natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Analyse af foreneligheden
On the first test (the existence of a service of general economic interest (‘SGEI’) and a clearly defined mandate), the Commission expressed doubt as to whether the installation and operation of the Landivisiau plant could be qualified as an SGEI, firstly because of the failure to provide documentary evidence that there had been a problem of security of electricity supply in Brittany in the past, and secondly because Member States could not tie specific public service obligations to services that were already being provided satisfactorily, or that could potentially be so provided, on terms compatible with the general interest, by undertakings operating in normal market conditions: in the case in hand, undertakings operating under normal market conditions would have been able to provide the capacity required to guarantee security of supply in Brittany if French regulations had not prevented electricity prices from sending the right signals to encourage investment in capacity in the region.
Den retlige ramme
Thirdly, the measure also discriminated against other technologies, since it related only to CCG technology.
Kommissionen fandt i sin indledningsafgørelse, at foranstaltningen skulle vurderes i lyset af artikel 107 i TEUF, i tilfælde af at dens tvivl med hensyn til opfyldelsen af alle Altmark-kriterierne blev bekræftet.
The measure was thus not technologically neutral [13].
Foranstaltningen skulle i så fald analyseres på grundlag af retningslinjerne for statsstøtte til miljøbeskyttelse og energi 2014-2020 [16], som fastlægger betingelserne for, at støtte til energi kan anses for at være forenelig med det indre marked i henhold til artikel 107 i TEUF.
Fourthly, the measure was not proportionate, because the need for a 450 MW production plant had not been substantiated by the French authorities via a detailed analysis of the requirement for additional capacity in the region [14].
Subsidiært har Kommissionen anført, at selv om dens tvivl med hensyn til definitionen af forpligtelser til offentlig tjeneste ikke blev bekræftet, ville den undersøge foreneligheden i lyset af sin meddelelse om Den Europæiske Unions rammebestemmelser for statsstøtte i form af kompensation for offentlig tjeneste (2011).
Lastly, in the long term, the invitation to tender was likely to aggravate the problem of security of supply, by closing off the electricity market to investments which did not receive State support, by failing to resolve or indeed aggravating the producer's structural problem of ‘missing money’ [15], and by reducing the scope for developing other technologies.
Vurdering af foreneligheden
On the third test (no overcompensation), the Commission doubted whether overcompensation could be ruled out, given both the lack of a clawback mechanism to reflect future market conditions, and the tendering procedures, which offered no guarantees against the risk of overcompensation.
Med hensyn til målet af fælles interesse udtrykte Kommissionen tvivl om, hvorvidt foranstaltningen bidrager til at tjene et fælles mål bestående i at garantere elforsyningssikkerheden.
On the fourth test (selection of the provider with the lowest cost), the Commission had doubts over whether the invitation to tender had made it possible to select the provider capable of providing the service at the least cost to the community, because the criteria were too restrictive to allow a real choice of service provider: choosing exclusively CCG technology, which was not necessarily the cheapest option, weighting the amount of the premium at 45 %, an excessive restriction of the geographical location, and selection criteria designed to contribute to other aspects of the PEB, such as environmental considerations, which were not conducive to the selection of the tender offering the lowest cost to the public purse.
For det første forekommer foranstaltningens formål ikke tilstrækkeligt klart defineret (generel mangel på kapacitet, spidsbelastningsefterspørgsel), og for det andet kunne foranstaltningen muligvis ikke på mellemlang sigt afhjælpe dårligt fungerende lovgivning og markedsforhold, som i øjeblikket er til hinder for et tilstrækkeligt investeringsniveau i Bretagne.
Because of its doubts over the measure's compliance with the tests defined in the Altmark case, the Commission in its preliminary analysis took the view that the measure might confer a benefit on the successful tenderer, and that the benefit would be selective, because it was awarded to a single undertaking, CEB.
Behovet for foranstaltningen blev ikke påvist i tilstrækkeligt omfang, idet manglen på kapacitet til sæsonudsving eller spidsbelastningsperioder ikke var tilfredsstillende kvantificeret.
Turning to the impact on competition and the effect on trade, the Commission considered that the measure could affect trade and competition because the successful tenderer, enjoying the benefit of an advantageous measure, would be competing with other forms of electricity generation and other suppliers of capacity on markets open to competition (the market for the sale of electricity and the adjustment mechanism).
