natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Endelig tilføjer Tyskland, at EEL GmbH havde en fortjenstmargen i kraft af forskellen mellem rentesatserne på de lån, som det optog hos sine anpartshavere, og de lån, som blev givet til FN GmbH.
According to Germany, the Commission's initial assessment in the opening decision wrongly overlooked the fact that commercial banks were unsurprisingly adverse to financing the construction of private airports, and that there was no functioning market in that area.
Vurdering af foreneligheden med det indre marked
Germany takes the view that the Commission's preliminary assessment did not rely on clear criteria to assess the market conformity of the measures under scrutiny.
Tyskland betvivler, at Kommissionen grundigt vurderede foreneligheden af støtteforanstaltningerne i indledningsafgørelsen.
According to Germany, the Commission should on the contrary have relied upon established case law [22] in the context of universal postal services, which would confirm that the creation and maintenance of a network are not in line with a purely commercial approach.
Tyskland tilføjer, at på baggrund af spørgsmålet vedrørende berettigede forventninger, som forklares nedenfor, bør Kommissionen hverken gå videre med undersøgelsen eller overveje at kræve støtten tilbagebetalt.
Germany also suggests relying on existing Commission practise, where the Commission has allegedly approved similar support measures.
Endelig henviser Tyskland til, at Kommissionen allerede har godkendt støtteforanstaltninger til Kassel-Calden-lufthavnen, som svarer til dem, der er ydet til Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn.
To support these views, Germany used the example of the financing of Kassel-Calden airport infrastructure.
Tyskland udleder heraf, at Kommissionen bør erklære sidstnævnte forenelige med det indre marked.
Germany concluded that, in light of the successful development of the airport, any private investor would have invested in the Niederrhein-Weeze airport as Germany did.
Berettigede forventninger
FN GmbH does not qualify as a company in difficulty
I sine bemærkninger til indledningsafgørelsen gentager Tyskland tidligere fremsatte argumenter om berettigede forventninger.
Germany refutes the Commission's preliminary conclusion that FN GmbH may qualify as a company in difficulty within the meaning of the Community guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring firms in difficulty (‘the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines’) [23].
Ifølge Tyskland skulle Kommissionen i juli 2009 [33] have oplyst, at den ikke havde til hensigt at undersøge sagen yderligere og derved have skabt berettigede forventninger.
Germany bases that claim on five grounds.
Tyskland konkluderer, at Kommissionen er bundet af princippet om god forvaltningsskik og derfor burde have henlagt den foreløbige undersøgelse.
First, FN GmbH would have already achieved gains after a very short start-up phase (first positive EBITDA in 2006 — excluding public remit expenses — and first net profit in 2007).
Til støtte for sine synspunkter hævder Tyskland, at EU-Domstolen i Salzgitter-sagen [34] har fastslået, at hvis Kommissionen med forsinkelse udøver sine tilsynsbeføjelser og tilbagesøger statsstøtte, gør det ikke i sig selv en tilbagesøgningsafgørelse ulovlig, bortset fra i undtagelsestilfælde (som dette), hvor Kommissionen påstås åbenlyst at have undladt at handle og klart at have tilsidesat sin pligt til at udvise rettidig omhu.
Germany notes that in its assessment of financing measures in favour of regional airports, the Commission had never qualified a loss-making beneficiary as a company in difficulty during the start-up phase.
Tyskland gør gældende, at Kommissionen i sin formelle undersøgelse så bort fra andre af Kommissionens retsakter såsom 2005 Konver II-afgørelsen (tildeling af 14,9 mio. ECU til ombygning af tidligere militære flyvepladser i Nordrhein-Westfalen) og handlingsplanen for kapacitet, effektivitet og sikkerhed i Europas lufthavne [35], hvori der antageligvis udtrykkeligt opfordres til, at der skabes ny lufthavnsinfrastruktur.
According to Germany, should the Commission persist in that line of reasoning, it would not be possible for any airport infrastructure to be financed any longer.
BEMÆRKNINGER FRA INTERESSEREDE PARTER
Second, Germany argues that no ‘hard’ criteria for a firm in difficulty were fulfilled at any time.
Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH (»Flughafen Düsseldorf«), som driver Düsseldorf lufthavn, er af den opfattelse, at de fire undersøgte foranstaltninger har påvirket konkurrencen på det indre marked og bør erklæres uforenelige.
Germany disputes the comments made in the opening decision as regards negative equity and adds that the majority shareholder kept the company financially afloat — through a loan, new capital injection and the agreement to step down in its creditor's rank (Rangrücktritterklärung).
