fact that Saarbrücken Airport only has two security scanners available at the moment.
Denne opgradering fandt dog først sted i begyndelsen af 2010, hvilket betyder, at der for den undersøgte periode (2000-2009) ikke kan udledes en overdragelsesakt af § 45 i LuftVZO.
The Commission also notes that both Saarbrücken and Zweibrücken Airports were loss-making during the period under investigation (2000-2009).
Tyskland anfører videre, at »[e]n generel officiel overdragelse til FZG af tjenesteydelser af almindelig økonomisk interesse skete ikke, bortset fra driftslicensen og inddragelsen i Rheinland-Pfalz' ombygningsprojekt«.
Notably, at both airports the annual losses increased sharply from 2006 onward, when Zweibrücken entered the commercial aviation market.
Eftersom Tyskland ikke har forklaret, hvordan driftslicensen i sig selv kan udgøre en overdragelsesakt, der opfylder kravene i betragtning 287, eller hvordan inddragelse i ombygningsprojektet udgør en egentlig overdragelse, har FGAZ/FZG efter Kommissionens opfattelse ikke fået overdraget en egentlig tjenesteydelse af almindelig økonomisk interesse.
evidence of direct competition between the two airports
Af de grunde, der er anført i betragtning 288 ff., konkluderes det derfor, at offentlig finansiering ydet til FGAZ/FZG, som udgør driftsstøtte, ikke kan anses for kompensation for tjenesteydelser af almindelig økonomisk interesse, der er forenelig med det indre marked.
The Commission has already observed in recitals 237 and 238, that there are some indications that Zweibrücken Airport found itself in direct competition with Saarbrücken Airport.
Forenelighed af driftsstøtte i henhold til retningslinjerne for luftfart fra 2014
First, it must again be recalled that TUIFly, formerly Saarbrücken Airport's biggest client, left that airport and moved to Zweibrücken Airport in 2007 [66].
I afsnit 5.1 i retningslinjerne for luftfart fra 2014 fastlægges de kriterier, Kommissionen vil anvende ved vurdering af driftsstøttens forenelighed med det indre marked i henhold til traktatens artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c).
Secondly, for a substantial period of time, flights to Berlin were offered from both Zweibrücken (Germanwings) and Saarbrücken (Air Berlin and Luxair) in parallel, demonstrating competition both between the airports and the routes served by airlines.
I overensstemmelse med punkt 172 i retningslinjerne for luftfart fra 2014 vil Kommissionen anvende disse kriterier på alle sager vedrørende driftsstøtte, herunder udestående anmeldelser og ulovlige, uanmeldte støttesager.
FZG's airport services agreement with Germanwings even envisaged higher services charges to be paid to FZG in the event that Air Berlin should terminate its Berlin service from Saarbrücken.
Ulovlig driftsstøtte ydet før offentliggørelsen af retningslinjerne for luftfart fra 2014 kan erklæres for forenelig for hele det beløb, der svarer til de udækkede driftsomkostninger, hvis følgende betingelser [79] er opfyldt:
In addition to the further indicators already mentioned (see recital 238), the Commission also points to the minutes of FGAZ's supervisory board meeting of 26 June 2009.
Bidrag til et veldefineret mål af fælles interesse:
In summarizing the report from the management board, the minutes recount a meeting between FGAZ's management, Ryanair, and the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economics.
Denne betingelse er bl.a. opfyldt, hvis støtten øger unionsborgernes mobilitet og forbindelserne til og fra regionerne eller fremmer regional udvikling [80].
During that meeting, which discussed the future of Ryanair's relationship with Zweibrücken, the representative of the Ministry ‘pointed out to [Ryanair] that the Rhineland-Palatinate Government would consider it a very unpleasant act if Ryanair were to start serving Saarbrücken’.
Behov for statslig indgriben:
Rather than demonstrating complementarity between the two airports, that note rather indicates that the two airports were competing for business.
Støtten skal kun ydes i de situationer, hvor denne støtte kan føre til en væsentlig forbedring, som markedet ikke selv kan levere [81].
freight
Støttens virkning som incitament:
The Commission further observes that Zweibrücken Airport is also engaged in handling air freight.
Denne betingelse er opfyldt, hvis det er sandsynligt, at den økonomiske aktivitet i den pågældende lufthavn ville være væsentligt lavere uden driftsstøtten, idet der derved tages hensyn til eventuel ydelse af investeringsstøtte og trafikniveauet [82].