Der kunne i øvrigt sås tvivl om foranstaltningens nødvendighed, fordi det var muligt at indføre hensigtsmæssige lokale priser, der sendte prissignaler, der kunne give incitament til investeringer uden at anvende støtte.
Compatibility analysis
Kommissionen var ikke overbevist om foranstaltningens egnethed.
Legal context
For det første har de franske myndigheder tilsyneladende ikke i tilstrækkelig grad undersøgt alternative foranstaltninger (opdeling af tarifzonen, fjernlæsningsmålere, styrkelse af eldistributionsnettet).
In its opening decision the Commission said that if its doubts as to compliance with all the Altmark criteria were confirmed, the measure would have to be assessed for compatibility with Article 107 TFEU.
For det andet gav foranstaltningens restriktive karakter også anledning til tvivl, idet den var målrettet mod de typer kapacitetsleverandører, der kunne deltage i udbuddet (udbud begrænset til en enkelt type teknologi, nemlig et CCGT-kraftværk).
In that case the measure would have to be analysed by reference to the 2014 Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy (‘EEAG’) [16], which set out the conditions under which aid to energy can be considered compatible with the internal market on the basis of Article 107 TFEU.
Endelig gav foranstaltningen ikke tilskyndelse til at gøre brug af laststyring.
In the alternative, the Commission said that if the doubts it had expressed concerning the definition of a public service obligation were not confirmed, the compatibility of the measure would have to be examined by reference to the Commission Communication on the European Union framework for State aid in the form of public service compensation (2011).
Med hensyn til proportionaliteten havde Kommissionen også sine tvivl.
Compatibility assessment
Udbuddets restriktive karakter kunne have hindret konkurrenter i at deltage, hvilket ellers havde gjort det muligt at minimere støttebeløbet.
With regard to the objective in the common interest, the Commission raised doubts as to whether the measure would serve the common objective of guaranteeing the security of the electricity supply: firstly, the aim of the measure was not defined clearly enough (general shortage of capacity, peaks of demand), and secondly, in the medium term the measure might not correct the dysfunctions in regulation and the market which currently prevented an adequate level of investment in Brittany.
I øvrigt var der ikke indbygget en tilbagebetalingsklausul i foranstaltningen til brug ved uventede merindtægter.
The need for the measure had not been properly demonstrated, in the absence of a satisfactory quantification of the capacity shortfall at seasonal peaks or in the peak period.
Endelig har Kommissionen udtrykt tvivl om foranstaltningens kapacitet til at forhindre uønskede negative virkninger for konkurrencen og samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
The necessity of the measure was also open to challenge given the possibility of introducing appropriate local pricing that would send price signals likely to encourage investment without recourse to aid.
For det første var foranstaltningen ikke neutral i henseende til teknologi.
The Commission was not satisfied that the measure was appropriate.
Den udelukkede løsningsmuligheder, der også ville kunne afhjælpe kapacitetsproblemet, f.eks. laststyring, samkøring og lagringsløsninger, foruden andre teknologier (gasturbiner).
Firstly, the French authorities did not seem to have given proper consideration to alternatives (subdividing the pricing zone, smart meters, or strengthening the distribution grid).
For det andet var Kommissionen som følge af den mulighed, som Direct Energie havde for at sælge den producerede energi til EDF med 5 % rabat i stedet for at sælge den selv, i tvivl om, hvorvidt der var risiko for en styrkelse af EDF's stilling på markedet for levering af energi.
Further doubts arose because of the restrictive nature of the measure, targeted on the type of capacity suppliers that were able to respond to the invitation to tender (the tender being limited to a single type of technology, CCG).
DE INTERESSEREDE PARTERS BEMÆRKNINGER
Lastly, the measure offered no encouragement of demand-side response.
Kommissionen modtog 58 svar vedrørende indledningsafgørelsen fra andre interesserede parter end den franske stat i høringsperioden.
The Commission also had reservations about proportionality: the restrictive nature of the invitation to tender might have prevented competitors from participating, whereas broader participation might have made it possible to minimise the level of aid.
Disse forskellige svar blev grupperet efter nedenstående temaer.
The measure also made no provision for a clawback mechanism in the event of windfall profits.
De vil blive gennemgået under vurderingen af foranstaltningen.