Ifølge Flughafen Düsseldorf blev trafikken i Niederrhein-Weeze tidoblet på færre end ti år, alene fordi lufthavnens omkostningsstruktur var blevet kunstigt lav som følge af offentlig støtte.
In addition, Germany contests the Commission's interpretation of the General Court's judgments in cases T-102/07 and T-120/07 Freistaat Sachsen/Commission insofar it implies automaticity between the existence of negative equity and qualification as a company in difficulty.
Fordi der blev indledt flydrift i Niederrhein-Weeze, har Ryanair misbrugt brandet »Düsseldorf« i sine markedsføringskampagner, som har vildledt og omdirigeret potentielle kunder til Niederrhein-Weeze på bekostning af Flughafen Düsseldorf.
According to Germany, the negative equity criterion is only one of several criteria identified by the General Court to determine whether a firm is in difficulty.
Niederrheinische Industrie- und Handelskammer Duisburg Wesel Kleve zu Duisburg
Third, Germany states that FN GmbH exhibits no symptoms suggesting that the company is in difficulty, since FN GmbH's business development has been positive since its inception.
Niederrheinische Industrie- und Handelskammer Duisburg Wesel Kleve zu Duisburg (»Niederrheinische IHK«), det lokale industri- og handelskammer, fremhæver, at lukningen af den militære flyveplads førte til et tab af 400 jobs og omkring 100 mio. EUR i indtægter pr. år for Landkreis Kleve, mens udviklingen af Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn har været yderst positiv og skabt over 1200 jobs i regionen.
In particular, the fact that FN GmbH's interest charges increase would not reveal financial difficulties such as over-indebtedness, but would rather reflect the main shareholder's repeated investment into FN GmbH.
Niederrheinische IHK bemærker endvidere, at lufthavnen er vokset i henhold til forretningsplanen fra 2003 og er blevet den tredjestørste regionale lufthavn i Land Nordrhein-Westfalen.
Fourth, Germany argues that FN GmbH could solve its financial difficulties thanks to its own operational profits, loans from commercial banks as well as loans and funds received from its majority shareholder.
Det nylige fald i passagertrafikken tilskrives i vid udstrækning indførelsen af afgifter på flybilletter i Tyskland.
Finally Germany claims that FN GmbH cannot be deemed a company in difficulty under the Rescue and Restructuring Guidelines, which exclude companies created less than three years after their creation (like FN GmbH GmbH) from that qualification.
Erlebe-Fernreisen og Atlasreisen
Distortion of competition
Erlebe-Fernreisen GmbH (»Erlebe-Fernreisen«) og Atlasreisen Partnerunternehmen (»Atlasreisen«), to lokale rejsebureauer, udtrykker støtte til Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavns position under proceduren.
Germany argues that in the opening decision, the Commission failed to demonstrate the effects of the support measures on competition on the relevant market, which it failed to define.
Erlebe-Fernreisen er af den opfattelse, at renoveringen af den militære flyveplads og samarbejdet om forvaltningen af Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn har fremmet virksomhedens vækst.
After making these general comments, Germany took position on the various measures under assessment:
Atlasreisen minder om, at lufthavnen har gennemført den vanskelige certificeringsproces og om indførelsen af en afgift på flybilletter i Tyskland.
Measure 1: EEL GmbH's support to FN GmbH
Agello Service GmbH (»Agello«), leverandør af lufthavnstjenester, fremhæver, at den positive forretningsmæssige udvikling af Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn har gjort den til den tredjestørste regionale lufthavn i Land Nordrhein-Westfalen og anser den for at være et vellykket europæisk projekt.
EEL GmbH control over FN GmbH
Det nylige fald i passagertrafikken tilskrives i vid udstrækning indførelsen af afgift på flybilletter i Tyskland.
Germany claimed that all payments funded from the loans granted by EEL GmbH to FN GmbH were strictly controlled by EEL GmbH, which supervised their direct transfer to the creditors on behalf (treuhänderisch) of FN GmbH.
Pro:niederrhein, en gruppe af lokale borgere, der støtter Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn, hævder, at de undersøgte foranstaltninger ikke er ulovlige, og at lufthavnen er vigtig for regionen, hvilket understøttes af, at over 20000 personer underskrev en underskriftsindsamling i 2006.
According to Germany, by doing so, EEL GmbH could ensure that its resources would be exclusively allocated to investments, and not to day-to-day operations.
Serve2fly hævder, at synspunkterne i indledningsafgørelsen strider mod Kommissionens egne retningslinjer ved at hindre lokale lufthavne i at konkurrere på markedet.
