natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
According to the judgment of the Court of Justice of 8 May 2003 in Joined Cases C-328/99 and C-399/00 Italy v Commission [24], the economic continuity between the original company and new structures is assessed by means of a number of factors: in particular the purpose of the sale (assets and liabilities, continuity of the workforce, bundled assets), the transfer price, the identity of the shareholders or owners of the new company, the moment at which the transfer was carried out (after the start of the investigation, the initiation of the formal investigation procedure or the final decision) and, lastly, the economic logic of the transaction.
Măsura 2: ajutorul pentru restructurare constând în prelungirea împrumutului de 1 milion EUR
Assessment of the criterion of the purpose of the sale (assets and liabilities, continuity of the workforce, bundled assets)
Măsura nu a fost pusă în aplicare, prin urmare, nu este necesar să se dispună recuperarea acesteia.
By way of introduction, the Belgian authorities pointed out that CVSL's assets had been distributed among several companies (the parent company VSLI, VSLI SARL in France and CVSL).
Măsura 3: garanție de 150000 EUR acordată la 24 septembrie 2008 de SOGEPA grupului de administratori judiciari ai CVSL
To facilitate the takeover, on 23 October 2008 the insolvency administrators concluded a transaction agreement to transfer assets shared between these different companies into the hands of the failed company.
Garanția cuprinde un element de ajutor în măsura în care aceasta nu era remunerată la prețul pieței.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding of 1 October 2008 and the takeover agreement of 31 August 2009, VSL took over all the assets belonging to CVSL, excluding current assets: the buildings in which CVSL's workshops were housed and the storage areas, the land on which they were built, CVSL's equipment and stock-in-trade i.e. production tools, moulds, patents and possible sub-brands that belonged to CVSL on that date, orders under way, and stock, including that sold to Val Saint-Lambert International SARL, a company incorporated under French law, which the insolvency administrators had undertaken to make available to the buyers.
Elementul de ajutor se calculează conform metodei stabilite în prezenta decizie.
Part of the assets that belonged to VSLI was also sold, i.e. the trade marks, designs and models and other intellectual property (the items referred to in the agreement signed on 5 October 2005 and including plans, moulds, designs, sketches, …, the built and non-built immovable assets owned by VSLI at Seraing, stocks of VSL products, the business premises at Seraing (showroom), the stocks at sales outlets in Seraing and Brussels (Sablon).
Măsura 4: cesiunea și utilizarea mărcilor Val Saint-Lambert convenită la 29 ianuarie 2009 între CFV și VSL
Full ownership of the leased production tools (cutting machine, furnace and furnace nose) was also transferred to VSL.
Măsura privind cesiunea mărcilor nu a fost pusă în aplicare, prin urmare, nu este necesar să se dispună recuperarea acesteia.
Releasing CVSL from all responsibility, VSL undertook to continue all the work and employment contracts signed by VSL that were current on 30 September 2008.
Împrumutul conține un element de ajutor în favoarea VSL, calculat ca diferența dintre rata pieței și rata la care a fost acordat împrumutul, și anume 1,07 % (5,77 % – 4,7 %, însemnând 16050 EUR pe an).
VSL also undertook to continue the individual, collective and social agreements that had been concluded, merely reserving the right to jointly renegotiate some of their terms should the new circumstances so require.
Ajutor a fost pus în aplicare în mod ilegal și, prin urmare, trebuie să fie recuperat.
Finally, VSL also took over a liability of EUR 280000 resulting from CFV's sale of CVSL's intellectual rights.
Măsura 6: majorarea de capital în valoare de 1,5 milioane EUR efectuată de Regiunea Valonă în favoarea VSL, hotărâtă la 17 martie 2011
In accordance with the agreement of 29 January 2009 between Compagnie financière du Val SL and VSL, VSL replaced Interagora SA and took over the commitments it had made to CFV in an agreement dated 5 October 2005.