Lastly, the Commission expressed doubts as to whether the measure could avoid an undesirable negative impact on competition and trade between Member States.
Fælles interesse
Firstly, the measure was not technologically neutral.
I alt 39 interesserede parter fandt, at de franske myndigheder overvurderede risikoen for afbrydelser af elforsyningen.
It excluded other measures that might help to resolve the capacity problem: demand-side response, interconnection, storage solutions, and also other technologies (such as combustion turbines).
Faktisk forekom der end ikke afbrydelser af elforsyningen i den usædvanlige kuldeperiode i 2012.
Secondly, in view of the option given to Direct Energie to sell the energy produced to EDF at a 5 % discount rather than marketing it itself, the Commission was concerned about the risk of strengthening the position of EDF on the energy supply market.
De afbrydelser, der kan have forekommet i Bretagne, skyldtes forhold, der ikke havde med nettets drift at gøre (f.eks. væltede træer).
COMMENTS BY INTERESTED PARTIES
Den senest kendte alvorlige afbrydelse i Frankrig, der indtraf i 1978, afskar tre fjerdedele af landet fra elforsyningen i nogle timer, men denne situation er aldrig siden opstået igen, idet RTE traf de fornødne foranstaltninger til at hindre en gentagelse af denne type.
During the period of consultation on the opening decision, the Commission received 58 responses from interested parties other than the French State.
De interesserede parter understreger til gengæld i andre bemærkninger, at foranstaltningen var forenelig med målet af fælles interesse.
These responses are grouped by topic below.
Anlægsparken er endvidere kendetegnet ved manglen på grundlastværker med kapacitet til at dække efterspørgslen alene, hvilket skulle berettige opførelsen af CCGT-kraftværket.
They will be addressed in the course of the assessment of the measure.
Styrkelse af nettet
Even during the exceptionally cold weather in 2012, no such power cuts occurred.
Et antal interesserede parter begrunder foranstaltningens manglende nødvendighed med den dårlige dimensionering af regionens net.
The cuts that did take place in Brittany were caused by factors external to the operation of the grid, such as falling trees.
Der er omfattende overbelastningsproblemer på 225 kV-ledningerne i det nordlige Bretagne.
The last serious blackout experienced in France, in 1978, deprived three-quarters of the country of electricity for several hours; but no such incident has ever recurred, RTE having taken the steps necessary to ensure that this will not happen again.
Adskillige parter finder derfor, at den fremtidige anlæggelse af en underjordisk 225 kV-ledning mellem koblingsstationerne i Calan (Morbihan), Mûr-de-Bretagne og Plaine Haute (Côtes d'Armor) vil sikre elforsyningen i Bretagne ved at tillade indførsel i Bretagne af yderligere 700 MW og lette distributionen af den elektricitet, der produceres i regionens anlæg til vedvarende energi (på land og i havet).
Other interested parties, however, submit that the measure is compatible with the objective of common interest.
Idriftsættelsen, der er planlagt til november 2017, vil gøre det muligt at supplere regionens elnet og varigt sikre forsyningen af det nordlige og centrale Bretagne.
Around 20 of them say that there is no effective security of supply in Brittany.
De konstaterer, at også andre franske regioner importerer el, nemlig Ile de France, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté og i mindre omfang Pays de la Loire og regionen Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (»PACA«).
The particular geographical situation of Brittany, which is located at the end of the line, is combined with weak local generation of electricity that meets only 13,3 % of consumption [17].
I disse regioner er investeringerne i styrkelsen af nettet blevet begunstiget, frem for opførelsen af et nyt værk.
There is also an absence of baseload power stations able to cover demand independently, and this justifies the construction of the CCG power station.
F.eks. har man i PACA valgt at anlægge et sikkerhedsnet bestående i tre underjordiske 225 kV-ledninger, som i dag gør det muligt at sikre regionen en lige så højtydende og driftssikker elforsyning som resten af Frankrig [18].
Although the region has seen a rise in energy production from renewable resources, their intermittent nature demands the creation of a baseload production plant to mitigate their potential inability to meet peaks in demand.
Derfor foreslår flere interesserede parter en »netløsning«, idet de mener, at en fordobling af 400 kV-ledningen mellem Plaine Haute og Domloup eller en styrkelse af 225 kV-ledningen ville gøre det muligt at øge overførselskapaciteten og dermed importere el på et tilstrækkeligt niveau til at garantere forsyningssikkerheden.