Germany mentioned additional studies produced shortly afterwards, which recommended the specialisation of the new airport infrastructure to the LCC segment, which was then identified as the most promising growth source in the late 1990s.
Serve2fly minder om de ugunstige eksterne hændelser, som lufthavnen har skullet håndtere, og anmoder Kommissionen om at tage dem i betragtning.
The construction of an infrastructure explicitly designed for LCC traffic, the geographical situation of the airport (catching around 35 million inhabitants), the saturation of the nearby Amsterdam and Dusseldorf airports were then depicted as competitive advantages.
Van Boekel, RAS og SOV
Given the need to enforce environmental protection rules, FN GmbH simultaneously commissioned an air traffic forecast from […] (‘the […] study’), which anticipated for 2010 a traffic of 2,88 million passengers, and for 2020 a traffic ranging between 3,1 and 4,85 million passengers.
Van Boekel GmbH, et lokalt selskab, der bl.a. er aktivt inden for vejarbejde og landskabsarkitektur, Rheinland Air Service Werft & Handel GmbH (RAS), leverandør af tankningsydelser til lufthavnen, og Schilling Omnibusverkehr GmbH (SOV), busselskabet, der betjener Niederrhein-Weeze fra Köln og Düsseldorf, fremhæver, at lufthavnen nu er en rentabel privat lufthavn med en reel europæisk dimension.
Germany observes that the traffic records show that the business plan was perfectly respected until 2010, despite the adverse events described above.
NRN Energie GmbH (»NRN Energie«) understreger, at lufthavnen i modsætning til Eindhoven lufthavn blev finansieret af en privat investor, som havde yderligere finansiering via Nederlandenes militære operationer.
Germany further explains that in 2009, in view of the enlarged scope of Ryanair activities at the airport, FN GmbH commissioned another business plan covering the year 2009-2020 (‘the 2009 business plan’).
Hvad angår offentlig deltagelse, mener NRN Energie, at de offentlige lån er blevet ydet på markedsvilkår.
This business plan was transmitted to [bank], which could take this expert's study into consideration when making the decision to grant a commercial loan to FN GmbH.
NRN Energie støtter Tysklands bemærkninger om berettigede forventninger.
In light of those elements, Germany contested the Commission's preliminary views that FN GmbH's business model was unsustainable and that the privatisation process was conducted on political considerations and not on pure commercial terms.
Landkreis Kleve
Market-conformity of EEL GmbH's loans to FN GmbH
Landkreis Kleve er enig i alle Tysklands bemærkninger, navnlig dem der vedrører berettigede forventninger.
Germany stated that the opening decision uses an incorrect legal basis to assess the market conformity of the interest rates of the loans granted by EEL GmbH.
Desuden understreger Landkreis Kleve det stigende behov for regionale lufthavne i Nordrhein-Westfalen — et af de tættest befolkede områder i Europa — som ikke fuldt ud kan opfyldes af den nært beliggende Düsseldorf lufthavn, som næsten ikke har mere kapacitet.
According to Germany, the Commission used the 2008 Communication from the Commission on the revision of the method for setting the reference and discount rates (‘the 2008 Reference Rate communication’) [24] in its assessment.
Landkreis Kleve tilføjer, at finansieringen af Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn nøje overholdt 2005-luftfartsretningslinjerne, da den var en lufthavn i kategori D (til og med 2007).
Germany argues that since most measures under scrutiny were granted between 2003 and 2005, the Commission should have applied its 1997 notice on the method for setting the reference and discount rates (‘the 1997 Reference Rate communication’) [25].
FN GmbH er enig i alle Tysklands bemærkninger til indledningsafgørelsen, som selskabet bidrog til udformningen af.
Moreover, irrespective of which of the two communications would be applicable ratione temporis, Germany questioned the applicability of any Commission reference rate to this case on the grounds that there is allegedly no functioning financial market for the construction of airport infrastructure.
FN GmbH understreger, at de undersøgte foranstaltninger ikke udgør statsstøtte, navnlig ikke de lån, som EEL GmbH ydede, og som blev ydet på markedsvilkår.