Majorarea de capital constituie în totalitate ajutor de stat în măsura în care aceasta nu poate fi asociată comportamentului unui investitor privat.
Through this agreement, CFV had transferred to Interagora SA all the trade marks, designs and models relating directly or indirectly to CVSL.
Măsura 8: elementul privind punerea la dispoziție cu titlu gratuit a unei părți din situl „Cristalleries du Val Saint-Lambert”
EUR 280000 of the agreed price remained unpaid.
Contractul de punere la dispoziție cu titlu temporar a unei părți din situl „Cristalleries du Val Saint-Lambert”, încheiat la 11 decembrie 2012 între VSL și Spaque,conferă un avantaj întreprinderii VSL, constând în valoarea chiriilor la care întreprinderea Spaque a renunțat în mod benevol.
The takeover of CVSL's assets was approved by Liège Commercial Court on 20 October 2009.
Valoarea exactă a ajutorului va fi calculată astfel cum se arată în considerentul 123.
In the light of these facts, the Commission has come to the following conclusion with regard to the purpose of the sale: the takeover related to almost all of CVSL's assets (including orders commenced), all work and employment contracts signed by the bankrupt company and in effect on 30 September 2008, and the use of trade marks and intellectual rights.
În scopul recuperării, autoritățile belgiene trebuie să adauge la valoarea ajutorului dobânzile de recuperare calculate de la data la care ajutorul în cauză a fost pus la dispoziția beneficiarului până la data recuperării sale efective, în conformitate cu capitolul V din Regulamentul (CE) nr. 794/2004 al Consiliului [27].
Consequently, the Commission notes that the scope of the activities taken over was the same as that of CVSL and that the scope of the takeover went even beyond CVSL to include the assets of VSLI which were necessary to continue crystal production.
CONCLUZIE
Assessment of the sale price
Comisia constată că Belgia a pus în aplicare în mod ilegal un ansamblu de măsuri care încalcă dispozițiile articolului 108 alineatul (3) din Tratatul privind funcționarea Uniunii Europene.
This condition applies both to tangible and intangible assets.
Prin scrisoarea din 18 iunie 2014, autoritățile belgiene au autorizat Comisia să adopte și să notifice prezenta decizie numai în limba franceză.
The Belgian authorities pointed out that, under Belgian bankruptcy laws, the determining factor when liquidating assets is that of the creditors' interest.
Următoarele măsuri conțin elemente de ajutor care au fost aplicate în mod ilegal de Belgia, cu încălcarea articolului 108 alineatul (3) din Tratatul privind funcționarea Uniunii Europene, și sunt incompatibile cu piața internă: ajutorul de salvare de 1 milion EUR (măsura 1), garanția în valoare de 150000 EUR (măsura 3), cesiunea și utilizarea mărcilor Val Saint-Lambert (măsura 4), împrumutul în valoare de 1,5 milioane EUR (măsura 5), majorarea de capital în valoare de 1,5 milioane EUR (măsura 6) și punerea la dispoziția VSL cu titlu gratuit a unor clădiri deținute de întreprinderea SPAQUE (o parte din măsura 8).
Article 75(3) of the Bankruptcy Law enables the creditors or the bankrupt party to oppose the disposal of certain assets if they feel that the planned disposal might harm them.
În conformitate cu articolul 8 alineatul (2) din Regulamentul (CE) nr. 659/1999, Belgia și-a retras notificarea cu privire la măsura 2 (ajutor de restructurare) ca urmare a deciziei de inițiere a procedurii oficiale de investigare.
The Belgian authorities pointed out that the granting of the public guarantee of EUR 150000 was in fact motivated by a desire to maintain continuity of activity and make the most of the steps taken to sell assets.
Articolul 2
The Commission notes that the sale of CVSL's assets took place via an open call for bids, managed by the insolvency administrators.
Belgia recuperează de la beneficiar ajutoarele menționate la articolul 1.