Need for the measure
ENGIE bemærker om denne løsningsmodel, at en sådan fordobling af 400 kV-ledningen ville give en ekstra distributionskapacitet, der er meget større end det behov, der er nødvendigt at dække, selv på lang sigt, og derfor ikke berettiger investeringen.
Strengthening the grid
Styrkelsen af 225 kV-ledningen ville derfor være bedre egnet til at dække det reelle behov, men ville ikke desto mindre kræve styrkelse af en betydelig strækning af nettet.
A number of interested parties argue that there is no need for the measure because any difficulties are due to the flawed dimensions of the grid in the region.
Udvikling i efterspørgslen
There is significant congestion on the 225 kV lines in northern Brittany.
Flere parter er af den opfattelse, at udviklingen i efterspørgslen gør, at foranstaltningen ikke er nødvendig for at nå målet om forsyningssikkerhed.
Several interested parties therefore consider that the impending construction of an underground 225 kV electricity line connecting the substations in Calan (in Morbihan) and Mûr-de-Bretagne and Plaine-Haute (in Côtes d'Armor) will secure electricity supplies in Brittany by enabling the importation into Brittany of an additional 700 MW and by facilitating the smooth transmission of electricity from the region's renewable energy facilities on land and offshore.
Disse parter støtter primært deres argument på en rapport fra 2014 fra RTE, ifølge hvilken følsomheden over for temperaturudsving udviser en faldende tendens.
They submit that the commissioning of this line, expected in November 2017, will complete the electrical grid in the region and secure supply to the north and centre of Brittany on a lasting basis.
I 2014 i Bretagne steg forbruget således med 150 MW, da temperaturen faldt én grad.
They observe that other French regions are also significant importers of electricity: Île de France, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and, to a lesser extent, the Pays de la Loire and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
Tidligere lå stigningen i forbruget i størrelsesordenen 200 MW pr. grads temperaturfald.
In these regions, investment in upgrading the network has been preferred to the construction of a new power station.
Endvidere forventer 16 interesserede parter et fald i efterspørgslen som følge af udbredelsen af intelligente målere og indførelse af ÉcoWatt-initiativet.
For example, the region of Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur chose to acquire a safety net consisting of three underground 225 kV electricity lines, which today gives it an electricity supply that is as effective and reliable as anywhere in France [18].
Dette initiativ gør det muligt for interesserede borgere at blive informeret, når nettet er meget belastet, og efterfølgende nedsætte deres elforbrug.
In consequence, a number of interested parties propose a grid-based solution.
De interesserede parter finder, at forbedringen af bygningers energimæssige ydeevne, som gerne skulle føre til øget efterspørgselsstyring, peger i retning af, at foranstaltningen er unødvendig.
They suggest that doubling the 400 kV line from Plaine-Haute to Domloup, or strengthening the 225 kV line, would increase transmission capacity and make it possible to import electricity at a level sufficient to guarantee security of supply.
Visse parter, der går ind for projektet, støtter sig til gengæld til prognosen om en stigning i befolkningstallet i Bretagne, hvortil kommer en stærk følsomhed over for temperaturudsving, i deres forsvar for foranstaltningens nødvendighed for at imødekomme den forventede efterspørgselsstigning.
On this last option, ENGIE observes that doubling the 400 kV line would provide additional transport capacity well in excess of requirements, even in the long term, making the investment hard to justify.
Udvikling i produktionen
Strengthening the 225 kV line would therefore be more appropriate to real needs, but it would still require work on a significant length of grid.
Visse parter mener, at udviklingen i produktionen overflødiggør foranstaltningen.
Changes in demand
I øvrigt anfører 10 parter, at disse anlæg er kronisk underudnyttede og dermed gør støtten til opførelse af en ny produktionsenhed unødvendig.
Several interested parties consider that changes in demand render the measure unnecessary in order to achieve the objective of security of supply.
Således bekræfter foreningen Consommation, Logement et Cadre de Vie, at gasturbinerne i Brennilis og Dirinon kun er i drift i relativt få timer om året (ca. 70 timer i 2012 og ca. 265 timer i 2010).
They base this argument firstly on a 2014 RTE report according to which temperature sensitivity is tending to diminish.
