natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Irland fremsendte disse oplysninger ved brev af 15. april 2011.
That meeting was followed by the dispatch of additional information by the Irish authorities by letter dated 9 November 2011.
Den 19. september 2011 bad Kommissionen de irske myndigheder om yderligere oplysninger.
On 13 September 2012, a meeting took place with the Irish authorities in Dublin at the request of the Commission.
Der blev efter anmodning fra de irske myndigheder afholdt en telekonference den 14. oktober 2011.
That meeting was followed by the Commission requesting further information from the Irish authorities by e-mail of 19 September 2012, to which Ireland replied by letter of 23 November 2012.
I forlængelse heraf fremsendte de irske myndigheder yderligere oplysninger ved brev af 9. november 2011.
On 21 February 2014, the Commission requested further information from Ireland, which the Irish authorities provided by letter of 15 May 2014.
Den 13. september 2012 blev der afholdt et møde med de irske myndigheder i Dublin efter anmodning fra Kommissionen.
THE PARTIES
I forlængelse af dette møde bad Kommissionen de irske myndigheder om yderligere oplysninger i en e-mail af 19. september 2012, som Irland svarede på ved brev af 23. november 2012.
The complainant
Den 21. februar 2014 bad Kommissionen Irland om yderligere oplysninger.
The complainant, the Coach Tourism and Transport Council, is the representative body for independent private transport companies that operate transport services (including long distance national and international scheduled services, commuter, rural and urban transport services, school transport services, incoming tourism, outbound tourism and general hire) in Ireland on a commercial basis.
Irland fremsendte disse oplysninger ved brev af 15. maj 2014.
The beneficiaries
PARTERNE
The recipients of the alleged unlawful State aid are Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus.
Klageren
These bus operators are limited companies, 100 % owned by CIÉ [6].
Klageren, Coach Tourism and Transport Council, er en organisation, som repræsenterer uafhængige private transportselskaber, der leverer transporttjenester (herunder national og international rutekørsel over lange distancer, pendlertransport, land- og bytransport, skolebuskørsel, turistkørsel ind og ud af landet og almindelig udlejning) i Irland på kommercielle vilkår.
Bus Éireann provides bus services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin city services, using its own and subcontractor resources.
Støttemodtagerne
The bus services provided include long distance ‘Expressway’ bus services, urban, suburban, regional city and town bus services, Eurolines international coach services, school transport services and ancillary services, such as coach and bus hire, day tours, vehicle testing, contract maintenance, and parcel delivery.
Modtagerne af den påståede ulovlige statsstøtte er Bus Éireann og Dublin Bus.
The school transport services are operated on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills [7].
Disse busselskaber er aktieselskaber, der ejes fuldt ud af CIÉ [6].
The primary activity of Dublin Bus is providing urban and suburban bus services for the Dublin Metropolitan Area (including Dublin city and county as well as contiguous areas).
Bus Éireann står for busdriften i hele Irland (med undtagelse af bybuskørslen i Dublin) og benytter sig både af egne og underleverandørers ressourcer.
In addition, Dublin Bus is engaged in three areas of commercial activities: sightseeing tours, Airlink Airport Express and bus hire/special events.
Busdriften omfatter fjernbuskørsel (»Expressway«), kørsel i større og mindre byer, forstæder og regioner, internationale Eurolines-busrejser, skolebuskørsel og sekundære tjenester såsom udlejning af busser, dagsudflugter, teknisk kontrol, afprøvning af køretøjer, kontraktservice og udbringning af pakker.
NATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK COVERING THE MEASURES
Skolebuskørslen varetages på vegne af Department of Education and Skills — ministeriet for uddannelse og kvalifikationer [7].
Transport Acts
Dublin Bus' hovedopgave er at levere buskørsel i den indre by og forstæderne i hovedstadsområdet (Dublin by og amt samt tilstødende områder).
Section 15(1) of the Transport Act, 1950, first imposed on CIÉ as a general duty ‘to provide or secure or promote the provision of an efficient, economical, convenient and properly integrated system of public transport’ for passengers by road taking into account the safety of operation and the encouragement of national economic development.
Dublin Bus har desuden tre andre forretningsområder, nemlig sightseeingture, lufthavnskørsel (Airlink Airport Express) og udlejning af busser/særlige begivenheder.
