natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Ryanair fastholdt i alt væsentligt tesen om, at det markedsøkonomiske investorprincip kan anvendes på en måde, som støtter sig til en sammenligning med andre europæiske lufthavnes forretningspraksis.
This so-called ‘Market Economy Operator test’ (‘MEO test’) follows the basic concept that the behaviour of public authorities should be compared to that of similar private economic operators under normal market conditions to determine whether an agreement grants an advantage to its counterpart.
Selskabet sammenlignede især de afgifter, som Ryanair havde betalt i lufthavnene i Bournemouth, Grenoble, Knock, Maastricht, Nîmes og Prestwick med de afgifter, som selskabet betalte i henhold til aftalerne i Lübeck lufthavn.
Preliminary remarks with regard to the MEO test
Den sammenlignende undersøgelse vurderede imidlertid ikke, om stikprøven af sammenligningslufthavne opfyldte alle kriterierne i luftfartsretningslinjerne fra 2014, fordi den kun vurderede trafikkens omfang, trafiktype og velstandsniveauet i det omgivende område.
In accordance with point 53 of the 2014 Aviation Guidelines, the existence of aid to an airline using a particular airport can, in principle, be excluded if the price charged for the airport services corresponds to the market price (‘first approach’ — comparison with the market price).
Efter at Kommissionen i betragtning 296 i afgørelsen af 2012 om at indlede proceduren havde sammenlignet de afgifter, der var fastlagt i tillægsskrivelserne fra 2010, med afgifterne i Hamborg lufthavn, udtrykte den tvivl om, hvorvidt afgifterne i tillægsskrivelserne fra 2010 var i overensstemmelse med markedet.
A second approach is to demonstrate through an ex ante analysis — that is to say, an analysis founded on information available when the aid is granted and on developments foreseeable at the time — that the arrangement will lead to a positive incremental profit contribution for the airport and is part of an overall strategy leading to profitability at least in the long term (‘second apporach’ — ex ante profitability analysis).
Kommissionen fastholder, at trafikkens omfang i Lübeck var meget mindre end i Hamborg lufthavn.
As regards the first approach, the Commission does not consider that, at the present time, an appropriate benchmark can be identified to establish a true market price for services provided by airports.
Faktisk er Hamborg den lufthavn i det nordlige Tyskland med størst trafik.
It therefore considers an ex ante incremental profitability analysis to be the most relevant approach for the assessment of arrangements concluded by airports with individual airlines.
Hamborg lufthavn blev benyttet af alle segmenter inden for luftfart, hvorimod Lübeck var specialiseret i lavprisselskaber, der krævede færre check-in-skranker og faciliteter til overførsel af passagerer, ingen passagerbusser, mindre personale og færre faciliteter til håndtering af bagage, mindre rengøringspersonale, og som gav mulighed for kortere indcheckningstid.
It should be noted that, in general, the application of the MEO principle based on an average price on other similar markets may prove helpful if such a price can be reasonably identified or deduced from other market indicators.
Følgelig kunne Hamborg lufthavn ikke i tilstrækkelig grad sammenlignes med Lübeck lufthavn.
However, this method is of limited relevance for airport services, as the structure of costs and revenues tends to differ greatly from one airport to another.
I lyset af disse overvejelser mener Kommissionen, at det er den metode, der almindeligvis anbefales i luftfartsretningslinjerne fra 2014 til anvendelse af det markedsøkonomiske investorprincip på forretningsforbindelserne mellem lufthavne og luftfartsselskaber, nemlig forhåndsanalysen af den større (eller gradvist stigende) rentabilitet, der bør anvendes i det foreliggende tilfælde.
This is because costs and revenues depend on how developed an airport is, the number of airlines which use the airport, its capacity in terms of passenger traffic, the state of the infrastructure and related investments, the regulatory framework which can vary from one Member State to another, and any debts or obligations entered into by the airport in the past.
