natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Kommissionen er ikke i besiddelse af oplysninger, som peger på, at den oprindelige kontrakt indebar statsstøtte, men analysen af de finansielle modeller ovenfor viser, at skyggeafgiftsbetalingerne skabte en væsentlig forbedring for koncessionshaveren, da de var baseret på højere forventede afkast end dem, man kunne have forventet før lovændringen.
Shadow toll (recalculated rates)
Kommissionen mener, at markedsprisen for Autostrada Wielkopolskas koncession blev fastsat i 1997 på grundlag af den åbne udbudsprocedure.
Shadow toll (70 % of maximum allowed rates for HGV)
Ifølge koncessionsaftalens bestemmelser fik koncessionshaveren ikke nogen garanti for et bestemt internt afkast for projektet.
IRR
Det interne afkast bruges i kompensationsmetoden, men det bruges kun som benchmark til beregning af den korrekte kompensation, dvs. den kompensation, der genopretter den finansielle situation, som koncessionshaveren ville have været i uden ændringsloven.
The use of the wrong traffic study and establishing the existence of overcompensation
Det interne afkast er kun en indikator for koncessionshaverens finansielle situation lige før lovændringen og ikke en pris, som staten betaler til Autostrada Wielkopolska for at acceptere bilag 6, og derfor kan det ikke bruges til prissammenligninger.
The Commission notes that, as was mentioned above, the Real Toll model uses the traffic and revenues forecast of the 1999 WSA study in relation to the period 2005 to 2037.
Kommissionen bemærker også, at det i vurderingen af, om koncessionshaveren har fået en økonomisk fordel, ikke er relevant, om medlemsstaten gav denne fordel bevidst eller ubevidst.
However, as this model was assumed to represent the financial situation of the concession holder at the time just prior to the legislative change in 2005 and, as such, the benchmark for setting the shadow toll, it should have used a contemporaneous traffic and revenues forecast.
Endvidere bemærker Kommissionen, at voldgiftssagen og -kendelsen ikke kommer ind på statsstøtteaspektet.
The Commission, therefore, takes the view that Autostrada Wielkopolska should have used the available up-to-date traffic and revenues forecast of the 2004 WSA study instead.
Det er under alle omstændigheder Kommissionen, der skal vurdere, om der er tale om statsstøtte, og dennes forenelighed med det indre marked.
The 2004 WSA study is an updated version of the 1999 WSA study.
Konklusion om økonomisk fordel
The 1999 WSA study formed the basis for the preparation of the financial model estimating the IRR applicable to the project at the time of the financial closure back in 2000.
I lyset af ovenstående mener Kommissionen, at koncessionshaveren har fået en økonomisk fordel i form af overkompensation for lastvogne i perioden fra september 2005 til juni 2011, som er den dato, hvor skyggeafgiften ophørte.
The Commission agrees with Poland that in order to achieve an updated level of the expected IRR at the time of the legislative change, it is appropriate to use an update of the traffic and revenue study.
Kommissionen er enig i den metode, som PwC har brugt til at vurdere overkompensationen.
The 2004 WSA study provides such an update.
Selektivitet
It is based on the experience of the actual traffic and revenue development on the initial portion of the motorway as well as the economic development of Poland up to that moment.
Det betød, at der blev aftalt konkrete, skræddersyede foranstaltninger for hver enkelt koncessionshaver.
For that reason, according to the Commission, the 2004 WSA study represents a more accurate traffic and revenues forecast for the moment of the legislative change than the one reflected in the 1999 WSA study.
Derfor er disse foranstaltninger selektive i det omfang, at de giver koncessionshaveren en fordel.
Compared to the 1999 WSA study, the 2004 WSA study shows slightly higher traffic numbers for vehicles of category 1 and significantly lower traffic numbers for vehicle categories 2 and 3.
Da det er blevet påvist ovenfor, at den kompensation, som Polen ydede, gav Autostrada Wielkopolska en fordel, skal den foranstaltning betragtes som selektiv i henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF.
The projected optimal real toll rates for categories 2, 3 and 4 in the 2004 WSA study are much lower than the projected optimal real toll rates for these categories in the 1999 WSA study.
Fordrejning af konkurrencevilkårene og påvirkning af samhandelen
In effect the optimal revenues from HGVs forecasted in the 2004 WSA study are significantly lower than the optimal revenues from HGVs forecasted in 1999 WSA study.
Når en finansiel støtte, som ydes af en stat eller ved hjælp af statsmidler, styrker en virksomheds stilling i forhold til andre virksomheder, som den konkurrerer med i samhandelen inden for det indre marked, må det antages, at denne samhandel påvirkes af støtten.
