natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
This increase in the rendering levy is claimed, among other things, to be in response to the need to destroy not only animal carcases and material seized at slaughterhouses and recognised as being unfit for human or animal consumption, of which there is probably more than in the past because of the BSE crisis, and the parts of carcases that were previously used for manufacturing animal meal and other products, but also animal meal whose use was temporarily banned by Council Decision 2000/766/EC of 4 December 2000 concerning certain protection measures with regard to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and the feeding of animal proteins [9].
To povečanje dajatve na predelavo klavnih trupov naj bi zlasti zadovoljilo potrebo po uničenju ne samo živalskih trupel in snovi, zaseženih v klavnicah in neustreznih za prehrano ljudi in živali – katerih število je zaradi krize BSE nedvomno višje kot v preteklosti –, ali delov trupel, ki so jih nekoč uporabljali za izdelavo mesne moke in drugih izdelkov, temveč tudi mesne moke, katere uporaba je bila začasno prepovedana z Odločbo Sveta 2000/766/ES z dne 4. decembra 2000 o nekaterih zaščitnih ukrepih v zvezi s transmisivnimi spongiformni encefalopatijami in krmljenja z beljakovinami živalskega izvora [9].
THE ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD BY THE COMMISSION WHEN OPENING THE INVESTIGATION PROCEDURE
ARGUMENTI KOMISIJE V OKVIRU ZAČETKA PREISKOVALNEGA POSTOPKA
REGARDING THE EXISTENCE OF AID
O OBSTOJU POMOČI
Article 86(2) of the Treaty lays down that undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest are subject to the rules contained in that Treaty, in particular to the rules on competition, insofar as the application of such rules does not obstruct the performance, in law or in fact, of the particular tasks assigned to them.
Člen 86(2) Pogodbe določa, da podjetja, pooblaščena za opravljanje storitev splošnega gospodarskega interesa, ravnajo po pravilih iz te pogodbe, zlasti pravilih o konkurenci, če uporaba takšnih pravil pravno in dejansko ne ovira izvajanja posebnih nalog, ki so jim dodeljene.
The French authorities consider that the measures financed are in the public interest.
Francoski organi menijo, da so financirani ukrepi v javnem interesu.
In principle, the Commission has no objection to the decision to make the rendering service a public service, which is justified on the grounds of public health and the protection of the environment.
Komisija načeloma ni ugovarjala glede narave javne storitve, ki so jo ti organi hoteli podeliti tej storitvi. Gre za odločitev, ki jo utemeljujejo razlogi javnega zdravja in varstva okolja.
However, the Commission asked the French authorities to detail all the measures financed from the rendering levy so that it could assess its scope.
Vendar je Komisija od francoskih organov zahtevala, da natančno navedejo vse ukrepe, ki se financirajo iz dajatve na predelavo klavnih trupov, zato da bi lahko ocenila njihov obseg.
It would appear that activities not provided for in Law No 96-1139, such as the destruction of animal meal banned from sale, are also financed from the levy.
Zdelo se je namreč, da se iz dajatve financirajo tudi dejavnosti, ki niso določene v Zakonu št. 96-1139, kot je uničenje mesne moke, katere prodaja je prepovedana.
The Court of Justice of the European Communities has ruled [10] that Article 86(2) is to be interpreted as meaning that it does not cover a public aid paid to undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest in so far as that aid exceeds the additional costs of performing the public service.
Sodišče Evropskih skupnosti je odločilo [10], da je treba člen 86(2) Pogodbe razlagati v tem smislu, da ne zadeva državne pomoči, ki jo dobijo podjetja, pooblaščena za opravljanje storitev splošnega gospodarskega interesa, če ta ugodnost presega dodatne stroške opravljanja javne storitve.
When the investigation procedure was opened, there were a number of cases before the Court in which the issue was whether a measure must be considered State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty if the advantage enjoyed by certain undertakings does not exceed the additional costs they bear to fulfil the public service obligations imposed by national legislation.
Ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka v tej zadevi je pred Sodiščem teklo več sporov o vprašanju, ali je treba ukrep označiti kot pomoč v smislu člena 87(1) Pogodbe, če ugodnost, ki so je deležna nekatera podjetja, ne presega dodatnih stroškov, ki jih imajo zaradi izpolnjevanja obveznosti javne storitve, ki jim jih nalagajo nacionalni predpisi.
The Commission took the view that it had therefore first of all to be determined whether the public payments made to rendering undertakings could be considered to be the financing of a public service.