The section of the Transport Act, 1950, mentioned in the previous recital was repealed by the Transport Act, 1958, whose Section 7 provides: ‘It shall be the general duty of the Board [CIÉ] to provide reasonable, efficient and economical transport services with due regard to safety of operation, the encouragement of national economic development and the maintenance of reasonable conditions of employment for its employees.’.
NATIONALE LOVRAMMER, DER OMFATTER FORANSTALTNINGERNE
The Transport (Re-organisation of CIÉ) Act, 1986, defines the principal objectives and duties of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus.
Den ovenfor nævnte bestemmelse i Transport Act, 1950 blev ophævet ved Transport Act, 1958, hvori der i § 7 bestemmes følgende: »[CIÉ's] overordnede opgave er at levere rimelige, effektive og økonomisk overkommelige transporttjenester under passende hensyntagen til driftssikkerheden, stimuleringen af den nationale økonomiske udvikling og sikring af rimelige arbejdsvilkår for dets ansatte«.
In addition, according to Section 8(10) of the Transport (Re-organisation of CIÉ) Act, 1986, CIÉ and its bus companies must take into account their social role and the need to maintain public transport services to the maximum extent possible within the available financial resources.
Bus Éireanns og Dublin Bus' vigtigste forpligtelser og opgaver er fastsat i Transport (Re-organisation of CIÉ) Act, 1986.
The Irish authorities further explained that the standard journey fares (including the adult standard journey fares on all categories of services and school child fares on city services) [8] charged by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann are subject to the control of the Minister of Transport in terms of the maximum fares that can be charged.
I henhold til § 8, stk. 10, i Transport (Re-organisation of CIÉ) Act, 1986 skal CIÉ og dets busselskaber desuden tage hensyn til deres samfundsmæssige rolle og behovet for at bevare offentlige transporttjenester i videst muligt omfang inden for de gældende økonomiske rammer.
Neither bus operator is permitted to increase those fares without the prior consent of the Department of Transport.
De irske myndigheder har endvidere forklaret, at Dublin Bus' og Bus Éireanns standardtakster (herunder standardtaksterne for voksne i alle busser og bybustaksten for skoleelever) [8] kontrolleres af transportministeren, som afgør, hvor høje takster der må opkræves.
Fares charged by private operators are not subject to any notification or control procedures.
De to busselskaber må ikke sætte taksterne op uden forudgående samtykke fra transportministeriet.
Since 10 January 2001, both CIÉ bus operators are required by a Ministerial direction [9] to notify to the Department of Transport proposed new services or proposed changes to existing services at least four weeks prior to their introduction.
Private busselskabers takster er ikke underlagt krav om underretning eller kontrol.
Such notification by CIÉ bus operators must be supported by full details of the services proposed.
CIÉ's to busselskaber har siden den 10. januar 2001 skullet underrette transportministeriet om påtænkte nye tjenester eller påtænkte ændringer af eksisterende tjenester, mindst fire uger før de gennemføres, i henhold til en ministeriel instruks [9].
Where the Department of Transport determines that proposed services would conflict with an existing licensed passenger road service, CIÉ companies are required to formally seek the consent of the Minister of Transport under Section 25 of the Transport Act, 1958.
Underretninger fra CIÉ's busselskaber skal indeholde fyldestgørende oplysninger om de påtænkte tjenester.
Memoranda of Understanding
Hvis transportministeriet finder, at de påtænkte tjenester vil være uforenelige med en eksisterende tilladelse til buskørsel, skal CIÉ's selskaber anmode formelt om transportministerens samtykke i henhold til § 25 i Transport Act, 1958.
From 2003 to 2009, the payment of compensation to Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann was the subject of annual Memoranda of Understanding with both companies.
Aftalememoranda
The Irish authorities explained that those Memoranda of Understanding identify the quality (including customer service quality, cleanliness, bus age, accessibility, etc.) and quantity (including number of buses, operated kilometres, customers carried, etc.) of services to be provided by each of the companies in return for the Exchequer payments.
Fra 2003 til 2009 blev der indgået årlige aftalememoranda med Dublin Bus og Bus Éireann om betaling af kompensation til disse selskaber.
Furthermore, the financial and operational requirements and monitoring and reporting arrangements are regulated by those Memoranda of Understanding.
De irske myndigheder forklarede, at disse aftalememoranda angiver kvaliteten (med hensyn til kundeservice, renhed, bussernes alder, tilgængelighed osv.) og kvantiteten (med hensyn til antallet af busser, rutelængde, antal passagerer osv.) af de tjenester, som de enkelte selskaber skal yde for at opnå statslig kompensation.