Therefore the use of the 1999 WSA study as a base for the Real Toll model leads to a higher IRR than the IRR which would have been achieved had the 2004 WSA study been used instead.
Det er tilstrækkeligt, at den begunstigede virksomhed konkurrerer med andre virksomheder på markeder, der er åbne over for konkurrence.
The Commission also notes that the two 2005 studies referred to by Autostrada Wielkopolska could not be used instead of the 2004 WSA study.
Den økonomiske fordel, som denne foranstaltning har givet Autostrada Wielkopolska, styrker dens finansielle situation, fordi den øger virksomhedens indtægter.
First, the 2005 SDG (see recital 87 above) study was prepared for the shadow toll (vignette) scenario (i.e., the scenario in which the concession holder receives shadow toll payments for HGVs) while the assessment of the concession holder's financial situation immediately before the entry into force of the Amendment Act required using a study for the real toll scenario (i.e., the scenario in which the concession holder collects real fees from all the users of the A2 motorway until the end of the concession period).
Endvidere er markedet for anlæg og drift af motorveje i Polen åbent for enhver erhvervsdrivende, der er aktiv i EU.
Moreover, Poland informed the Commission that the 2005 Faber Maunsell study, referred to, in its comments, by Autostrada Wielkopolska (see recital 87 above), focused only on traffic projections and not on revenue projections (i.e., it did not take account of the rate optimisation to maximise revenue).
Derfor kan fordelen til Autostrada Wielkopolska potentielt fordreje konkurrencevilkårene og påvirke samhandelen mellem medlemsstaterne.
Therefore it was unusable for the purpose of calculating the IRR of the project.
Konklusion
For these reasons, the Commission takes the view that relying on the Real Toll model based on the old 1999 WSA study has led to a higher IRR than could be reasonably expected at the time of the legislative change.
I lyset af ovenstående finder Kommissionen, at kompensationen til Autostrada Wielkopolska for lovændringen, hvor lastvogne blev fritaget for forpligtelsen til at betale vejafgift for brug af motorvej A2 mellem Nowy Tomysl og Konin i perioden fra 1. september 2005 til 30. juni 2011, udgør statsstøtte i henhold til artikel 107, stk. 1, i TEUF, for så vidt som den overkompenserede virksomheden for det indtægtstab, der fulgte af ændringsloven.
This has resulted in overcompensation in the form of higher shadow toll payments.
Støttens lovlighed
Verification of shadow tolls in 2007 — acceptance of the verification
Eftersom kompensationen blev stillet til rådighed for Autostrada Wielkopolska før anmeldelsen, mener Kommissionen ikke, at Polen efterkom forbuddet i artikel 108, stk. 3, i TEUF.
During the negotiations of the shadow toll rates in 2005, the Polish authorities agreed with Autostrada Wielkopolska to verify the IRR in 2007 and amend the shadow toll rates if the targeted IRR was not achieved as explained in point 2.5 above.
Den statsstøtte, som Polen har ydet, er derfor ulovlig.
The Commission notes that the verification was agreed upon because of the uncertainty about the traffic development after the opening of the A2 motorway free of charge to HGVs with a valid vignette.
Støttens forenelighed
The Commission expressed doubts in the opening decision as to whether the application of the compensation mechanism resulted in taking over by Poland, at least in the period from 1 September 2005 to 31 December 2006, of traffic and revenue risks, but only as regards light vehicles.
Ifølge Domstolens retspraksis påhviler det medlemsstaten at påberåbe sig mulige grunde til forenelighed og påvise, at betingelserne for denne forenelighed er opfyldt.
The Commission notes that, through the verification, the Polish State effectively assumed the risk of traffic (and revenue) development for the period from the introduction of the shadow toll system until the verification (a period of around 16 months).
Kommissionen bemærker, at Polen ikke påberåbte sig nogen mulige grunde til den pågældende støttes forenelighed.
The Commission notes that, by doing so, the Polish State could be seen to have deviated from the nature of the initial concession contract which did not guarantee to the concession holder any level of return.
Tværtimod meddelte Polen Kommissionen, at støtten efter Polens mening ikke er forenelig med det indre marked.
However, the Commission accepts the verification of the shadow toll rates as it allowed the State to re-set the shadow toll rates at such a level which avoids overpaying the concession holder for HGVs.
Kommissionen har ikke desto mindre undersøgt, hvorvidt den pågældende støtte kan anses for at være forenelig med det indre marked.
