natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
For det andet oplyste Autostrada Wielkopolska ikke noget om nogen forventninger til det afkast, der ville blive opnået på datoen for den finansielle afslutning i 2000, i forhandlingerne om indgåelsen af bilag 6.
Autostrada Wielkopolska states that a letter from Ernst & Young to GDDKiA of 14 October 2005, which was presented to the Arbitral Tribunal, shows that the State during the negotiations had to take into account the risk of Autostrada Wielkopolska not agreeing to Annex 6, which would have resulted in terminating the agreement and suing for damages.
Polen mener, at Autostrada Wielkopolskas finansielle situation lige før ændringslovens ikrafttrædelse bør betragtes som benchmark for vurderingen af den kompensation, der skal udbetales til Autostrada Wielkopolska.
This was especially so, since an IRR equal to […] % was not sufficient to repay the EIB loan due in 2018.
Som svar på argumenterne vedrørende London Underground er Polen enig i, at de oprindelige koncessionsaftaler ikke omfatter statsstøtte.
Autostrada Wielkopolska contends that a reasonable private operator would weigh the danger of having to find a new investor at a much higher market price.
Polen modsætter sig imidlertid Autostrada Wielkopolskas argument om, at en forbedring af Autostrada Wielkopolskas forretningsmæssige situation som følge af kompensationen kun kan ses i de […] % (dvs. forskellen mellem […] % — internt afkast forventet ved den finansielle afslutning i 2000 — og […] % — internt afkast i bilag 6), da forbedringen ifølge Polen ligger i forskellen mellem Autostrada Wielkopolskas faktiske situation (internt afkast på […] %) i 2004 og det interne afkast, der er aftalt i bilag 6 ([…] %).
Taking all this into account, agreeing to the negotiated Annex 6 and IRR is in the range of reasonable behaviour of a hypothetical private investor.
Denne stigning er ifølge Polen ikke ubetydelig.
The 2004 WSA study
Polen er heller ikke enig i, at et internt afkast på […] % er markedssatsen for motorvejsprojekter i Polen, da Kommissionen engang har godkendt […] % som markedssatsen.
Autostrada Wielkopolska criticizes Poland's approach to use the 2004 study as basis for the calculations of Annex 6.
Polen gør gældende, at markedssatsen er det, »der faktisk sker«, og at den bør bestemmes fra »sag til sag«.
Autostrada Wielkopolska states that there can be no doubt that the State's financial advisers had access to the 2004 study (and all other relevant data) and were well aware that the financial projection leading to an IRR of […] % was based on the 1999 study.
Markedssatsen for Autostrada Wielkopolska bør derfor være […] %.
This was confirmed by the Arbitral Tribunal.
Polen underbygger sit argument om, at Autostrada Wielkopolska oplevede en væsentlig forbedring i sin situation i forhold til den finansielle situation før og efter skyggeafgiften, med tre grafer.
Furthermore, Autostrada Wielkopolska argues that the State had at its disposal a number of traffic studies, i.e. Autostrada Wielkopolska's traffic adviser WSA's studies from 1999 and 2004, the banks' traffic adviser SDG's study from 2005 and the State's own traffic adviser Faber Maunsell's study from 2005.
Disse grafer viser, at anvendelsen af skyggeafgiften førte til væsentligt højere indtægter for Autostrada Wielkopolska end de indtægter, som oprindeligt var forventet, og desuden at Autostrada Wielkopolskas indtægter faldt til det oprindeligt forventede niveau efter skyggeafgiftens udfasning.
In addition, the State had at its disposal the actual 2005 traffic counts.
Polen anfører, at en privat investor kun ville betale den erstatning, som denne er juridisk forpligtet til at betale.
According to Autostrada Wielkopolska the fact that there were more recent studies and traffic counts must be of relevance when the State's argument is chiefly based on the claim that the WSA 2004 study is the most recent study available.
I dette scenarie svarer erstatningen til det beløb, som Autostrada Wielkopolska manglede for at nå op på det interne afkast, som virksomheden ville have opnået uden ændringsloven.
Autostrada Wielkopolska also argues that the 2004 WSA study was principally prepared as part of the preparatory works of the second segment of the A2 motorway (Swiecko — Nowy Tomysl) and with a view to reach the financial closure for that section.