Germany added that the loans granted by the public authorities were totally market compliant on the following grounds:
Ifølge FN GmbH har selskabet, trods meget store investeringer i lufthavnsinfrastrukturen ([50-100] mio. EUR), kunnet opretholde en høj egenkapitalandel (over [20-50] %) og begrænse den del af finansieringsforanstaltningerne, der er omfattet af undersøgelsen, til mindre end [20-50] % af den samlede finansiering.
all loans agreements provided for the repayment of the principal accrued with market conform and/or legally applicable interests;
FN GmbH tilføjer, at både trafikken og driftsoverskuddet har været stigende, siden driften blev indledt i 2003, således at FN GmbH har haft årlige overskud siden 2007.
all loans granted to FN GmbH were completely and constantly secured by (i) charges on land of prime rank (Grundschuld auf sämtliche Grundstücke), (ii) Airport Network BV's shares in ANH GmbH's capital and (iii) ANH GmbH's shares in FN's capital;
FN GmbH bemærker endvidere, at driftsindtægterne fortsat stiger og langt overstiger driftsomkostningerne, der er stabile.
the interest rates of the loans granted to FN GmbH, ranging from [1-8] %, were at all times market-compliant taking into account the significant initial contribution of private capital injections (around [20-50] %) in the overall project financing and the high level of collateralisation;
Ifølge FN GmbH ville dette solide driftsresultat være endnu bedre, hvis alle omkostninger til selskabets offentlige tjenesteydelser blev trukket ud af resultatopgørelsen.
these interest rates are equivalent to the interests granted for 10-year maturity loans that are 80 % collateralised with estate properties.
FN GmbH understreger, at selskabet ikke er en kriseramt virksomhed, og at alle lån er blevet ydet på markedsvilkår.
As regards the private investor test, Germany referred to the case-law in the Italian Republic v Commission case [26] where the Court stated that ‘In order to determine whether such measures are in the nature of State aid, it is necessary to consider whether in similar circumstances a private investor of a size comparable to that of the bodies administering the public sector might have provided capital of such an amount’.
FN GmbH hævder, at i denne kreditvurderingsklasse er rentesatserne for de lån, som EEL GmbH har ydet, højere end Bundesbanks satser for nye sikrede kreditter eller Pfandbriefindex-satserne [36] (plus en sædvanlig margen på 80-120 basispoint).
Germany argued that a private investor in lieu of EEL would have taken into account the obligation of legal compliance and accepted that the profitability of the investment could be delayed given the compliance costs, as already recognised by the Commission in the previous individual aid case Einzelbeihilfe für Wasserwerke [27].
Andre interesserede parter
Germany also added that a private investor may also take into account the strategic nature/objective of the business model to adapt its profitability projections.
Fem personer tvivler på, at:
According to point 3.2 (v) of the Commission Communication on Public authorities' holdings in company capital of 14 September 1984 [28], ‘the strategic nature of the investment in terms of markets or supplies is such that acquisition of a shareholding could be regarded as the normal behaviour of a provider of capital, although profitability is delayed’.
de oplysninger, som Tyskland har fremlagt, afspejler de reelle beløb, som er ydet til EEL GmbH og FN GmbH
Germany concluded that this provision rules out the presence of an economic advantage involving State aid.
lufthavnen havde kunnet overleve uden offentlige lån
Measure 2: Land NordRhein Westfalen's support measure to FN GmbH
der ikke var et fungerende finansielt marked, der kunne finansiere projekter såsom projektet i Niederrhein-Weeze lufthavn
According to Germany, the support measure granted by a decision of Land Nordrhein Westfalen to FN GmbH on 15 October 2002 for an amount of EUR 3,525 million actually constitutes no aid or at least existing aid within the meaning of the Procedural Regulation.
FN GmbH vil være i stand til at tilbagebetale alle lån og renter på forfaldsdatoerne i 2016; de berørte tredjeparter hævder i den forbindelse, at Tyskland skulle have været tvunget til at acceptere ombytningen af gæld til andele, som blev planlagt i 2011, hvilket ville indebære ulovlig støtte og være en transaktion, som ingen privat investor ville have foretaget
Germany argued that that the measure has been adopted on the basis of the 1993 Decree.
den rentesats, som Tyskland har krævet af FN GmbH, svarer til markedsforholdene
According to Germany, the decree had been adopted before the Commission notice on the application of Articles 92 and 93 of the EC Treaty and Article 61 of the EEA agreement to State aids in the aviation sector (‘the 1994 Aviation Guidelines’) [29].
FN GmbH har skabt 350 jobs (som var Tysklands krav til FN GmbH som forudsætning for at give afkald på tilbagebetalingen af den anden rate på [2-5] mio. EUR i 2004)
Germany added that the financing of airport infrastructures only constituted State aid and became subject to the Commission's scrutiny at a later stage, following: (a) the Commission's adoption of its Community guidelines on financing of airports and start-up aid to airlines departing from regional airports (‘the 2005 Aviation Guidelines’) in 2005 and (b) the adoption of landmark judgments in that sector by the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union [30].
den reelle værdi af sikkerhedsstillelsen fra Airport Network B.V. for lånene til FN GmbH er høj [37]
Germany also argued in this respect that the Commission used an incorrect legal basis in the opening decision to preliminary assess Measure 2.
en investor ville have løbet den risiko, der er forbundet med at yde lån til en lufthavn, som ikke havde sin driftslicens fra begyndelsen.