Moreover the verification was done after a very limited period of time (around 16 months – from September 2005 until December 2006) which allowed the parties to gather real traffic data for heavy as well as for light vehicles, make traffic forecasts on that basis and set the shadow toll rates accordingly.
Der fastsættes i traktatens artikel 107, stk. 3, visse undtagelser fra den generelle regel i traktatens artikel 107, stk. 1, om, at statsstøtte ikke er forenelig med det indre marked.
Compared with the whole duration of the Concession Agreement of 40 years, this is a limited period of time which in fact was reasonable in the sense that it just allowed the parties to gather the necessary traffic data and on that basis build reliable traffic forecasts for the future.
Det hedder i artikel 107, stk. 3, litra c), i TEUF, at »støtte til fremme af udviklingen af visse erhvervsgrene eller økonomiske regioner, når den ikke ændrer samhandelsvilkårene på en måde, der strider mod den fælles interesse«, kan betragtes som forenelig med det indre marked.
The Commission notes that at that very first moment there was no actual traffic data for HGVs using the motorway for free.
I denne henseende bemærker Kommissionen også, at ingen af retningslinjerne for statsstøtte finder direkte anvendelse på motorvejsinfrastruktur og driften deraf.
For that reason it was not possible to precisely assess the impact of the legislative change on traffic, and hence to assess the accuracy of the concession holder's assumptions made on future traffic developments.
Kommissionen bemærker, at vurderingen af støttens forenelighed afhænger af, om den kategoriseres som investerings- eller driftsstøtte.
The Commission notes that there was no further verification of the shadow tolls foreseen until the end of the concession or the end of the shadow toll regime.
Kommissionen bemærker endvidere, at hele den del af motorvej A2, som Autostrada Wielkopolska var ansvarlig for driften af, havde været åben i næsten et år på det tidspunkt, hvor den pågældende støtte blev ydet.
For that reason once the shadow toll rates were to be set at their final level after the verification in 2007 the return of the concession holder was again exposed to the risks of traffic developments similarly to the initial concession contract.
Selv om AW S.A. henviser til Kommissionens tidligere afgørelse om anlæg og drift af den tilstødende strækning på motorvej A2 fra Swiecko til Nowy Tomysl (sag N 462/09), kan det ikke konkluderes, at det i den foreliggende sag var investeringsstøtte til fremme af anlæggelsen af vejinfrastrukturen.
The Commission notes that in the case of A2 motorway the share of HGV traffic is larger than the share of HGV traffic on the A4 motorway.
Statsstøtten i sag N 462/09 var blevet udbetalt til modtageren, før anlægsarbejdet begyndte, og havde en tilskyndelsesvirkning for modtageren til at gennemføre det relevante investeringsprojekt.
The share of HGV traffic on A2 was estimated at […] % whereas the share of HGV traffic on A2 was only […] %.
Derimod mener Kommissionen ikke, at der er en tilskyndelsesvirkning i denne sag, da anlægsarbejdet allerede var afsluttet.
The Commission also notes that because of the higher proportion of HGVs on A2 the interdependency between the two types of traffic may be larger than in the case of the A4 motorway.
Hverken Polen eller Autostrada Wielkopolska har peget på noget andet investeringsprojekt, som den pågældende støtte kunne bidrage til.
While the legislative change only applied to HGVs, the Commission nevertheless accepts in the specific circumstances of this case that the verification covers not only HGVs but also light vehicles traffic.
Endvidere bemærker Kommissionen, at i modsætning til investeringsstøtte var støtten i den foreliggende sag ikke forbundet med udgifterne til et investeringsprojekt, men afhang af, hvor mange køretøjer der kørte på motorvejen, og den havde en tilbagevendende karakter.
Calculation of the overcompensation — PwC report
Den bidrog som sådan ikke til finansieringen af et investeringsprojekt, men til støttemodtagerens tilbagevendende driftsomkostninger.
As part of their notification, the Polish authorities presented the PwC report (see recital 41).
Derfor mener Kommissionen, at den pågældende støtte udgør driftsstøtte.
In this report PwC updates the Real Toll model of Autostrada Wielkopolska with the traffic and revenues forecasted of the 2004 WSA study.
I henhold til retspraksis ved Domstolen er en sådan driftsstøtte i princippet uforenelig med det indre marked.
It also introduces some small corrections (arithmetical, logical and fiscal) to the model.
Kommissionen bemærker imidlertid, at motorvej A2 mellem Nowy Tomysl og Konin ligger i en ugunstigt stillet region, som er omfattet af undtagelsen i artikel 107, stk. 3, litra a), i TEUF.