While freight is not a significant aspect of operations at Saarbrücken Airport, it forms a central element of Frankfurt-Hahn Airport's business model.
Støttebeløbets proportionalitet (begrænsning af støtten til det minimum, der er nødvendigt):
As stated in recital 21, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is located only approximately 128 km or approximately 84 minutes by car away from Zweibrücken.
For at være proportionel skal driftsstøtte til lufthavne være begrænset til det minimum, der er nødvendigt for at frembringe den støttemodtagende aktivitet [83].
In addition, freight is also handled at Luxembourg airport, located approximately 145 km, or approximately 86 minutes by car (see recital 21) away from Zweibrücken Airport.
Undgåelse af uforholdsmæssigt negativ påvirkning af konkurrencen og samhandelen [84].
In this regard, the Commission notes that freight is usually more mobile than passenger transport [67].
Bidrag til et veldefineret mål af fælles interesse
In general, the catchment area for freight airports is considered to have a radius of at least around 200 kilometres and 2 hours travelling time.
I henhold til punkt 114 i retningslinjerne for luftfart fra 2014 bidrager »duplikering af urentable lufthavne i samme område […] ikke til et mål af fælles interesse«.
To a certain extent the industry seems to suggest that up to a half a day of trucking time (that is to say, up to 12 hours driving time by trucks) would in general be acceptable [68].
For så vidt driftsstøtten til FGAZ/FZG udgør statsstøtte, kan den derfor ikke anses for forenelig med det indre marked i henhold til traktatens artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c).
Considering that the catchment area for freight is typically much larger than for passengers, Frankfurt-Hahn and Luxembourg Airports provide sufficient air freight capacity for the region.
Kommissionen konkluderer, at driftsstøtten til FGAZ/FZG ikke er forenelig med det indre marked i henhold til hverken traktatens artikel 106, stk. 2, eller traktatens artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c).
discussion of findings
Da Tyskland ikke har fremført, og Kommissionen ikke har identificeret alternative begrundelser for forenelighed, konkluderes det følgelig, at investeringsstøtten til FGAZ/FZG, for så vidt som den udgør statsstøtte, er uforenelig med det indre marked.
On the basis of the considerations outlined in recitals 259 to 270, the Commission finds that Zweibrücken Airport duplicates the airport infrastructure available at Saarbrücken Airport.
Af de grunde, der er anført i betragtning 173 ff., skal FGAZ/FZG anses for at udgøre en virksomhed som omhandlet i traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1.
More particularly, the Commission considers that even before Zweibrücken entered the commercial aviation market, the region was well connected by the existing airports, primarily Saarbrücken Airport, and that Zweibrücken Airport does not increase the connectivity of the region.
For at udgøre statsstøtte skal de pågældende foranstaltninger finansieres af statsmidler, og beslutningen om at bevilge foranstaltningen skal kunne tilregnes staten.
Moreover, any aviation service demand not satisfied by Saarbrücken Airport could easily be met by the other 6 airports that can be reached within less than 2 hours traveling time.
Begrebet statsstøtte gælder enhver fordel, der tildeles ved hjælp af statsmidler af staten selv eller gennem ethvert mellemliggende organ, som handler i henhold til de beføjelser, det har fået overdraget [85].
In particular as regards leisure flights, traveling times of up to 2 hours are commonly accepted.
Lokale myndigheders midler er med henblik på anvendelse af traktatens artikel 107 statsmidler [86].
The same is true as regards demand for air freight services.
Statsgaranti på 100 %
Germany has not presented any evidence that projected passenger numbers required the market entry of Zweibrücken Airport.
En offentlig garanti indebærer altid et potentielt tab af statsmidler.
In particular, while the entry into the commercial aviation market took place in 2006, the earliest passenger number projection study provided dates from September 2009 [69].
Da statsgarantien på 100 % blev udstedt direkte af delstaten Rheinland-Pfalz, blev den ydet med statsmidler og kan således tilregnes staten.
It cannot therefore be maintained that the public funding since 2000 was aimed at satisfying demand for aviation services that would otherwise not be met.
Delstatens likviditetspulje
The Commission also notes that in 1997 Saarbrücken Airport projected its own passenger numbers to rise to 676000 by 2010 [70].