Thirty-six bids were received by the insolvency administrators, who selected 12 at the end of an initial phase.
Sumele de recuperat generează dobânzi de la data la care au fost puse la dispoziția beneficiarului până la data recuperării lor efective.
A data room of information on CVSL was organised.
Dobânzile se calculează pe o bază compusă, în conformitate cu capitolul V din Regulamentul (CE) nr. 794/2004 și cu Regulamentul (CE) nr. 271/2008 al Comisiei [28] de modificare a Regulamentului (CE) nr. 794/2004.
The publicity apparently focused on all the assets, without any bundled assets having been defined in advance.
Articolul 3
The Commission notes that this procedure would a priori enable the sale price of each of CVSL's assets to be maximised.
Recuperarea ajutoarelor menționate la articolul 1 este imediată și efectivă.
However, two factors lead the Commission to consider that this procedure alone was insufficient to guarantee that the price offered by the buyers for the assets was the market price.
Belgia se asigură că prezenta decizie este pusă în aplicare în termen de patru luni de la data notificării.
The sale of CVSL's assets was conditional on taking over all the work contracts.
Articolul 4
This shows that the sale was not unconditional and this obligation may have lowered the sale price.
În termen de două luni de la notificarea prezentei decizii, Belgia comunică următoarele informații Comisiei:
In exchange, the Walloon Region required compensation from VSL, as recorded in the novation agreement dated 29 January 2009 between the Walloon Region (represented by CFV) and VSL: ‘This licence for use may be cancelled at any moment, automatically and without notice by the Walloon Region should VSL (or its successors) be unable to demonstrate production on the Val Saint-Lambert site at Seraing of high added-value crystal products now in activity at a minimum 60 % of the full-time equivalent employment, excluding temporary lay-offs, existing on the day of CVSL's bankruptcy …’.
o descriere detaliată a măsurilor care au fost deja puse în aplicare și a celor planificate în vederea conformării cu prezenta decizie;
The Commission notes that, in return for granting the exclusive licence, the Walloon Region imposed on VSL an obligation to maintain production at the Seraing site and to maintain a previously determined level of employment.
documente care să demonstreze că beneficiarul a fost somat să ramburseze ajutorul.
These political conditions may have lowered the sale price and discouraged other potential purchasers, thus affecting competition under the call for bids, with the result that the best financial bid was not in line with the actual market value [25].
Belgia informează Comisia cu privire la derularea măsurilor naționale adoptate în vederea aplicării prezentei decizii până la recuperarea integrală a ajutoarelor menționate la articolul 1.
Given these facts, the Commission considers that the criterion of the sale price is not met.
Belgia transmite imediat, la simpla solicitare a Comisiei, orice informație privind măsurile care au fost deja puse în aplicare și cele planificate în vederea conformării cu prezenta decizie.
Assessment of the criterion of the transaction's economic logic
Aceasta furnizează, de asemenea, informații detaliate privind sumele reprezentând ajutor și dobânzile care au fost deja recuperate de la beneficiar.
The criterion of the transaction's economic logic is intended to verify whether the buyer of the assets is using the transferred assets in the same way as the vendor, in order to continue the same economic activity.
Articolul 5
The Belgian authorities consider that the logic followed by VSL was radically different from that of its predecessors, in particular because it was based on the Cristal Park property development project when it took over the crystal works' activities.
Prezenta decizie se adresează Belgiei.
In this case, the Commission observes that the Belgian authorities have not demonstrated the existence of a direct relationship between CVSL's takeover and the Cristal Park project since October 2008.
Adoptată la Bruxelles, 31 iulie 2014.
The oldest of the documents relating to the Cristal Park project sent by the Belgian authorities dates back to December 2011.
Pentru Comisie
In any event, the Commission notes that the buyers bought the trade mark in order to continue to use it along with all the assets and means of production.