Tidsramme for analysen
Moreover, the liberalisation of the air transport market complicates any purely comparative analysis.
Efter Kommissionens mening skal der som tidsramme for analysen af rentabiliteten af aftalerne mellem lufthavne og luftfartsselskaber almindeligvis fastsættes selve aftalens løbetid.
As can be seen in this case, commercial practices between airports and airlines are not always based exclusively on a published schedule of charges.
Da luftfartsselskaber er i stand til at tilpasse deres aktiviteter på kort sigt, og fordi det pågældende indhold i en fremtidig aftale ikke almindeligvis kan forudsiges, ville en privat lufthavnsoperatør normalt ikke gå ud fra, at de relevante bestemmelser i en aftale fortsat vil være gældende ud over dennes løbetid.
Rather, these commercial relations vary to a great extent.
Tillægsskrivelserne fra 2010 blev ikke indgået samtidig, men med et interval på mere end seks måneder, og de dækker forskellige perioder.
They include sharing risks with regard to passenger traffic and any related commercial and financial liability, standard incentive schemes and changing the spread of risks over the term of agreements.
Desuden adskiller de sig indholdsmæssigt fra hinanden, idet det kun er tillægsskrivelse nr. 1, som fastsatte en yderligere markedsføringsbetaling af en betydelig størrelse i forbindelse med en tidsmæssigt begrænset markedsføringsevent.
Consequently, one transaction cannot really be compared with another based on a turnaround price or price per passenger.
Kommissionen mener derfor, at de to aftaler eksisterer uafhængigt af hinanden, og at rentabiliteten af hver tillægsskrivelse skal vurderes særskilt i dens relevante løbetid.
In addition, benchmarking is not an appropriate method to establish market prices if the available benchmarks have not been defined with regard to market considerations or the existing prices are significantly distorted by public interventions.
Retten erklærede i dommen i Stardust Marine-sagen følgende: »… ved bedømmelsen af, om en stat har iagttaget en handlemåde, som en fornuftig investor ville have fulgt under markedsøkonomiske vilkår, og af, om statens handlemåde er økonomisk rationel, skal der foretages en vurdering af situationen, som den var på det tidspunkt, da de finansielle støtteforanstaltninger blev truffet, hvorved der ikke må tages hensyn til omstændighederne, som de har udviklet sig sidenhen«.
Such distortions appear to be present in the aviation industry, for reasons explained in points 57 to 59 of the 2014 Aviation Guidelines:
Med henblik på vurderingen af de omhandlede aftaler skal såvel eksistensen som størrelsen af den eventuelle støtte vurderes under hensyntagen til forholdene på tidspunktet for indgåelsen heraf og navnlig under hensyntagen til de tilgængelige oplysninger og den forventelige udvikling på det pågældende tidspunkt.
‘Publicly owned airports have traditionally been considered by public authorities as infrastructures for facilitating local development and not as undertakings operating in accordance with market rules.
Vurdering af tillægsskrivelse nr. 1
Those airports' prices consequently tend not to be determined with regard to market considerations and in particular sound ex ante profitability prospects, but essentially having regard to social or regional considerations.
Ifølge Charleroi-dommen skal Kommissionen i sin vurdering af de omhandlede foranstaltninger tage hensyn til samtlige relevante karakteristika ved foranstaltningerne samt deres kontekst.
Even if some airports are privately owned or managed without social or regional considerations, the prices charged by those airports can be strongly influenced by the prices charged by the majority of publicly subsidised airports as the latter prices are taken into account by airlines during their negotiations with the privately owned or managed airports.
Det skal vurderes, om lufthavnen, når den indgår en aftale med et luftfartsselskab, er i stand til at dække alle omkostninger hidrørende fra aftalen, i aftalens løbetid og få et rimeligt afkast på grundlag af velfunderede udsigter på mellemlang sigt, når aftalen udformes .