Komisija je menila, da je treba torej najprej ugotoviti, ali je mogoče javna plačila kafilerijam imeti za dejavnost, ki se lahko označi kot javna storitev.
It had then to be determined whether those payments exceeded the costs to those undertakings of carrying out those activities.
Nato bi bilo treba ugotoviti, ali so ta plačila presegala stroške, ki so jih ta podjetja imela pri opravljanju takšnih dejavnosti.
When the investigation procedure was opened, however, the Commission did not have all the information required to determine whether all the criteria for the introduction of a public service had been fulfilled.
Komisija ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka ni imela na voljo vseh potrebnih informacij, da bi ugotovila, ali so bila upoštevana vsa merila za ustanovitev javne storitve.
In order to be able to reach a conclusion on the nature of the tendering procedures used to select the rendering undertakings, the Commission asked the French authorities for full details of the procedures so that it could decide whether they complied with the rules, and in particular with Council Directive 92/50/EEC relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts [11], in the light of judgments handed down by the Court of Justice in this field [12].
Komisija je, da bi se lahko izrekla o naravi postopkov javnih razpisov, ki so bili v tem primeru uporabljeni za izbiro kafilerij, od francoskih organov zahtevala vse informacije o izvedbi navedenih javnih razpisov, na podlagi katerih bi lahko z vidika sodne prakse Sodišča Evropskih skupnosti o tem vprašanju [11] ugotovila, ali so v skladu z Direktivo Sveta 92/50/EGS z dne 18. junija 1992 o usklajevanju postopkov za oddajo javnih naročil storitev [12].
The Commission also sought details of the impact of the aid on the undertakings concerned and proof that it covered only the additional costs of performing the services carried out in the general interest and that it could not have been diverted to other competitive activities that those undertakings might carry out.
Komisija je hotela imeti tudi informacije predvsem o učinku pomoči na zadevna podjetja in dokaz, da so te pomoči uporabljale samo za financiranje dodatnih stroškov nalog, izvedenih v splošnem interesu, ne da bi bilo vire mogoče preusmeriti v druge konkurenčne dejavnosti, s katerimi bi se lahko ukvarjala ta podjetja.
The Commission, while accepting that the rendering service might be a service of general economic interest, was of the opinion that there were, when the investigation procedure was opened, a number of doubts regarding the effects of the aid on the direct beneficiaries of the service and the way in which the service was financed.
Komisija, ki se je strinjala, da je javna storitev predelave klavnih trupov lahko storitev splošnega gospodarskega interesa, je menila, da obstajajo na začetku preiskovalnega postopka nekatera vprašanja glede učinkov pomoči na neposredne upravičence do storitve in načina financiranja storitve.
When the investigation procedure was opened, point 5.6.2 of the Community Guidelines for State aid in the agriculture sector [13] (hereafter referred to as the agricultural guidelines) provided for aid in the agricultural sector, such as aid for the collection, recovery and processing of waste of agricultural origin, to be examined on a case-by-case basis.
Ob začetku postopka je točka 5.6.2 smernic Skupnosti o državni pomoči v kmetijskem sektorju [13] (v nadaljevanju „kmetijske smernice“) omogočila, da se preveri vsako posamezno pomoč v korist kmetijskega sektorja, kot so pomoči za zbiranje, predelavo in obdelavo odpadkov kmetijskega izvora.
That examination had to be made in the light of the principles set out in the EC Treaty and the Community guidelines on State aid for environmental protection [14].
To preverjanje bi se moralo izvesti glede na načela, navedena v Pogodbi in predpisih Skupnosti o državnih pomočeh za varstvo okolja [14].
According to those guidelines, where such aid is indispensable, it must only compensate for extra production costs by comparison with the market price of the products or services concerned.
Pomoči se morajo v skladu z navedenimi predpisi, kadar se izkažejo za nujno potrebne, omejiti samo na nadomestilo dodatnih proizvodnih stroškov v primerjavi s tržnimi cenami zadevnih izdelkov ali storitev.
Such aid must also be temporary and, as a general rule, degressive, so as to provide an incentive for prices to reflect costs reasonably rapidly.
Te pomoči morajo biti tudi začasne in načeloma degresivne, tako da spodbujajo k temu, da se pri oblikovanju cen v primernem času upošteva načelo resnice cen.
The Commission also based its position on point 11.4.5 of the agricultural guidelines regarding the combating of animal diseases.
Komisija se je glede tega opirala tudi na točko 11.4.5 kmetijskih smernic v zvezi z bojem proti živalskim boleznim.