Vicepreședinte
The object of the company referred to in VSL's act of incorporation dated 20 November 2008 is, in fact, very similar to that of CVSL.
Ajutorul de stat SA.34791 (20../C) (ex 2012/NN) – Belgia – Ajutor pentru salvarea întreprinderii Val Saint-Lambert și Ajutorul de stat SA.35528 20../C (ex 2012/N) – Belgia – Ajutor pentru restructurarea întreprinderii Val Saint-Lambert – Invitație de a prezenta observații în temeiul articolului 108 alineatul (2) din Tratatul privind funcționarea Uniunii Europene (JO C 213, 26.7.2013, p. 38).
VSL's object was indeed to continue the activity of the CVSL crystal works using the same human and production resources.
A se vedea nota de subsol 1.
Moreover, the guarantee itself was granted with a view to ensuring the continuity of the activity.
Informații confidențiale.
Consequently, for the reasons noted above, the Commission concludes that there was economic continuity between CVSL and VSL.
Procedura de reorganizare judiciară are ca scop menținerea, sub control judiciar, a continuității integrale sau parțiale a întreprinderii aflate în dificultate sau a activităților acesteia.
The takeover of all the means of production (at a price subject to conditions, which did not correspond to the actual market value), of employment contracts and of the exclusive and unlimited use of trade marks with a view to continuing to produce crystal items forms a decisive factor in establishing economic continuity.
Aceasta a precedat hotărârea judecătorească privind falimentul din 14 octombrie 2013.
The advantage resulting from the granting of the guarantee to CVLS when it was bankrupt continued after the takeover and VSL retained the benefit of this advantage.
Regulamentul (CE) nr. 1998/2006 al Comisiei din 15 decembrie 2006 privind aplicarea articolelor 87 și 88 din tratat ajutoarelor de minimis (JO L 379, 28.12.2006, p. 5).
Compatibility of Measures 4 (sale and use of the trade marks), 5 (loan of EUR 1,5 million), 6 (capital injection of EUR 1,5 million) and 8 (SPAQuE's provision of certain buildings to VSL)
A se vedea nota de subsol 4.
Belgium provided no justification for the compatibility of these measures in its comments on the opening decision and the Commission has no information with which to conclude that any of the exceptions laid down in Article 107(2) and (3) might apply.
JO C 244, 1.10.2004, p. 2.
Consequently, the Commission considers that these aid measures are incompatible with the common market.
Decizia din 8 februarie 2010, N541/2009 – Suedia – Garanție de stat în favoarea Saab Automobile AB.
Recovery
A se vedea hotărârea din 16 mai 2002, Franța/Comisia, C-482/99, Rec., p.
The Commission points out that, in in accordance with Article 14(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 659/1999 [26], all unlawful aid that is incompatible with the internal market must be recovered from the beneficiary.
I-4397, EU:C:2002:294, punctul 38.
In this case, it is clear from the above considerations that the following measures involve aid, that this aid is unlawful and incompatible and, in so far as the aid was made available to VSL, it must be recovered:
Prin decizia din 27 aprilie 2012 a Ministrului amenajării teritoriului.
Measure 1: soft loan of EUR 1 million granted to VSL on 3 April 2012 by the Walloon Region, represented by the Société Wallonne de Gestion et de Participations (hereinafter ‘Sogepa’).
Hotărârea din 16 mai 2002, Republica Franceză/Comisia, cauza C-482/99, citată mai sus.
The entire loan constitutes aid.
JO C 155, 20.6.2008, p.
EUR 400000 was granted the same day that the agreement was concluded.
10.
The remaining EUR 600000 was granted at a later date not specified by the Belgian authorities.
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/legislation/base_rates_eu27_en.pdfa
Measure 2: restructuring aid consisting of an extension of the EUR 1 million loan.
Comunicarea Comisiei privind revizuirea metodei de stabilire a ratelor de referință și de scont (JO C 14, 19.1.2008, p. 6).