From 2005 to 2008, payment of a fixed portion of the subsidy for each of the operating companies was conditional on meeting certain performance criteria laid down in the Memoranda of Understanding.
Aftalememorandaene indeholder desuden økonomiske og driftsmæssige krav samt regler om overvågning og rapportering.
National Development Plans
Fra 2005 til 2008 var udbetalingen af en fast del af støtten til de enkelte driftsselskaber betinget af, at de opfyldte visse resultatkrav, der var fastsat i aftalememorandummet.
The National Development Plans cover all sectors of the economy and have as their main objectives the improvement of the Irish economic and social infrastructure.
Nationale udviklingsplaner
The activities of the National Development Plans are financed through public, private and Union funds [10].
Aktiviteterne i de nationale udviklingsplaner finansieres med offentlige og private midler samt EU-midler [10].
The National Development Plan 2007-13 was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Plan 2012-16.
National Transport Authority og de nye kontrakter om offentlig trafikbetjening
National Transport Authority and new public service contracts
Den 14. april 2008 bekendtgjorde de irske myndigheder Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, som skulle »fremme oprettelsen af en ny transportmyndighed (Transport Authority) med overordnet ansvar for koordinering af transport- og trafikstyringen og bevilling af kapital og driftsmidler til offentlig transport i Dublin og omegn«.
On 14 April 2008, the Irish authorities published the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 to ‘facilitate the establishment of a new Transport Authority with overall responsibility for coordinating transport and traffic management, and allocating capital and current funding for public transport in the Greater Dublin Area’.
I Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 blev den nye myndighed efterfølgende omdøbt til National Transport Authority.
The 2009 Public Transport Regulation Act later renamed the new authority as the National Transport Authority.
Den nye myndighed overtog ansvaret for regulering af den offentlige buskørsel i hele landet.
The new authority took over the regulation of public bus passenger services for the whole country.
Det fremgår af § 48, stk. 1, litra b), i Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, at »[n]år [National Transport] Authority har til hensigt at sikre levering af offentlig personbefordring (…) skal den (…) gøre det i overensstemmelse med en kontrakt om offentlige tjenester«.
Section 48(1)(b) of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 states that ‘Where the [National Transport] Authority proposes to secure the provision of public passenger transport services […] it shall […] do so in accordance with a public transport services contract.’.
Den 1. december 2009 underskrev National Transport Authority to nye kontrakter om offentlig trafikbetjening i henhold til forordning (EF) nr. 1370/2007 om kompensation for offentlig trafikbetjening i en periode på fem år.
On 1 December 2009, the National Transport Authority signed two public service contracts pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007, concerning compensation for public service obligations (‘PSO’s), for a period of five years.
Den ene kontrakt blev indgået med Dublin Bus og vedrørte kørsel i Dublin og omegn, og den anden kontrakt blev indgået med Bus Éireann og vedrørte kørsel i resten af landet.
One contract was with Dublin Bus relating to services in the Greater Dublin Area, and the other with Bus Éireann relating to services in the rest of the country.
Det ovenfor nævnte aftalememorandum (jf. afsnit 3.2) blev samtidig ophævet.
Simultaneously, the aforementioned Memoranda of Understanding (see Section 3.2) were discontinued.
Eftersom indledningsafgørelsen ikke omfatter disse kontrakter om offentlig trafikbetjening, er undersøgelsen af den årlige driftskompensation, som Irland har tildelt Dublin Bus og Bus Éireann i forbindelse med buskørsel i byer, forstæder og regioner, i denne afgørelse begrænset til perioden før den 1. december 2009, hvor kontrakterne vedrørende denne kørsel trådte i kraft.
Since the Opening Decision does not cover those public service contracts, the examination of the annual operating compensation granted by Ireland to Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann for urban, suburban and regional bus services in this Decision is limited to period before 1 December 2009, the date on which those contracts began to govern those services.
De irske myndigheder angav i et brev til Kommissionen af 23. november 2012, at »(…) De kapitaltilskud, der er udbetalt til Dublin Bus og Bus Éireann, herunder tilskud til nye busser (…), er tildelt efter bestemmelserne i Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008.
The Irish authorities, in a letter to the Commission of 23 November 2012, stipulated that ‘[…] Capital Grants paid to Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann including grants for new buses […] have been made under the provisions of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008.