In those circumstances, the Commission has strong doubts that at the present time, an appropriate benchmark can be identified to establish a true market price for services provided by airports.
Dette skal måles som forskellen mellem de ekstraindtægter, som aftalen forventes at skabe, og de ekstraudgifter, som ventes at opstå som følge af aftalen, i hvilken forbindelse der skal foretages en passende diskontering af de deraf følgende pengestrømme.
This situation may change or evolve in the future […]’.
Denne tilgang kan begrundes i det forhold, at en lufthavnsoperatør kan have en objektiv interesse i at indgå en transaktion med et luftfartsselskab, uafhængigt af enhver sammenligning med de betingelser, som tilbydes luftfartsselskaberne af andre lufthavnsoperatører, eller med de betingelser, som tilbydes andre luftfartsselskaber af samme operatør.
Moreover, as the Union courts have recalled, benchmarking by reference to the sector concerned is merely one analytical tool amongst others to determine if a beneficiary has received an economic advantage which it would not have obtained in normal market conditions.
Kommissionen konstaterer også, at prisdifferentiering er normal forretningspraksis.
As such, while the Commission may use that approach, it is not obliged to do so where, as in this case, it would be inappropriate.
En sådan prisdifferentiering skal dog være begrundet i forretningsmæssige hensyn.
Ryanair essentially argued that the MEO test can be applied based on a comparison with the commercial arrangements of other European airports.
Ved vurderingen af forbedringen af aftalens rentabilitet er det relevant kun at tage de gradvist stigende omkostninger og indtægter, der genereres i aftalens løbetid, dvs. fra den 28. marts til den 30. oktober 2010, i betragtning.
In particular, it compared charges paid by Ryanair at Bournemouth, Grenoble, Knock, Maastricht, Nîmes and Prestwick airports with the charges paid by Ryanair under the agreements at Lübeck airport.
Dette er efter Kommissionens opfattelse passende, idet aftalen fra 2000 ville være udløbet i maj 2010.
However, this comparison study did not assess whether the sample of benchmark airports fulfilled all the criteria spelled out in the 2014 Aviation Guidelines, as it only assessed traffic volumes, type of airport traffic and prosperity of the surrounding area.
Oxeras analyse af meromkostningerne og -indtægterne er baseret på angivelserne i denne ændrede version af forretningsplanen af 10. marts 2010, idet udarbejdelsen tidsmæssigt ligger tættere på datoen for undertegnelsen af aftalerne fra 2010.
In recital 296 of its 2012 Opening Decision, the Commission compared the charges laid down in the 2010 Side Letters with the charges at Hamburg airport, which led to doubts as to the market conformity of the charges laid down in the 2010 Side Letters.
I forretningsplanen sondres der mellem tre scenarier:
The Commission notes that traffic volume in Lübeck was much lower than in Hamburg airport.
Best case-scenariet: I dette scenarie blev det på baggrund af forventningen om, at Ryanair etablerer sig i lufthavnen, antaget, at trafikniveauet øges betydeligt i perioden.
In fact, Hamburg was the airport with the most traffic in northern Germany.
Som følge heraf er der i planen fastsat højere ikke-luftfartsrelaterede indtægter og en udvidelse af de ikke-luftfartsrelaterede tjenester.
Hamburg was used for all segments of air transport, whereas Lübeck was specialised in low-cost carriers which required fewer check-in counters and facilities for transfer passengers, no passenger buses, less baggage-handling personnel and facilities, less cleaning personnel, and allowed for a shorter turnaround time.
Middle case-scenariet: I dette scenarie blev der taget udgangspunkt i, at der ikke sker nogen ændringer, og at udviklingen svarer til de data, der er til rådighed for 2010 som året for udarbejdelsen af forretningsplanen.
Consequently, Hamburg airport was not sufficiently comparable to Lübeck airport.
Worst case-scenariet: I dette scenarie blev der taget udgangspunkt i, at lufthavnen skal lukke i 2012, og at passagerantallet falder i henholdsvis 2010 og 2011.