Tyskland anførte, at delstaten Rheinland-Pfalz' likviditetspulje ikke er direkte finansieret af delstatens offentlige budget.
As Zweibrücken Airport was, at that time, not yet active on the commercial aviation market, it can be assumed that that projection was the most reliable passenger forecast for the region.
Tyskland hævder, at alle midler i likviditetspuljen kommer fra de deltagende virksomheder eller tilvejebringes i form af lån på kapitalmarkedet.
As Saarbrücken has a capacity of 700000-800000 passengers per annum, it is clear that the passenger numbers forecasted in 1997 could be satisfied by Saarbrücken Airport alone for a significant period of time.
Kommissionen vurderer, at staten i den omhandlede sag på alle relevante tidspunkt udøvede direkte eller indirekte kontrol over midlerne i likviditetspuljen, hvilket betyder, at de udgjorde statsmidler.
The Commission is furthermore of the opinion that even the actual passenger numbers at Zweibrücken and Saarbrücken Airports do not demonstrate that Saarbrücken's capacity is insufficient to satisfy demand in the region.
Da alle de deltagende virksomheder således er offentlige virksomheder, udgør deres midler statsmidler.
first, the high passenger numbers appear to be driven by direct competition between the Berlin routes offered from Zweibrücken and Saarbrücken (and Germanwings and Air Berlin/Luxair, respectively), which temporarily attracted additional passengers.
Dette forhold alene viser, at midlerne i likviditetspuljen, for så vidt som de består af indskud fra de deltagende virksomheder, udgør statsmidler.
However, once Germanwings terminated its unprofitable route to Berlin, the demand on the route decreased.
Hvis de deltagende virksomheders indskud i likviditetspuljen ikke er tilstrækkelige til at dække en deltagers likviditetsbehov, fremskaffer delstaten Rheinland-Pfalz for det andet kortsigtet finansiering på det finansielle marked i sit eget navn og overfører disse midler til de virksomheder, der deltager i likviditetspuljen.
Secondly, the Commission finds (see Section 7.3) that Germanwings, TUIFly and Ryanair all benefited from incompatible State aid granted to them by FGAZ/FZG.
Da delstaten optager de fornødne lån i sit eget navn, må de midler, der fremskaffes på denne måde, anses for også at udgøre statsmidler.
Insofar as this might have translated into reduced ticket prices, it is doubtful that the thus-subsidised passenger numbers at Zweibrücken represented the real demand in the region.
Kommissionen er derfor af den opfattelse, at den finansiering, der ydes af likviditetspuljen, er finansieret af statsmidler, da både de deltagende virksomheders indskud og de lån, der optages af delstaten for at dække likviditetsmangel i likviditetspuljen, udgør statsmidler.
Finally, it must be noted that the joint passenger numbers have dropped since 2009:
Det er desuden klart, at delstaten havde vidtrækkende kontrol over forvaltningen af likviditetspuljen, hvilket betyder, at finansieringen til de deltagende virksomheder kan tilregnes staten.
the joint passenger numbers for Zweibrücken and Saarbrücken were approximately 670000 in 2012, and thus below the capacity limit of Saarbrücken Airport.
Kommissionen bemærker først, at aftalen om deltagelse i likviditetspuljen indgås mellem delstaten og de involverede virksomheder.
The Commission can furthermore not accept the argument advanced by Germany that the two airports are only complementing — rather than competing with — each other.
Beslutningen om at give en virksomhed mulighed for at deltage i likviditetspuljen træffes således direkte af delstaten.
First, despite the fact that the business models of the two Airports appear to differ to some degree, it is clear that Zweibrücken Airport's core business (vacation flights, in particular to Antalya/Palma de Mallorca) is also catered for by Saarbrücken.
Delstaten fastsætter også det maksimale beløb, som en deltagende virksomhed kan modtage fra likviditetspuljen i form af en kreditbevilling.
It is true that Saarbrücken otherwise concentrates on scheduled flights to major cities such as Luxembourg, Berlin, and Hamburg.
På dette grundlag kan staten tilsyneladende direkte kontrollere aktiviteterne i likviditetspuljen, herunder mest centralt spørgsmålet om, hvilke virksomheder der kan deltage, og hvilken kredit der skal bevilges hver deltagende virksomhed.
This does not, however, change the fact that Zweibrücken appears to have only limited business that is not or could not be served from Saarbrücken.