This measure was not implemented and so recovery is not necessary.
A se vedea considerentele 21-23.
Measure 3: guarantee of EUR 150000 granted by Sogepa on 24 September 2008 to CVSL's insolvency administrators.
JO C 14, 19.1.2008, p. 6.
This guarantee involves aid because it was not remunerated at the market price.
Regulamentul (UE) nr.
The aid element must be calculated using the method set out in this Decision.
1407/2013 al Comisiei din 18 decembrie 2013 de aplicare a articolelor 107 și 108 din TFUE ajutoarelor de minimis (JO L 352, 24.12.2013, p. 1).
Measure 4: sale and use of the Val Saint-Lambert trade marks agreed on 29 January 2009 between CFV and VSL.
Potrivit autorităților belgiene, studiul de caracterizare descrie și localizează în detaliu poluarea solului, pentru a permite astfel administrației să decidă cu privire la necesitatea și modalitățile de depoluare.
This sale of the trade marks did not take place and so recovery is not necessary.
Regulamentul (CE) nr. 1998/2006.
The element of aid concerning the use of the trade mark must be calculated in accordance with generally used and accepted methods of managing intellectual property assets.
Regulamentul (UE) nr. 1407/2013.
Measure 5: loan of EUR 1,5 million granted by Sogepa to VSL on 31 August 2009.
SA N 541/09 – Suedia – Garanție de stat în favoarea Saab Automobile AB, 8 februarie 2010.
This loan involves aid to VSL, corresponding to the difference between the market rate and the rate at which the loan was granted, i.e. 1,07 % (5,77 % – 4,7 %), or EUR 16050 per year.
Hotărârea Curții din 28 martie 2012, cauza T-123/09, Ryanair Ltd/Comisia Europeană, EU:T:2012:164, punctul 155.
This aid was provided unlawfully and must therefore be repaid.
Rec., p.
Measure 6: capital injection of EUR 1,5 million by the Walloon Region into VSL decided on 17 March 2011.
I-4035.
The entire capital injection constitutes aid since it cannot be deemed equivalent to the behaviour of a private investor.
A se vedea, prin analogie, Decizia 2008/717/CE a Comisiei din 27 februarie 2008 privind ajutorul de stat C 46/07 (ex NN 59/07) pus în aplicare de România pentru Automobile Craiova (fostă Daewoo Romania) (JO L 239, 6.9.2008, p. 12).
Measure 8: relating to the provision of part of the ‘Cristalleries du Val Saint-Lambert’ site free of charge
Regulamentul (CE) nr.
The agreement for the temporary provision of a part of the Val Saint-Lambert crystalworks site, concluded on 11 December 2012 between SPAQuE and VSL, confers an advantage on VSL that consists of the amount of rental income that SPAQuE willingly waived.
659/1999 al Consiliului din 22 martie 1999 de stabilire a normelor de aplicare a articolului 108 din Tratatul privind funcționarea Uniunii Europene (JO L 83, 27.3.1999, p.
The precise amount of this aid must be calculated in accordance with recital 123.
1).
For the purposes of recovery, the Belgian authorities must also add to the amount of the aid the recovery interest due from the date on which the aid in question was first made available to the company until the aid is recovered, in accordance with Chapter V of Commission Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 [27].
Regulamentul (CE) nr.
CONCLUSION
794/2004 al Comisiei din 21 aprilie 2004 de punere în aplicare a Regulamentului (CE) nr.
The Commission finds that Belgium unlawfully implemented a set of measures in breach of Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
659/1999 al Consiliului de stabilire a normelor de aplicare a articolului 93 din Tratatul CE (JO L 140, 30.4.2004, p.
These measure are the following: the rescue aid of EUR 1 million (Measure 1), the guarantee of EUR 150000 (Measure 3), the sale and use of the Val Saint-Lambert trade marks (Measure 4), the loan of EUR 1,5 million (Measure 5), the capital injection of EUR 1,5 million (Measure 6) and SPAQuE's provision of certain buildings to VSL free of charge (part of Measure 8).