Ifølge Polen ville en privat investor være klar over, at Autostrada Wielkopolska kun kunne kræve erstatning, som svarer til det beløb, der ville være nødvendigt for at dække tabet (hvilket i dette tilfælde ville være den kompensation, der skulle til for at opnå et internt afkast på […] %), og ikke ville have accepteret en aftale, som gav modparten en større erstatning.
When drafting the study between December 2003 and the preliminary version in April 2004, WSA was able to calculate the actual traffic flow figures only on the two sections of the motorway that had been built and were under operation at that time, i.e. Krzesiny — Wrzesnia, Wrzesnia — Konin as well as the Poznan Bypass.
Polen afviser på det kraftigste Autostrada Wielkopolskas argument om, at Polen var under pres i forhandlingerne, fordi der var risiko for, at staten ville skulle erstatte Autostrada Wielkopolska.
The section Nowy Tomysl — Komorniki was only opened to traffic in October 2004.
Polen mener, at hvis kontrakten med Autostrada Wielkopolska var blevet ophævet, kunne finansministeriet selv have overtaget driften af motorvejen eller have fundet en anden operatør med meget lavere omkostninger.
This had an obvious impact upon the perception of the usefulness of the study in the view of the parties and lenders in late 2005.
WSA-undersøgelsen fra 2004
Also, Autostrada Wielkopolska points out that traffic forecasts are usually construed for a five-year period and not for 30 years as in the 2004 WSA study.
Polen understreger, at den i modsætning til, hvad Autostrada Wielkopolska hævder, ikke valgte en af de tilgængelige trafik- og indtægtsundersøgelser tilfældigt, ligesom man ikke bevidst undlod at oplyse Kommissionen om andre, angiveligt alternative undersøgelser.
Autostrada Wielkopolska states that if the Commission, contrary to Autostrada Wielkopolska's arguments, finds the compensation to be State aid, it is compatible under Article 107(3)(c) TFEU.
Polen minder om, at den fremsendte udtalelsen fra trafikrådgiver Scott Wilson, som tog højde for alle trafik- og indtægtsundersøgelser, og anførte, at WSA-undersøgelsen fra 2004 burde anvendes.
Autostrada Wielkopolska points out that in the case N 462/2009, the Commission found State aid granted to Autostrada Wielkopolska for the construction and operation of the section Swiecko — Nowy Tomysl of the A2 Motorway (i.e. the adjacent part of the A2 motorway) to be compatible with the internal market.
Ifølge Polen burde WSA-undersøgelsen fra 2004 være blevet anvendt i 2005, da det var den nyeste undersøgelse.
According to Autostrada Wielkopolska, State aid granted under Annex 6 would therefore have to be compatible as well, for similar reasons.
Undersøgelsen var blevet udarbejdet på anmodning fra Autostrada Wielkopolska og var en opdateret version af undersøgelsen fra 1999, som blev brugt som grundlag for vurderingen af det interne afkast for projektet på datoen for den finansielle afslutning.
In addition, Autostrada Wielkopolska states that since the A2 motorway is located in a region covered by the derogation set out in Article 107(3)(a) TFEU, the aid could also be found compatible with the internal market under this article.
Polen accepterer ikke Autostrada Wielkopolskas argument om, at WSA-undersøgelsen fra 2004 ikke burde anvendes, fordi prognoserne normalt har et perspektiv på fem år i stedet for 30 år.
The Commission's Regional Aid Guidelines permit operating aid to be granted in region covered by the derogation set out in Article 107(3)(a) TFEU provided that two criteria are satisfied: (i) it is justified in terms of its contribution to regional development and its nature and (ii) it is proportionate.
Polen bemærker, at mens WSA-undersøgelsen fra 2004 dækker en periode på 30 år, har undersøgelsen fra 1999, som Autostrada Wielkopolska anvendte som grundlag for beregningen af det interne afkast, en tidshorisont på 35 år.
Autostrada Wielkopolska submits that the contributions of the motorway to regional development are multiple (e.g. the development of the logistical companies around Poznan and Konin, higher employment, etc.).
Polen påpeger ligeledes, at selv om der på det tidspunkt, hvor undersøgelsen fra 2004 blev udarbejdet, kun fandtes data om den faktiske trafik på en del af motorvejen, var der på det tidspunkt, hvor undersøgelsen fra 1999 blev udarbejdet, slet ikke nogen strækninger på motorvejen, som var i brug.
For the criterion of proportionality, AW S.A explains that […].
Derfor finder artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c), i TEUF ikke anvendelse i den foreliggende sag.