Beslutninger vedrørende deltagelse i likviditetspuljen og omfanget af denne deltagelse kan således tilregnes staten.
The Commission further finds that the differences in infrastructure that do exist between the two airports do not undermine its finding that Zweibrücken Airport duplicates airport infrastructure that already existed before in Saarbrücken.
Lån ydet af Sparkasse Südwestpfalz
While it is again true that Zweibrücken has a longer runway, making it more suitable for long-distance flights and heavy freight planes, these differences are not sufficient to justify two airports in such close proximity.
Med hensyn til selve lånet anerkender Kommissionen, at Sparkasse Südwestpfalz er en selvstændig bank, der på eget ansvar træffer beslutning om bevilling af lån.
First, as explained in recitals 269 and 270, air freight demand is sufficiently served by Frankfurt-Hahn and Luxembourg Airports, where — according to the Commission's information — there is no relevant restriction with respect to the weight of planes.
Det er ingen tegn på, at beslutningen om at bevilge lånet til FGAZ/FZG kan tilregnes staten.
Secondly, Germany has not demonstrated that a significant number of the commercial passenger flights that depart from Zweibrücken could not start from Saarbrücken.
Kommissionen finder derfor, at denne foranstaltning ikke kan tilregnes staten.
Considering, finally, that Saarbrücken Airport was apparently able to accommodate the aviation service demands now partially taken over by Zweibrücken before the latter entered the market, the difference in infrastructure does not justify duplicating the infrastructure that already existed in Saarbrücken.
I henhold til punkt 3.2 i garantimeddelelsen er en individuel statsgaranti ikke støtte, når følgende betingelser er opfyldt:
In the light of the facts and considerations presented and discussed in recitals 255 to 279, the Commission finds that the investment aid in favour of FGAZ/FZG served to create or maintain infrastructure that merely duplicates the (unprofitable) airport in Saarbrücken.
Låntageren er ikke en kriseramt virksomhed. […] b) Garantiens størrelse kan måles korrekt på det tidspunkt, hvor garantien ydes. […] c) Garantien dækker højst 80 % af de enkelte udestående lån eller andre finansielle forpligtelser […]. d) Der betales markedspris for garantien […]«.
The investment aid therefore cannot be considered to contribute to an objective of common interest.
I dette tilfælde ydede delstaten Rheinland-Pfalz en garanti på 100 % som sikkerhed for et lån bevilget til FGAZ/FZG.
As the compatibility conditions enumerated (in recital 254) are cumulative, the Commission does not need to assess the remaining compatibility conditions.
Det betyder, at garantien overstiger tærsklen på 80 % af det udestående lån.
Accordingly, to the extent that it constitutes State aid, the investment aid should be found not to be compatible with the internal market pursuant to Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty.
Som forklaret nedenfor betales der desuden ikke markedspris for garantien.
As Germany has not put forward and the Commission has not identified any alternative grounds of compatibility, it is therefore concluded that, to the extent that it amounts to State aid, the investment aid in favour of FGAZ/FZG is incompatible with the internal market.
I henhold til punkt 4.2, andet afsnit, i garantimeddelelsen kan fordelen beregnes som differencen mellem den markedsrente, FGAZ/FZG skulle have betalt uden garantien, og den rente, der er opnået som følge af statsgarantien, efter fradrag af eventuelle betalte præmier.
Germany argues that public funding relating to operating aid in favour of FGAZ/FZG must be considered to be compatible with the internal market as compensation for the provision of a SGEI pursuant to Article 106(2) of the Treaty.
Med hensyn til den garanti, der var udstedt af delstaten, bemærker Kommissionen, at FGAZ/FZG fik denne garanti på 100 % uden beregning og uden at stille sikkerhed.
Article 106(2) of the Treaty states that ‘undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest or having the character of a revenue-producing monopoly shall be subject to the rules contained in the Treaties, in particular to the rules on competition, in so far as the application of such rules does not obstruct the performance, in law or in fact, of the particular tasks assigned to them.
Det er klart, at FGAZ/FZG under normale markedsforhold skulle have betalt en præmie for at få en garanti for sine lån hos tredjemand.
The development of trade must not be affected to such an extent as would be contrary to the interests of the Union.’
Da FGAZ/FZG ikke skulle betale en præmie, opnåede virksomheden en økonomisk fordel, der ellers ikke er tilgængelig på markedet.