ENGIE finder for det andet, at gasturbinen i SPEM Pointe, som gennem udbud har fået kontrakt med RTE på den hurtige og supplerende reserve til 25000 EUR/MW/år, ville rumme mange fordele i forhold til et nyt værk, f.eks. den lave købspris på gasturbinen og de allerede afskrevne omkostninger ved tilkobling til elnettet.
In 2014 consumption increased by 150 MW in Brittany when the temperature dropped by one degree.
Endelig nævner de interesserede parter den mulighed, at regionen »importerer« elektricitet.
Sixteen interested parties anticipate a reduction in demand, encouraged by the roll-out of smart meters and by the Ecowatt initiative.
Modstanderne af projektet er af den opfattelse, at regionen faktisk kan købe den elektricitet, den har brug for, i naboregionerne, især hos gasturbineværket i Cordemais.
The Ecowatt initiative enables citizens to volunteer to be informed when the network is under stress, so that they can reduce their electricity consumption.
Ifølge 20 parter berettiger udviklingen i produktionen tværtimod foranstaltningen.
The interested parties believe that the measure is unnecessary because improvements in the energy performance of buildings will tend to bring demand under control.
Fem interesserede parter, der går ind for projektet, nævner da også, at de eneste værker, der i øjeblikket findes i Bretagne, er gasturbinerne i Brennilis og Dirinon.
Some interested parties who support the project draw attention to the forecast demographic increase in Brittany, which coupled with strong temperature sensitivity means that the measure is necessary in order to meet the expected rise in demand.
De mener, at foranstaltningen er desto mere nødvendig, fordi disse gasturbiner er ved at være udtjent, idet de senest i 2023 tages ud af drift.
Changes in production
Foranstaltningens egnethed
Some interested parties think that changes in production make the measure unnecessary.
Flere interesserede parter bestrider foranstaltningens egnethed.
Opponents of the project point first to the fact that investments have already been made in prolonging the life of the sites at Brennilis and Dirinon, and that as a result their closure date has been put back from 2017 to 2023.
Som forklaret i betragtning 61 finder projektets modstandere, at det er alt for stort i betragtning af det reelle behov i Bretagne.
Consequently, five interested parties consider that the production level of the existing gas turbines will mitigate the peaks in consumption and avoid the risk of generalised blackout.
Det spidsbelastningsforbruget anslås til 200 MW i en periode på 200-400 timer om året i det yderligt beliggende departement Finistère.
Ten interested parties also argue that these sites are persistently underused, making it unnecessary to subsidise the construction of a new generation plant.
Ifølge dem burde PEB ændres for at tage højde for disse forhold.
ENGIE points out that the premium set by RTE in connection with those invitations to tender, at EUR 94000/MW/year, is lower than the annual premium of EUR 40 million required for the CCG project.
Denne argumentation er der allerede gjort rede for i betragtning 60, nr. 1).
Finally, some interested parties mention the possibility that the region could import electricity.
Endelig nævner de, at andre projekter bedre ville være i stand til at afhjælpe problemerne med forsyningssikkerheden i Bretagne på lang sigt, f.eks. samkøringsprojektet med Irland og opførelsen af et pumpekraftværk (»STEP«).
These opponents of the project say that the region could obtain the electricity it needs from neighbouring regions, in particular from the gas turbine power station at Cordemais.
Det første projekt vil muliggøre elforsyning til regionen på lang sigt og opfylde målsætningerne for det indre marked for energi.
Twenty interested parties, however, think that the measure is justified by changes in production.
STEP-projektet i Guerdélan anses ligeledes af to parter for at kunne afhjælpe energiunderskuddet ved spidsbelastningsefterspørgsel.
Five interested parties in favour of the project say that the only power stations currently in Brittany are the gas turbine plants at Brennilis and Dirinon.
Fortalerne for projektet fremfører følgende argumentation:
They believe that the measure is all the more necessary since these gas turbines are approaching the end of their cycle, and will be in operation until 2023 at the latest.
Flere interesserede parter insisterer først og fremmest på fordelen ved valget af et værk af typen CCGT-kraftværk.
Their planned closure therefore necessitates the preparation of an alternative sufficiently far ahead.
Adskillige bidragydere mener, at CCGT-kraftværket er det bedste kompromis med hensyn til effektivitet og miljøpåvirkning.
Appropriateness of the measure