In the light of those considerations, the Commission takes the view that the approach generally recommended in the 2014 Aviation Guidelines for applying the MEO test to relationships between airports and airlines, namely the ex ante incremental profitability analysis, must be applied to this case.
Oxera anså det inden for rammerne af analysen af aftalerne fra 2010 ikke for at være passende at tage udgangspunkt i et worst case-scenarie for forretningsplanen, idet der ligger den antagelse til grund for scenariet, at den offentlige afstemning i 2010 i Lübeck ville medføre lukning af lufthavnen.
Timeframe of the assessment
Da borgerne den 25. april 2010, kun en måned efter undertegnelsen af tillægsskrivelse nr. 1, stemte til fordel for lufthavnens fortsatte eksistens, hvilket sikrede yderligere investeringer i udvidelsen af lufthavnen (se betragtning 16), anser Kommissionen den antagelse, at parterne tog udgangspunkt i en fortsættelse af driften, for at være passende.
The Commission considers that the appropriate timeframe for assessing the profitability of arrangements between airports and airlines is typically the time horizon of the agreement itself.
For at sikre en konservativ tilgang baserede Oxera primært sin analyse på FLG's prognoser, som lå til grund for middle case-scenariet.
As airlines are able to adapt their operations in a short timeframe and as the specific contents of possible future agreements usually cannot be predicted, a private airport operator would usually not assume that the specific terms of an agreement will continue beyond its agreed duration.
Tabel 2
Furthermore, their content differs in so far as only Side Letter No 1 contains an additional marketing payment of considerable size connected to a temporary marketing event.
Kilde: Oxera-rapport, Response to the European Commission's request, den 6. oktober 2017
The Court of Justice declared in the Stardust Marine judgment that, ‘[…] in order to examine whether or not the State has adopted the conduct of a prudent investor operating in a market economy, it is necessary to place oneself in the context of the period during which the financial support measures were taken in order to assess the economic rationality of the State's conduct, and thus to refrain from any assessment based on a later situation. ’
Analyse af rentabiliteten af tillægsskrivelse nr. 1 til aftalen om lufthavnstjenester mellem Lübeck lufthavn og Ryanair
For the purpose of assessing the agreements in question, both the existence and the amount of possible aid in the agreements therefore have to be assessed in the light of the situation prevailing at the time they were signed and, more specifically, in the light of the information available and developments foreseeable at the time.
Bemærk
Assessment of Side Letter No 1
Enhed
According to the Charleroi judgment, when assessing the measures in question, the Commission has to take into account all the relevant features of the measures and their context.
Anvendt diskonteringssats
It needs to be established whether, when setting up an arrangement with an airline, the airport is capable of covering all the costs stemming from the arrangement, over the duration of the arrangement, with a reasonable profit margin on the basis of sound medium-term prospects .
Vækstrate
This is to be measured by the difference between the incremental revenues expected to be generated by the agreement and the incremental costs expected to be incurred as a result of the agreement, the resulting cash flows being discounted with an appropriate discount rate.
Sandsynlighed for en forlængelse af aftalen
The Commission also notes in this context that price differentiation is a standard business practice.
AMS markedsføring (2 = inkl. best case, 1 = inkl. middle case, 0 = ekskl.)
Such differentiated pricing policies should, however, be commercially justified.
Ikke relevant
When assessing the incremental profitability of the agreement, it is appropriate to take only into account the incremental costs and revenues generated over the duration of the agreement, that is to say from 28 March to 30 October 2010.
Tillægsskrivelse nr. 1
In line with this approach, Oxera provided an ex ante calculation of the incremental profitability of the 2010 Side Letters.
Tillægsskrivelse nr. 1 gyldig fra
In its calculations, Oxera takes into account all incremental traffic, and all costs and revenues relating to Ryanair's operation at Lübeck airport.