However, in France, the beneficiary agricultural holdings and slaughterhouses did not appear to make any contribution to the expenditure involved in providing the service.
Vendar se zdi, da v Franciji upravičena kmetijska gospodarstva in klavnice sploh ne prispevajo k stroškom, povezanim z opravljanjem storitve.
The Commission therefore took the view that the aid might not fulfil the conditions laid down by Community rules and therefore had doubts regarding the compatibility of the aid, which covered the cost to agricultural holdings and slaughterhouses of collecting and destroying animal carcases and meat and offal seized at slaughterhouses.
Komisija je zato menila, da pomoč lahko ne bo izpolnjevala pogojev, določenih v pravilih Skupnosti. Tako je dvomila o združljivosti pomoči, s katerimi bi kmetijska gospodarstva in klavnice razbremenili stroškov, povezanih z zbiranjem in uničenjem živalskih trupel ter mesa in drobovine, zaseženih v klavnici.
Under the French scheme, the beneficiary agricultural holdings and slaughterhouses did not appear to make any contribution to the cost of processing the animal carcases.
Zdi se, da upravičena kmetijska gospodarstva in klavnice v okviru francoskega sistema sploh niso prispevala k stroškom predelave živalskih trupel.
In addition, the service seemed to be free on a permanent and non-degressive basis.
Poleg tega se zdi, da je brezplačnost te storitve trajna in se postopno ne znižuje.
In the case of State aid NN 76/2000 [15], the Commission took the view that aid for the removal of carcases served to stop the practice of farmers burning, burying or abandoning highly contaminating carcases that were harmful to the environment and to health.
Komisija je v okviru državne pomoči št. NN 76/2000 [15] v zvezi s pomočjo za odstranjevanje trupel menila, da bodo kmetje zaradi tega odstranjevanja prenehali sežigati, zakopavati ali puščati trupla, ki zelo onesnažujejo okolje ter škodijo okolju in zdravju.
The Commission also pointed out that it does not usually authorise operating aid that reduces the financial cost to undertakings of the pollution or harmful effects for which they are responsible.
Komisija je tudi opozorila, da ponavadi ne dovoljuje pomoči za tekoče poslovanje, ki podjetja razbremenijo dela finančnih stroškov, povezanih z onesnaževanjem ali škodljivimi učinki, ki jih povzročajo.
The Commission notes that derogations from that principle have already been granted, in particular for waste management.
Komisija je ugotovila, da so bila odstopanja od tega načela že odobrena, zlasti pri ravnanju z odpadki.
When the investigation procedure was opened, the Commission had no information indicating that permanent and non-degressive aid to cover the cost of collecting and processing carcases was necessary and consequently justifiable, particularly as part of a comprehensive programme to combat certain diseases and/or to protect human health.
Komisija ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka v tej zadevi ni imela na voljo informacij, ki bi pokazale, da je bila takšna trajna in nedegresivna pomoč za stroške zbiranja in poznejše predelave trupel potrebna in zato upravičena, zlasti v okviru splošnega programa boja proti nekaterim boleznim in/ali zdravstvenega varstva ljudi.
The Commission also noted that the French legislation introducing the obligation to remove carcases did not apply to all farmers.
Komisija je tudi ugotovila, da francoska zakonodaja, ki je uvedla obvezno odstranjevanje trupel, ni veljala za vse kmete.
As regards meat and offal seized at slaughterhouses, at the time the investigation procedure was opened, the Commission authorised the national authorities to cover 100 % of certain costs normally borne by producers but only in very specific situations.
Komisija je v zvezi z mesom in drobovino, zaseženima v klavnici, ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka dovolila, da država v točno določenih okoliščinah prevzame 100 % nekaterih stroškov, ki bi jih ponavadi nosili proizvajalci.
The Commission took the view that the aid provided by means of the rendering service vis-à-vis animal waste recognised as unfit for consumption might fulfil the conditions laid down in point 11.4.5 of the agricultural guidelines and benefit from the derogation provided for in Article 87(3)(c) of the Treaty.
Komisija je torej menila, da bi lahko pomoč za storitev predelave klavnih trupov v zvezi z odpadki živalskega izvora, ki so neustrezni za prehrano, upoštevala pogoje iz točke 11.4.5 kmetijskih smernic ter bila upravičena do odstopanja iz točke (c) člena 87(3) Pogodbe.
However, in order to grant that derogation, the Commission asked the French authorities to show, in the case of each species of animal covered by the service, that all the waste was from sick animals or animals whose destruction was intended to prevent the spread of an animal disease.