Indeed, the opening decision [31] was based on the new version of the 1993 Decree, which entered into force on 1 January 2003, after the granting of the measure.
TYSKLANDS BEMÆRKNINGER TIL BEMÆRKNINGERNE FRA INTERESSEREDE PARTER
Finally, Germany considers that, since the 1993 Decree, on the basis of which the aid measure under scrutiny has been adopted, has been repealed, there is no need for the Commission to make use of the provisions of the Procedural Regulation related to existing aid.
Tyskland mener ikke, at Hr. Kleinschnittgers oplysninger kan anvendes i sagsbehandlingen, eftersom de indeholder fortrolige oplysninger fra drøftelserne i Landkreis Kleves distriktsråd, som er blevet ulovligt indsamlet og videresendt til Kommissionen.
Germany considers that the granting of the bridge financing was necessary to accompany the private investment into the airport at the startup phase.
For så vidt angår bemærkningerne fra visse enkeltpersoner, henviser Tyskland til sine bemærkninger af 18. marts 2013 og 19. august 2013, der er opsummeret i afsnit 5.
As regards the waiving of FN GmbH's obligation to repay the second loan tranche, Germany holds that the district of Kleve deliberately took that decision since FN GmbH had fulfilled its legal obligation to create at least 350 jobs.
VURDERING AF FORANSTALTNINGERNE
Measure 4: public refinancing of EEL GmbH
I henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF er statsstøtte eller støtte, som ydes ved hjælp af statsmidler under enhver tænkelig form, og som fordrejer eller truer med at fordreje konkurrencevilkårene ved at begunstige visse virksomheder eller visse produktioner, uforenelig med det indre marked, i det omfang den påvirker samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
Germany contests that the refinancing of EEL GmbH constitutes an operation involving the State, since it is merely a capital injection undertaken by EEL GmbH's shareholders.
Kriterierne i artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF er kumulative.
Germany points out that the refinancing of the EEL GmbH was carried out by the public owners and private banks.
For at en foranstaltning kan udgøre statsstøtte i henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF, skal hver af de følgende fire betingelser derfor være opfyldt.
Germany claims that the opening decision counts the alleged State aid twice (FN GmbH's refinancing by EEL GmbH, and EEL GmbH's refinancing by its public shareholders) although they form only one single measure.
Den økonomiske støtte skal:
Germany recalls that the Commission had renounced to proceed to a double assessment in the similar Leipzig/Halle case [32].
ydes af staten eller ved hjælp af statsmidler
Germany denies that EEL GmbH was involved in any economic activity and argues that EEL GmbH should be instead considered as a temporary Special Purpose Vehicle (‘SPV’) set up to manage and develop the airport infrastructure.
begunstige visse virksomheder eller visse produktioner
Germany takes the view that EEL GmbH was set up to be more efficient in the project management than its two separate shareholders (the district of Kleve and the municipality of Weeze) and to channel start-up support provided by the latter in a more transparent way.
fordreje eller true med at fordreje konkurrencevilkårene og
According to Germany, no private investor would have carried out the same activities as those of EEL GmbH.
påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
Finally, Germany added that EEL GmbH was making a profit margin thanks to the difference between the interest rates of the loans received from its shareholders and those granted to FN GmbH.
I den foreliggende sag har Tyskland hævdet, at EEL GmbH og selskabets anpartshavere konsekvent handlede som forsigtige markedsøkonomiske aktører med profit for øje, og at de undersøgte foranstaltninger ikke indebar en økonomisk fordel, som virksomheden ikke ville have opnået under normale markedsvilkår.
Compatibility assessment
Hvis det virkelig er tilfældet, udgør Tysklands foranstaltninger ikke statsstøtte.
Germany doubts that the Commission thoroughly assessed the compatibility of the support measures in the opening decision.
I modsætning til, hvad Tyskland hævder, har Kommissionen ikke skabt nogen berettigede forventninger med hensyn til afslutningen af den foreløbige undersøgelse.
It adds that, in view of the issue relating to legitimate expectations explained below, the Commission should neither proceed further with the investigation nor consider any recovery of the support measure.