Disse tilskud er udbetalt i henhold til denne lovs § 45, hvorefter NTA kan finansiere offentlig transportinfrastruktur, og/eller i henhold til § 49, der vedrører finansiering af kontrakter om offentlig trafikbetjening«.
These payments would arise under Section 45 of that Act which allows the NTA to fund public transport infrastructure and/or under Section 49 which provides for funding of public transport services contracts’.
Der bestemmes følgende i § 45, stk. 1, i Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008: »[National Transport] Authority kan på de betingelser, som den finder passende, yde tilskud til offentlige transportmyndigheder eller tredjeparter inden for rammerne af de bevillinger, der er vedtaget af Oireachtas [det irske parlament], med henblik på at sikre den offentlige transportinfrastruktur, der stilles til rådighed for disse myndigheder eller tredjeparter (…)«.
According to Section 45(1) of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 ‘The [National Transport] Authority may, subject to such conditions as it sees fit, make grants to public transport authorities or third parties out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas [Irish National Parliament], in respect of the securing of public transport infrastructure assigned to such authorities or third parties […]’.
Der bestemmes følgende i § 49, stk. 1, i Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008: »Når [National Transport] Authority indgår en kontrakt om offentlig trafikbetjening i henhold til § 48, kan den på de betingelser, som den finder passende, foretage betalinger til det pågældende offentlige trafikselskab inden for rammerne af de bevillinger, der er vedtaget af Oireachtas eller opnået på anden vis, med henblik på at varetage den offentlige personbefordring, der er omhandlet i denne kontrakt«.
According to Section 49(1) of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 ‘Where the [National Transport] Authority enters into a public transport services contract under Section 48, it may, subject to such conditions as it sees fit, make payments to the public transport operator concerned out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas or otherwise, in respect of the provision of public passenger transport services referred to in that contract.’.
Under hensyn til betragtning 31-33 og den omstændighed, at indledningsafgørelsen ikke omfatter tilskud, der ydes i henhold til Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, er den periode, der er relevant for undersøgelsen af Irlands finansiering af nye busser og infrastruktur til disse to selskaber, i den foreliggende afgørelse begrænset til perioden før den 1. december 2009, hvor den del af denne lov, som indeholder de bestemmelser, der er nævnt i betragtning 31-33, trådte i kraft [11].
In the light of recitals 31 to 33, and since the Opening Decision does not cover grants made under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the relevant period for the examination of the funding for new buses and for infrastructure by Ireland to these two companies in this Decision is limited to the period before 1 December 2009, the date on which the part of that Act which contains the sections of that Act mentioned in recitals 31 to 33, came into force [11].
Aftaler vedrørende skoletransportordningen
Agreements concerning the School Transport Scheme
Bus Éireann varetager skoletransportordningen på vegne af ministeriet for uddannelse og kvalifikationer.
Bus Éireann operates the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
Ordningen er blevet varetaget af CIÉ siden 1967 og af Bus Éireann siden vedtagelsen af Transport (Re-organisation of CIÉ) Act, 1986 [12].
The scheme has been operated by CIÉ since 1967, and since the Transport (Re-organisation of CIÉ) Act, 1986 [12], by Bus Éireann.
De oprindelige finansielle rammer for ordningen var fastsat i en regnskabsaftale fra 1968 [13], som beskrev, hvilke omkostninger der kunne godtgøres, da ordningen blev indført.
The original financial arrangements for the scheme were set out in an accounting agreement from 1968 [13], which describes the costs eligible for reimbursement at the inception of the scheme.
De irske myndigheder har imidlertid bekræftet, at de nuværende regnskabsrammer er baseret på en ajourført aftale fra 1975 [14].
However, the Irish authorities confirmed that the current accounting arrangements are based on an updated agreement from 1975 [14].
Bus Éireann har i øjeblikket udliciteret de fleste ruter under skoletransportordningen til private busselskaber.
The majority of the School Transport Scheme services are currently subcontracted by Bus Éireann to private sector bus operators.
I det årlige aftalememorandum for Bus Éireann tales der ikke om skoletransportordningen, som de irske myndigheder ikke betragter som en offentlig serviceforpligtelse, og som klassificeres som en kommerciel tjeneste i Bus Éireanns regnskab (jf. afsnit 4.4).
The annual Memoranda of Understanding for Bus Éireann do not refer to the School Transport Scheme, which the Irish Authorities do not regard as a PSO and which is classified as a commercial service in Bus Éireann's accounts (see Section 4.4).