1).
By letter dated 18 June 2014, the Belgian authorities authorised the Commission to adopt and notify this Decision in French only,
Regulamentul (CE) nr.
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1
271/2008 al Comisiei din 30 ianuarie 2008 de modificare a Regulamentului (CE) nr.
The following measures: the rescue aid of EUR 1 million (Measure 1), the guarantee of EUR 150000 (Measure 3), the sale and use of the Val Saint-Lambert trade marks (Measure 4), the loan of EUR 1,5 million (Measure 5), the capital injection of EUR 1,5 million (Measure 6) and SPAQuE's provision of certain buildings to VSL free of charge (a part of Measure 8) involve elements of aid that have been unlawfully implemented by Belgium, in breach of Article 108(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and are incompatible with the internal market.
794/2004 de punere în aplicare a Regulamentului (CE) nr.
In accordance with Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 659/1999, Belgium withdrew its notification concerning Measure 2 (restructuring aid) following the decision to initiate the formal investigation procedure.
659/1999 al Consiliului de stabilire a normelor de aplicare a articolului 93 din Tratatul CE (JO L 82, 25.3.2008, p.
Belgium shall recover the aid referred to in Article 1 from the beneficiary.
ANEXĂ
The sums to be recovered shall bear interest from the date on which they were made available to the beneficiary until the date of their actual recovery.
Informații privind sumele primite, sumele care trebuie recuperate și sumele deja recuperate
The interest shall be calculated on a compound basis in accordance with Chapter V of Regulation (EC) No 794/2004 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 271/2008 [28] amending Regulation (EC) No 794/2004.
(milioane în moneda națională)
Article 3
Identitatea beneficiarului
The recovery of the aid referred to Article 1 shall be immediate and effective.
Valoarea totală a ajutorului primit în cadrul sistemului
Belgium shall ensure that this Decision is implemented within 4 months following the date of its notification.
Valoarea totală a ajutorului care trebuie recuperat
Article 4
(Suma principală)
Within 2 months following notification of this Decision, Belgium shall submit the following information to the Commission:
Valoarea totală deja rambursată
the total amount (principal and interest) to be recovered from the beneficiary;
Suma principală
a detailed description of the measures already taken and planned to comply with this Decision;
Dobânzi
the documents proving that the beneficiary has been ordered to repay the aid.
Autoritățile belgiene au răspuns prin scrisoarea din 12 decembrie 2013 și prin e-mail-ul din 11 decembrie 2013.
Belgium shall keep the Commission informed of the progress of the national measures taken to implement this Decision until the aid referred to in Article 1 has been fully recovered.
Acestea au solicitat un termen suplimentar pentru a răspunde la cererea de informații din 14 noiembrie 2013.
At the Commission's request, it shall immediately submit all information on the measures already adopted and planned to comply with this Decision.
Prelungirea a fost acordată prin scrisoarea din 19 decembrie 2013.
It shall also provide detailed information concerning the amounts of aid and interest already recovered from the beneficiary.
Răspunsul autorităților belgiene a fost primit în cele din urmă la 6 ianuarie 2014.
Article 5
Comisia a trimis o nouă cerere de informații la 7 februarie 2014.
This Decision is addressed to the Kingdom of Belgium.
Autoritățile belgiene și avocatul întreprinderii Société Wallonne de Gestion et de Participations (denumită în continuare „SOGEPA”) au răspuns la 25 și, respectiv, 27 februarie 2014.
Done at Brussels, 31 July 2014.
O nouă cerere de informații a fost trimisă autorităților belgiene la 11 aprilie 2014.
For the Commission
Prin scrisoarea din 30 aprilie 2014, Comisia a prelungit termenul de răspuns acordat autorităților belgiene până la 23 mai 2014.