COMMENTS FROM POLAND ON THE INTERESTED PARTY COMMENTS
Ifølge Polen gælder det, at eftersom støtten ikke bidrog til regionaludviklingen, kan den ikke også blive betragtet som forenelig statsstøtte i henhold til retningslinjerne for statsstøtte med regionalt sigte.
Poland informs that it does not agree with comments made by Autostrada Wielkopolska and that this disagreement relates both to the facts and to the legal assessment.
VURDERING AF FORANSTALTNINGEN
On the Relevance of the Arbitral Award
Kommissionens vurdering i den foreliggende sag omhandler kun den kompensation, som Polen ydede til Autostrada Wielkopolska i henhold til koncessionsaftalens bilag 6 som følge af fritagelsen for lastvogne for forpligtelsen til at betale afgifter for at køre på motorvej A2 mellem Nowy Tomysl og Konin fra den 1. september 2005 til den 30. juni 2011.
Poland remarks that the Arbitral Award is irrelevant to the State aid proceedings by the European Commission because: (i) it concerned only the validity of Annex 6, (ii) only the European Commission is authorised to evaluate whether a measure constitute State aid or not.
Forekomst af statsstøtte
On the economic advantage
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«.
On Autostrada Wielkopolska's right to compensation
Kriterierne i artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF er kumulative.
Poland repeats that Autostrada Wielkopolska had a right to seek compensation for the losses incurred due to the legislative amendment releasing HGVs from paying tolls.
For at den omhandlede foranstaltning skal kunne fastslås at udgøre statsstøtte efter artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF, skal alle følgende betingelser være opfyldt.
However, the compensation could not put the Concession Holder in a better position than it would have been without the Amendment Act.
Den økonomiske støtte skal:
On the light vehicles traffic
ydes til en virksomhed (økonomisk aktivitet)
In reply to Autostrada Wielkopolska's argument that the light vehicles traffic had to be updated because it depends on HGVs traffic which increase was difficult to predict when the shadow toil was introduced in 2005, Poland argues that the real data did not confirm that this dependence indeed existed (i.e. while there was a sharp increase of HGVs traffic observed, the light vehicles traffic was stable in the same period).
ydes ved hjælp af statsmidler og kunne tilregnes staten
Nevertheless, Poland maintains its position that including light vehicles traffic was necessary because ‘the adopted methodology required that the financial model covers the project as a whole’.
give en økonomisk fordel
In Poland's view, it was not possible to calculate the IRR for the project taking into account the HGVs traffic only.
være selektiv
In reply to Autostrada Wielkopolska's argument that an update of traffic for other than HGVs was necessary because the concession holder was obliged to carry out works in function of exceeding traffic thresholds (e.g. third lane on the bypass of Poznan), Poland argues that this is irrelevant since the expected increased costs were already considered in the assumptions to the vignette financial model at the signing of Annex No 6 and they do not have any impact on the light vehicle traffic numbers.
fordreje eller true med at fordreje konkurrencevilkårene og påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
On the traffic studies – Internal Rate Return
Økonomisk aktivitet og begrebet virksomhed
Poland does not agree with Autostrada Wielkopolska's opinion that the amount of compensation negotiated in September 2005 should have been determined so as to allow Autostrada Wielkopolska to achieve the IRR assumed in 2000.
Ifølge fast retspraksis skal Kommissionen først fastslå, om Autostrada Wielkopolska er en virksomhed i henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF.
Poland points out that firstly, the IRR expected at the time of the financial closure, as specified by Autostrada Wielkopolska, was based on the concession holder's estimates and, secondly, under the Concession Agreement, Poland did not guarantee that any rate of return would be achieved by the non-public party.
Virksomhedsbegrebet omfatter enhver enhed, som udøver en økonomisk aktivitet, uanset denne enheds retlige status og dens finansieringsmåde.
Secondly, during the negotiations preceding the conclusion of Annex 6, Autostrada Wielkopolska did not make known any expectation as to the achievement of the rate of return which was expected on the date of the financial closure in 2000.
Enhver aktivitet, der består i at udbyde varer eller tjenesteydelser på et givet marked, er en økonomisk aktivitet.
Poland is of the opinion that the economic situation of Autostrada Wielkopolska that existed immediately before the entry into force of the Amendment Act should be taken as a benchmark for determining the amount of damages payable to Autostrada Wielkopolska
I denne henseende bemærker Kommissionen, at motorvej A2 mellem Nowy Tomysl og Konin drives på et kommercielt grundlag, idet ethvert køretøj, som kan køre på motorveje, kan bruge motorvej A2 mod betaling af en vejafgift, som er en indtægt for koncessionshaveren.