Dato
As the 2000 Agreement would have ended in May 2010, the Commission finds this to be sound.
Tillægsskrivelse nr. 1 gyldig indtil
The Oxera analysis is based on the terms of the agreements between FLG and Ryanair, actual financial data of FLG, as well as ex ante projections from a business plan submitted by Germany, drawn up by FLG on 10 March 2010.
Andel af året 2010, hvor rabatten var gældende
This business plan covers the ex ante passenger numbers as well as the expected costs and revenues of Lübeck airport for the period 2010 to 2015.
Andel af året 2010, hvor aftalen og rabatten var gældende
The business plan was originally prepared in December 2009 and then later revised by adjusting the traffic scenario from the original plan downwards and by adding two additional scenarios.
Markedsføringsbetalinger
Oxera's analysis of incremental costs and revenues is based on the data of this revised version of the business plan dated 10 March 2010, as it was drawn up closer to the date of signing the 2010 Agreements.
Markedsføringsrabat pr. afrejsende passager ved maks. 17 turnarounds om ugen
The plan distinguishes between three scenarios:
Markedsføringsrabat pr. afrejsende passager fra og med 18 turnarounds om ugen
Best case: the assumption is that traffic will increase significantly over the period due to the expectation that Ryanair will establish a base at the airport.
Tærskel for antal turnarounds pr. uge
Consequently, the plan assumes an increase of non-aeronautical revenues and an expansion of non-aeronautical services,
Markedsføringsrabat fra tillægsskrivelse nr. 1 (EUR/afrejs. passager)
Worst case: it is assumed that the airport will close by 2012, with passenger numbers declining during 2010 and 2011.
Ryanairs turnarounds pr. år
While in the best-case scenario, the passenger numbers increase from […] in 2010 to […] in 2013 and lead to a corresponding increase of revenues, the passenger numbers stagnate in the middle-case scenario at […], in line with the expected numbers for 2010.
Ryanairs turnarounds om ugen
In the worst-case scenario, the passenger numbers drop rapidly in 2011 and any airport operations cease in 2012.
Markedsføringsrabat (EUR/afrejs. passager)
For the purpose of analysing the 2010 Agreements, Oxera found it not appropriate to adopt the worst-case projections of the business plan, as this scenario assumed that the public vote of the citizens of Hansestadt Lübeck in 2010 would decide in favour of closing the airport.
Rentabilitet
Considering the positive outcome of the public vote ensuring further investments for the airport on 25 April 2010 (see recital 16) only one month after concluding Side Letter No 1, the Commission finds the assumption reasonable that both parties expected the airport to continue operations.
Ryanair afrejsende passagerer
To ensure that the approach is conservative, Oxera based its analysis primarily on FLG's projections for the middle-case scenario.
Samlet antal afrejsende passagerer
Table 2 shows that the revenues stemming from the Side Letter No 1 were expected to exceed the incremental costs, leading to an annual surplus of EUR […] in the scenario calculated by Oxera.
Ryanair turnarounds
Table 2
Samlet antal turnarounds
Incremental profitability analysis of Side Letter No 1
Indtægter
Source: Oxera report, Response to the European Commission's request, 6 October 2017
Passagerserviceafgift
Profitability analysis of Side Letter 1 to Airport Service Agreement between Lübeck and Ryanair
Forpladshandlingafgift
Note:
EUR/t
Units
Passagerserviceafgift
Discount rate in use
Lufthavnssikkerhedsafgift
Growth rate
Luftfartsrelaterede indtægter
Contract length
EUR/t
years
Ikke-luftfartsrelaterede indtægter
Probability of contract renewal
Indtægter i alt
AMS marketing (2 = include upper case, 1 = include base case, 0 = exclude)
Omkostninger
n/a
Driftsomkostninger
Side Letter 1
Markedsføring
Side Letter 1 effective as of
AMS markedsføring
Date
Afskrivninger
Side Letter 1 effective until
Omkostninger i alt
Proportion of 2010 in which this rebate was effective
Nettopengestrøm
Proportion of 2010 when agreement was in force in which this rebate was effective
Slutværdi
Marketing Payments
Pengestrømme i alt
Per Dpax marketing rebate if 17 or fewer turnarounds per week:
Antal år, hvor pengestrømmen opstår
Per Dpax marketing rebate if 18 or more turnarounds per week:
Diskonteringssats
Cut-off number of turnarounds per week
Nettonutidsværdi
ATM
mio. EUR
Marketing rebate from Side Letter 1 (EUR per DPAX)
Da aftalerne fra 2010 ikke indeholdt noget mål for Ryanair med hensyn til trafikniveauet, er prognosen for trafikniveauet udarbejdet på basis af henholdsvis FLG's forudsigelser for 2010 og middle case-scenariet i forretningsplanen.