As a result of these changes the IRR that could have been expected at the time of the legislative change falls from […] % to […] % (see PwC Real Toll model in table 2).
Kommissionen har derfor vurderet, hvorvidt den pågældende driftsstøtte kan anses for at være forenelig i henhold til retningslinjerne for statsstøtte med regionalt sigte (»retningslinjerne«).
The Commission considers that the replacement of the traffic and revenue forecast introduced by PwC in the Real Toll model is reasonable, as it properly represents the updated forecasts at the time of the relevant legislative change.
Ifølge punkt 4.15 i retningslinjerne fra 1998 kan der undtagelsesvist ydes driftsstøtte i områder, der falder ind under undtagelsesbestemmelsen i artikel 92, stk. 3, litra a), (nu artikel 107, stk. 3, litra a)) på betingelse af, i) at den findes velbegrundet på grundlag af dens bidrag til den regionale udvikling og støttens karakter, og ii) at dens omfang står i forhold til de ulemper, den skal opveje.
The Commission therefore agrees that the IRR level of […] % can be seen as the IRR that could have been expected by the concession holder just before the legislative change.
Det er op til medlemsstaten at påvise disse ulemper og deres omfang.
Compared to […] %, the IRR of […] % claimed by Autostrada Wielkopolska and actually used in the negotiation of the compensation payments is excessive.
I denne forbindelse bemærker Kommissionen, at Polen ikke har påvist, at der findes nogen ulemper, som den pågældende støtte kunne opveje.
The IRR of the Vignette model of […] % is also above […] %.
Tværtimod mener Polen, at støtten ikke bidrog til den regionale udvikling.
For establishing the overcompensation amount for the period until the verification, PwC uses the Vignette model to recalculate the AGRi Rates which should have been applied initially as of September 2005 in order to achieve the lower expected IRR equal to […] % instead of the IRR of […] % in the Vignette model presented by Autostrada Wielkopolska in 2005 (see PwC Vignette model in Table 2).
Kommissionen mener, at driftsstøtten i denne sag udelukkende medførte en stigning i projektets interne afkast for investorerne og som sådan ikke bidrager til den regionale udvikling i de regioner, hvor betalingsmotorvejen ligger.
In its report PwC substitutes the IRR of […] % of the Vignette model with […] % and estimates the AGRi Rates which would be sufficient to reach this lower IRR.
Kommissionen mener derfor ikke, at kriterierne i retningslinjernes punkt 4.15 er opfyldt.
The amount of compensation due to Autostrada Wielkopolska for the period from September 2005 to October 2007 based on the recalculated AGRi Rates was determined at PLN […] gross.
Endvidere er det irrelevant for Kommissionens vurdering, at kompensationen til AW S.A. ikke er blevet og ikke vil blive brugt som resultatudlodning (udbytte) til aktionærer, men i stedet til tilbagebetaling af EIB-lånet.
This amount was compared with the actual payments made to Autostrada Wielkopolska for this period, which amounted to PLN […] gross.
Faktisk er tilbagebetaling af EIB-lånet en forpligtelse, som koncessionshaveren påtog sig i forbindelse med de finansieringsforanstaltninger, den skulle træffe for at opfylde koncessionsaftalen.
The calculations show that in the period between September 2005 and October 2007 the estimated overpayments amounted to PLN […] gross, which represents approximately […] % of the total payments made to Autostrada Wielkopolska in this period.
Hvis den kompensation, der blev udbetalt til Autostrada Wielkopolska, gav virksomheden mulighed for at tilbagebetale sine lån tidligere end beregnet (dvs. uden lovændring og behov for kompensation), så gav kompensationen virksomheden en fordel, fordi den frigjorde midler til andre formål som f.eks. udlodning af udbytte, som ellers ikke ville være muligt.
For the period after the verification (from November 2007 to June 2011) PwC uses the Verification model to estimate the overcompensation received by Autostrada Wielkopolska.
En sådan udbytteudlodning bidrog imidlertid ikke til udviklingen i den region, hvor motorvejen ligger.
To this end PwC recalculates the shadow toll rates so that an IRR of […] % instead of […] % is reached in the Verification model (see PwC Verification model in Table 2).
Kommissionen bemærker også, at kriterierne for forenelighed for driftsstøtte i punkt 76 i retningslinjerne for perioden 2007-2011 (»retningslinjerne fra 2007«), som trådte i kraft den 1. januar 2007, er de samme.
The amount of overcompensation corresponds to the difference between the shadow toll rates recalculated by PwC and the shadow toll rates actually paid to Autostrada Wielkopolska per vehicle during the relevant period.