In Poland's view Autostrada Wielkopolska is inconsistent because on the one hand it argues that it was entitled to seek compensation securing the IRR at the time of the financial closure ([…] %), while on the other hand it voluntarily consented to the compensation securing the IRR (in 2005) at the level of ‘merely’ […] % and finally (following the 2007 Verification Report) at the level of […] %.
Det følger heraf, at Autostrada Wielkopolska udfører tjenester på markedet og udgør en virksomhed i henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF.
For Poland, it is interesting that: Autostrada Wielkopolska has never raised any claims for compensation for loss of Revenue from Operation relating to the difference between the compensated IRR level ([…] %) and the allegedly guaranteed IRR level of […] %.
Statsmidler og tilregnelse til staten
In Poland's view: ‘This should be explained by the fact that in 2005 the expected rate of return calculated on the basis of the data available at that time stood at the level of […] %, which was significantly lower than the IRR level of […] % resulting from the compensation disbursements’.
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.
In response to the London Underground argumentation, Poland agrees that the original Concession Agreement is free of State aid.
I denne sag blev kompensationen betalt til Autostrada Wielkopolska af den nationale vejfond.
However Poland objects to Autostrada Wielkopolska's argument that an improvement of Autostrada Wielkopolska's business situation, due to compensation, can only be seen in the […] % (i.e. difference between […] % - IRR expected at financial closure in 2000 and […] % - IRR included in Annex 6), as, according to Poland, improvement lies in the difference between the actual situation of Autostrada Wielkopolska (IRR of […] %) in 2004 and the agreed IRR in Annex 6 ([…] %).
NRF's primære finansieringskilde er indtægterne fra brændstofafgiften (en skattelignende afgift), der blev pålagt motorbrændstof og -benzin indført på det polske marked (som betales af producenter og importører af motorbrændstoffer), og den motorvejsafgift, som opkræves direkte af GDDKiA — den centrale forvaltningsmyndighed for det nationale vejnet.
Poland also does not agree that IRR of […] % is the market rate for motorway projects in Poland as the Commission once approved […] % to be the market rate.
Derfor mener Kommissionen, at kompensationsbetalingerne til Autostrada Wielkopolska blev finansieret ved hjælp af statsmidler.
Poland argues that the market rate is ‘what actually happens’ and should be determined for ‘each case individually’.
I ændringsloven udpegede det polske parlament NRF som den instans, der skulle betale kompensationen.
The market rate for Autostrada Wielkopolska therefore should be […] %.
Endvidere blev det bestemt i ændringsloven, at kompensationsbetalingerne fra NRF til Autostrada Wielkopolska skulle gennemføres på anmodning af generaldirektoratet for nationale veje og motorveje.
Poland supports its argumentation that Autostrada Wielkopolska enjoyed a material improvement compared to its financial situation both before and after the period of application of the shadow toll by providing three graphs.
Derfor mener Kommissionen, at kompensationsbetalingerne til Autostrada Wielkopolska kan tilregnes staten.
These graphs show that application of the shadow toll led to revenues for Autostrada Wielkopolska considerably higher than the revenues originally projected and, furthermore, that Autostrada Wielkopolska's revenues returned to the originally projected level after the end of the shadow toll.
I dette afsnit vil Kommissionen først undersøge og bekræfte, om koncessionshaveren har ret til kompensation som følge af lovændringen.
Poland states that a private investor would only pay damages he is legally obliged to pay.
Kommissionen erkender, at det kun er i tilfælde af, at koncessionshaveren har fået udbetalt for meget kompensation, at der er tale om en uberettiget fordel.
The damages in this scenario come to the amount Autostrada Wielkopolska was missing to achieve the IRR it would have achieved without the Amendment Act.
For det andet drøfter Kommissionen de modeller, som parterne har fremlagt i forhandlingerne.
According to Poland, a private investor would know that Autostrada Wielkopolska could only claim damages limited to the amount necessary to repair the loss (which in this case would be compensation to achieve an IRR of […] %) and would not have entered into a settlement granting higher damages to the counter party.
For det tredje konstaterer Kommissionen, at brugen af en gammel trafikundersøgelse førte til overkompensation.
Poland strongly rejects Autostrada Wielkopolska's argument that Poland was under pressure during the negotiations arising from the risk that the State would have to replace Autostrada Wielkopolska.