Ryanair turnaround annualised
Andelen af Ryanair-flyvninger i lufthavnen antages med 91 % at være konstant og svarer til gennemsnittet for de seneste tre år inden indgåelsen af tillægsskrivelse nr. 1.
Ryanair turnaround per week
Ryanairs turnarounds blev beregnet på grundlag af 189 pladser pr. fly og en udnyttelsesgrad på 80 %.
Marketing rebate (EUR per DPAX)
Dette svarer til de faktiske data for 2010, idet Ryanairs udnyttelsesgrad ifølge selskabets årsberetning og årsregnskab for 2010 lå på 81-82 %.
Profitability
Det forventede gradvist stigende passagerantal i tillægsskrivelse nr. 1's løbetid blev ekstrapoleret af det planlagte antal flyvninger.
Ryanair DPAX
Eftersom der i middle case-scenariet ikke antages en stigning i passagerantallet, og da prognoserne er baseret på allerede eksisterende oplysninger for 2010, samt i lyset af den kendsgerning, at de forventede tal ligger under de faktiske tal for 2009, betragter Kommissionen denne tilgang som berettiget.
Total DPAX
Desuden konstaterer Kommissionen, at Oxeras følsomhedsanalyse viser, at nettonutidsværdien selv ved anvendelse af Ryanairs faktiske efterfølgende passagertal med […] EUR forbliver positiv.
Ryanair ATMs
Ifølge Kommissionens faste praksis skal der ved vurderingen af spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt en aftale indgået af en lufthavn med et luftfartsselskab, er i overensstemmelse med markedsøkonomiprincippet, foruden lufthavnsafgifter (minus eventuelle prisnedslag, markedsføringsstøtte eller incitamentsordninger) medregnes forventede ikke-luftfartsrelaterede indtægter, som hidrører fra luftfartsselskabets aktiviteter i lufthavnen (»single till«-princippet).
Total ATMs
Følgende øgede indtægter, som en privat investor med rimelighed kunne forvente fra aftalen omfatter:
Revenues
indtægter fra luftfartsrelaterede aktiviteter fra passagerer og de landingsafgifter, som Ryanair betalte
Passenger security charge
indtægter fra ikke-luftfartsrelaterede aktiviteter, f.eks. parkering, franchise-forretninger eller butikker, der drives direkte.
Ramp handling charges
Oxera tager hensyn til de luftfartsrelaterede indtægter pr. passager fra lufthavnsafgifterne i henhold til tillægsskrivelse nr. 1 i forbindelse med aftalen fra 2000 og multiplicerer disse med det pågældende passagerantal.
EUR TA
I overensstemmelse med Kommissionens praksis blev sikkerhedsafgifterne ikke medtaget i analysen, da FLG har overført dem til den kompetente offentlige myndighed.
Passenger service fee
Oxera gjorde gældende, at lufthavnen kunne forvente luftfartsrelaterede indtægter på […] EUR fra tillægsskrivelse nr. 1.
Airport security charge
Kommissionen anser dette resultat for at være pålideligt.
Aeronautical revenues