Derfor gælder den samme vurdering for den pågældende støtte i henhold til retningslinjerne fra 2007.
The amount of compensation due to Autostrada Wielkopolska for the period from November 2007 until June 2011 based on the recalculated shadow toll rates was determined at PLN […] gross.
Konklusion om forenelighed
The calculations show that in the period between November 2007 and June 2011, the estimated overpayments amounted to PLN […] gross, which represents approximately […] % of the payments.
Kommissionen har ikke identificeret andre bestemmelser vedrørende støttens forenelighed med det indre marked, der kan skabe grundlag for at anse den pågældende støtte som værende forenelig med traktaten.
Additional comments on the economic advantage
Polen har heller ikke påberåbt sig nogen bestemmelser vedrørende foreneligheden med det indre marked eller fremlagt argumenter, der kunne give Kommissionen anledning til at betragte denne støtte som forenelig med det indre marked.
Autostrada Wielkopolska argued that, even if the compensation in question entailed a material improvement, it was negotiated between Poland and Autostrada Wielkopolska on a commercial basis and at arm's length.
Tilsvarende gælder det, at ingen af bemærkningerne fra tredjeparten har givet Kommissionen anledning til at betragte støtten som forenelig.
Therefore, the Market Economy Operator Principle (MEOP) would be applicable and met in this case.
Derfor konkluderer Kommissionen, at den statsstøtte, som Polen har ydet til AW S.A. er uforenelig med det indre marked.
The Commission considers that the Amendment Act and the Concession Agreement imposed on Poland an obligation to compensate the concession holder only up to the amount equal to the estimated loss of revenue due to the relevant legislative change.
Polen har ydet støtten ulovligt i strid med artikel 108, stk. 3, i TEUF.
It cannot be argued that paying more than what was required by law and the Concession Agreement would be acceptable to a hypothetical, rational private operator.
TILBAGESØGNING
Moreover, it is highly questionable that a rational private operator would agree to calculate the compensation using the 1999 WSA study on traffic and revenues and not the most up-to-date 2004 WSA study.
I henhold til traktaten og Domstolens faste retspraksis er Kommissionen, når den har fundet støtte uforenelig med det indre marked, kompetent til at beslutte, at den pågældende medlemsstat skal ophæve eller ændre den.
Therefore, the Commission does not agree that the MEOP is met in the given case.
Ifølge Domstolens faste retspraksis har en medlemsstats forpligtelse til at ophæve den støtte, som Kommissionen anser for at være uforenelig med det indre marked, til formål at genoprette den oprindelige situation.
Furthermore, Autostrada Wielkopolska referred to the 2002 London Underground State aid case in which the Commission concluded that an alteration to a long-term contract does not constitute State aid if: (i) the original contract did not entail State aid and (ii) the alteration either does not lead to a material improvement of the concession holder or the improvement is at market rate.
I den sammenhæng har Domstolen fastslået, at dette mål er nået, når modtageren har tilbagebetalt de beløb, der er tildelt som ulovlig støtte, hvorved modtageren mister den fordel, der var opnået på markedet i forhold til konkurrenterne, og situationen fra tiden før ydelsen af støtte genoprettes.
While the Commission does not possess any information that would suggest that the initial contract entailed State aid, the analysis of the financial models presented above shows that the shadow toll payments led to a material improvement for the concession holder as they were based on higher expected returns than those that could have been expected before the legislative change.
I overensstemmelse med retspraksis fastsættes følgende i artikel 16, stk. 1, i Rådets forordning (EU) 2015/1589: »I negative afgørelser om ulovlig støtte bestemmer Kommissionen, at den pågældende medlemsstat skal træffe alle nødvendige foranstaltninger til at kræve støtten tilbagebetalt fra støttemodtageren […]«.
The Commission considers that the market price for the concession held by Autostrada Wielkopolska was established in 1997 as the result of the open tender procedure.
Denne støtte skal derfor tilbagesøges for at genoprette den situation, der fandtes på markedet, inden støtteforanstaltningen blev gennemført.
According to the provisions of the Concession Agreement the IRR of the project was not guaranteed to the concession holder.
Som angivet i betragtning 146-150 ovenfor (se også afgørelsens bilag), konkluderer Kommissionen, at den samlede støtte for perioden fra 1. september 2005 til 30. juni 2011 beløber sig til 894956888,88 PLN brutto.
While the IRR is used in the compensation method, it is used only as a benchmark allowing the calculation of the correct compensation, i.e. the compensation restoring the financial situation that the concession holder would have been in without the Amendment Act.