Desuden tager Kommissionen stilling til nogle bemærkninger fra koncessionshaveren.
In Poland's view, if the contract with Autostrada Wielkopolska would have been terminated, the State Treasury could have managed the motorway itself or would have sought a replacement but against much lower costs.
Endelig konkluderer Kommissionen, om der er tale om en økonomisk fordel.
The 2004 WSA Traffic and Revenue study
Retten til kompensation
Poland stresses that it did not, contrary to Autostrada Wielkopolska's claim, arbitrarily select one of the available traffic and revenue studies, nor did it intentionally fail to make known to the Commission other, allegedly alternative studies.
Kommissionen bemærker indledningsvis, at afgiften var den primære indtægtskilde for koncessionshaveren.
Poland reminds that it had submitted the opinion of traffic advisor Scott Wilson, which took into account all available traffic and revenue studies and indicated that the 2004 WSA study should be used.
Koncessionshaveren kunne frit fastsætte afgiftssatserne inden for de rammer, der var fastsat i koncessionsaftalen.
According to Poland, the 2004 WSA study should have been used in 2005 as it was the most up-to-date study.
Både Polen og Autostrada Wielkopolska angiver, at koncessionsaftalen gav koncessionshaveren ret til at modtage kompensation for tab som følge af lovændringen.
The study had been prepared at the request of Autostrada Wielkopolska and was an updated version of the study from 1999, used as the basis for estimating the IRR applicable to the project on the date of the financial closure.
Det fremgår klart af koncessionsaftalen, at staten skal kompensere koncessionshaveren, hvis denne som følge af statens handlinger ikke er i stand til at opkræve eller tilpasse afgiftssatserne (se artikel 12.6 i koncessionsaftalen, som er gengivet i betragtning 51 ovenfor).
Poland does not accept Autostrada Wielkopolska's argument that the 2004 WSA study should not be used because the forecasts are usually formulated in the perspective of five rather than 30 years.
Ændringsloven fratog ikke blot koncessionshaveren dennes mulighed for at tilpasse afgiftssatserne for lastvogne (inden for visse grænser), men selve retten til at opkræve vejafgift for lastvognes brug af motorvejen.
Poland notes that while the 2004 WSA study covers 30-year period, the study from 1999, which Autostrada Wielkopolska took as basis for calculating the IRR, covers a 35-year time horizon.
I lyset af ovenstående mener Kommissionen, at i de særlige omstændigheder i denne sag (bl.a. at koncessionen blev tildelt efter en udbudsprocedure) havde koncessionshaveren ret til at blive kompenseret for den lovændring, som på drastisk vis fratog den retten til at opkræve vejafgift.
Poland also points out that although at the time the 2004 study was prepared there was only data on actual traffic flows for a part of the motorway available, at the time the 1999 study was prepared, there were no sections of the motorway in use at all.
Kommissionen anerkender også, at en kompensation, som blot opvejer konsekvenserne af lovændringen, ikke som sådan udgør statsstøtte.
Therefore, according to Poland, it was more appropriate to use the study from 2004 than the one from 1999.
Kommissionen mener imidlertid, at en kompensation, som overskrider det, der normalt er nødvendigt for at opveje konsekvenserne af lovændringen, giver virksomheden en selektiv fordel.
Compatibility assessment
I denne sag betyder retten til kompensation for konsekvenserne af lovændringen koncessionshaverens ret til at modtage en kompensation fra staten, som genskaber dens forventede finansielle situation lige før lovændringen.
In reply to AW S.A's arguments that in the case in question the compatibility assessment would be in general the same as for the case – N 462/09 (positively assessed by the Commission in the past), Poland notes that the aid in that case was granted to facilitate the construction of the road infrastructure while in the present case the motorway had been already constructed and opened in 2004, i.e. before the adoption of the Amendment Act in 2005.
Hvis den planlagte kompensation forbedrede koncessionshaverens forventede finansielle situation ved at være højere end det, der var nødvendigt for at opveje de direkte konsekvenser af lovændringen, fik den imidlertid en uberettiget fordel, som udgør statsstøtte i henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF.
Hence, Poland argues, the incentive effect is missing.
Modeller, der blev anvendt til at fastsætte kompensationen
Moreover, State aid obtained by Autostrada Wielkopolska affected only the profitability of the project and it had no effect on the promotion of any economic activities or economic areas.