Årlig driftskompensation for buskørsel i byer, forstæder og regioner
Annual operating compensation for urban, suburban and regional bus services
De irske myndigheder støtter Bus Éireann og Dublin Bus ved at udbetale årlige kompensationer for drift af offentlig bustransport, der er underlagt en offentlig serviceforpligtelse.
The Irish authorities support Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus through annual compensation payments for the operation of public bus transport services that fall under a PSO.
Bus Éireanns offentlige trafikbetjening omfatter alle ruter i byer, forstæder og regioner (Stage Carriage og City Services).
Bus Éireann's PSO services are all urban, suburban and regional services (Stage Carriage and City Services).
Bus Éireanns øvrige tjenester såsom de tværregionale fjernruter (»Expressway«), privat udlejning, dagudflugter, internationale Eurolines-busrejser og skoletransportordningen er ikke underlagt en offentlig serviceforpligtelse.
Other Bus Éireann services, such as long distance interregional ‘Expressway’, private hire, day tours, Eurolines international coach services, and the School Transport Scheme, do not fall under a PSO and, according to Ireland, the company accounts for them as commercial services.
Ifølge Irland bogfører selskabet disse tjenester som kommercielle tjenester.
Dublin Bus's PSO services are the urban city services that they operate in the Greater Dublin area.
Dublin Bus' offentlige trafikbetjening omfatter buskørslen i Dublin og omegn.
Other Dublin Bus services, namely sightseeing tours, Airlink Airport Express and bus hire/special events, do not fall under a PSO and the company accounts for them as commercial services.
Dublin Bus' øvrige tjenester, dvs. sightseeingture, Airlink Airport Express og udlejning af busser/særlige begivenheder, er ikke underlagt en offentlig serviceforpligtelse, og selskabet regnskabsfører dem som kommercielle tjenester.
For the period 2003 to 2009, the Irish authorities provided the annual compensation payments set out in Table 1 to CIÉ for Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus for the purpose of running PSO services.
Tabel 1
Operating Compensation for PSO Services, EUR (millions)
Driftskompensation for offentlig trafikbetjening, EUR (mio.)
Year
I alt (begge selskaber)
Total (Combined)
De irske myndigheder har forklaret, at disse kompensationer kun anvendes til at varetage den offentlige trafikbetjening, og at de på ingen måde understøtter busselskabernes kommercielle tjenester.
The Irish authorities state that these compensation payments are used solely for the purpose of running the PSO services and in no way subsidise the bus companies' commercial services.
Eventuelle overskud af selskabernes kommercielle tjenester anvendes desuden til krydssubsidiering af tabsgivende offentlig trafikbetjening.
Furthermore, any profits generated by the commercial services of either company are used to cross-subsidise loss-making PSO services, and Bus Éireann in particular has supported its PSO services from its profitable commercial services.
Bus Éireann har således hentet støtte til sin offentlige trafikbetjening fra sine overskudsgivende kommercielle tjenester.
From 2003 to 2009, the annual compensation amounts were specified in advance in the Memoranda of Understanding which both bus companies signed with the Department of Transport each year.
Fra 2003 til 2009 var de årlige kompensationsbeløb fastsat på forhånd i de aftalememoranda, som begge busselskaber indgik med transportministeriet hvert år.
Those Memoranda also described the bus services to be provided.
Det fremgik også af disse memoranda, hvilke bustjenester der skulle leveres.
Financing of new buses
Finansiering af nye busser
The Irish authorities also support Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus with grants for the funding of new buses under the National Development Plans.
De irske myndigheder yder også tilskud til Bus Éireann og Dublin Bus til finansiering af nye busser inden for rammerne af de nationale udviklingsplaner.
From 2000-08, grants were made to CIÉ for its bus operators for the purpose of running PSO services, as set out in Table 2.
I perioden 2000-2008 modtog CIÉ tilskud til sine busselskaber som anført i tabel 2 med henblik på varetagelse af den offentlige trafikbetjening.
The grants for new buses examined by this Decision begin in 2000, because this is the first year of the National Development Plan 2000-06 [15], and end in 2009 [16].
De tilskud til nye busser, der er omhandlet i denne afgørelse, blev ydet i perioden fra 2000 — det første år, hvor den nationale udviklingsplan for 2000-2006 [15] var gældende — til 2009 [16].
Table 2