That Article contains a (partial) derogation from the prohibition of State aid contained in Article 107(1) of the Treaty to the extent that the aid is necessary and proportional to ensure the performance of the SGEI under acceptable economic conditions.
Beløbet for denne fordel svarer til den præmie, som FGAZ/FZG skulle have betalt under normale markedsforhold.
Prior to 31 January 2012, the 2005 SGEI Framework [71] and the 2005 SGEI Decision represented the Commission's policy in applying the derogation in Article 106(2) of the Treaty.
Med hensyn til FGAZ/FZG's deltagelse i likviditetspuljen har Tyskland forklaret, at likviditetspuljen fungerer på følgende måde:
The Commission notes that both those instruments require that the undertaking in question be entrusted with a genuine SGEI.
FGAZ anmoder om midler fra likviditetspuljen for at sikre sin likviditet, og delstaten yder disse midler fra likviditetspuljen.
The entrustment of the airport operator with public service missions must also be recorded in ‘one or more official documents’ containing, inter alia, the ‘precise nature of the public service obligation’ [72].
Den opkrævede rente er den markedsbaserede dag-til-dag-rente, som også er tilgængelig for delstaten selv.
Genuine SGEI
Når de deltagende virksomheders indskud ikke er tilstrækkelige til at dække anmodningen, udligner delstaten likviditetspuljen ved at optage nye lån i sit eget navn.
As regards, first, the question of whether the operation of Zweibrücken Airport constitutes a genuine SGEI, the Commission recalls that for an activity to constitute an SGEI, that activity should exhibit special characteristics as compared with ordinary economic activities, and that the objective of general interest which is pursued cannot simply be that of development of certain economic activities or economic areas as provided for in Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty [73].
Tyskland forklarer videre, at delstaten grundlæggende anvender de betingelser, den selv opnår på kapitalmarkedet over for deltagerne i likviditetspuljen, således at deltagerne, dvs. delstatens datterselskaber, kan refinansiere sig selv på samme betingelser som delstaten selv, uden at deres kreditværdighed vurderes.
In this light, the Commission considers that this can only be the case if part of the area served by the airport would, without the airport, be isolated from the rest of the Union to an extent that would prejudice its social and economic development [74].
Kommissionen bemærker endvidere, at denne finansiering er tilgængelig for virksomhederne i ubegrænset tid.
The Commission further considers that there is a certain overlap between the proper definition of a SGEI and the question whether the public financing of an airport (both investment and operating costs) contributes to a well-defined objective of common interest.
I lyset af denne mekanisme gives der en fordel til FGAZ, hvor de betingelser, hvorpå delstaten yder lån fra likviditetspuljen, er gunstigere end de betingelser, FGAZ ellers kan opnå på markedet.
The Commission has recalled in recitals 257 et seq. that public funding that leads to the duplication of airport infrastructure in a given region cannot be considered as contributing to an objective of common interest (see also recitals 294 et seq.).
Betingelserne for at optage lån fra likviditetspuljen er de samme som de betingelser, der gælder for delstaten, når den skal refinansiere sig selv.
The Commission also recalls that the overall management of an airport can only be considered to constitute an SGEI ‘if part of the area potentially served by the airport would, without the airport, be isolated from the rest of the Union to an extent that would prejudice its social and economic development’ [75].
Eftersom delstaten, som offentlig myndighed, kan optage lån til meget gunstige renter (da der ikke er nogen reel risiko for misligholdelse), er den rente, hvortil FGAZ kan optage lån fra likviditetspuljen, efter Kommissionens vurdering gunstigere end den rente, virksomheden ellers kan opnå.
In this light, the Commission likewise considers that the operation of an airport that duplicates another airport in the same region cannot be considered to constitute a genuine SGEI [76].
FGAZ skal desuden ikke stille sikkerhed for disse lån, og virksomhedens finansielle situation eller kreditværdighed tages ikke i betragtning.
The Commission has concluded that, to the extent that it amounts to State aid, the public funding of Zweibrücken Airport's infrastructure is incompatible with the internal market because it duplicates existing infrastructure.
Ved at give FGAZ mulighed for at deltage i likviditetspuljen gav delstaten derfor virksomheden FGAZ/FZG en økonomisk fordel [88].
Likewise, the Commission finds that the operation of Zweibrücken Airport does not constitute a genuine service of general economic interest.