Vendar je Komisija, da bi uporabila to odstopanje, želela, da francoski organi za vsako živalsko vrsto, ki jo storitev zadeva, dokažejo, da gre vedno za odpadke bolnih živali ali odpadke, katerih odstranitev bi preprečila širjenje živalske bolezni.
This also applied to the additional levy imposed from 1 July to 31 December 1998.
To je veljalo tudi za dodatno dajatev, naloženo v obdobju od 1. julija 1998 do 31. decembra 1998.
As regards marketing undertakings exempted from payment of the levy, at the time the investigation procedure was opened the Commission had reason to believe that aid there was covered by point 3.5 of the agricultural guidelines.
Komisija je v zvezi s podjetji za trženje, oproščenimi plačila dajatve, ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka utemeljeno domnevala, da obstaja pomoč, ki sodi v področje uporabe točke 3.5 kmetijskih smernic.
This lays down that, in order to be considered compatible with the common market, any aid measure must contain some incentive element or require some counterpart on the part of the beneficiary.
Ta točka določa, da mora vsak ukrep pomoči vsebovati določen spodbujevalni element ali zahtevati protivrednost od upravičenca, da se lahko šteje kot združljiv s skupnim trgom.
In the case in point, the exemption appeared to reduce costs without providing any incentive or requiring any counterpart on the part of the beneficiary and its compatibility with the competition rules was not, at the time the investigation procedure was opened, proven.
V tem primeru se je zdelo, da je oprostitev zmanjšala stroške, ne da bi vsebovala kakršen koli spodbujevalni element in od upravičencev zahtevala kakršno koli protivrednost. Tako na začetku preiskovalnega postopka združljivost s pravili o konkurenci ni bila dokazana.
As regards the destruction of animal meal, at the time the investigation procedure was opened the Commission was not in a position to decide whether or not the financing of the destruction complied with the rules since it did not know for exactly what type of product the aid was paid or whether the aid had been paid for meal produced after the introduction of the Community ban in December 2000.
Komisija ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka ni mogla izdati mnenja o združljivosti financiranja uničenja mesne moke s Pogodbo, ker ni točno vedela, katero vrsto proizvoda je pomoč zadevala in zlasti, ali je bila moka, izdelana po prepovedi, ki jo je izrekla Skupnost decembra 2000, deležna te pomoči.
Nor did the Commission know whether the aid paid for destruction was such as to overcompensate either the owners of the meal or the undertakings responsible for destroying it.
Poleg tega Komisija ni vedela, ali so nadomestila, plačana v okviru navedenega uničenja, vključevala čezmerna nadomestila bodisi lastnikom moke bodisi podjetjem, odgovornim za njihovo uničenje.
The Commission asked the French authorities to specify the type of products for which the aid was paid and their date of production and to provide information showing how any overcompensation was avoided.
Komisija je od francoskih organov zahtevala, da natančno navedejo vrsto izdelkov, ki jih pomoč zadeva, in datum njihove proizvodnje ter da pošljejo vse podatke, na podlagi katerih bo lahko preverila, kako so se izognili kakršnemu koli čezmernemu nadomestilu.
THE FINANCING OF THE AID
FINANCIRANJE POMOČI
Before 31 December 2000, the PRS was financed by means of a parafiscal charge imposed on retailers of meat and meat products.
Javna storitev predelave klavnih trupov se je pred 31. decembrom 2000 financirala z davkom podobno dajatvijo, ki so jo plačevali trgovci na drobno z mesom in mesnimi izdelki.
Revenue from the levy was paid into a fund via which it was managed.
Prihodek od te dajatve je bil dodeljen v sklad za upravljanje te pomoči.
The Commission pointed out that it normally took the view that the financing of State aid by means of compulsory charges could affect the aid in that it may have a protective effect going beyond the actual aid itself and consequently aid may not be financed by means of parafiscal charges that also affect products imported from other Member States.
Komisija je opozorila, da ponavadi meni, da lahko financiranje državne pomoči z obveznimi dajatvami vpliva na pomoč, saj ima zaščitni učinek, ki presega pomoč v pravem pomenu, ter zato pomoči ni mogoče financirati z davkom podobnimi dajatvami, ki bremenijo tudi izdelke, uvožene iz drugih držav članic.
At the time the investigation procedure was opened, the Commission was of the opinion that imposing the levy on products imported from other Member States to finance the rendering service may be incompatible with the competition rules and that the State aid so financed may be incompatible with the Treaty.
Komisija je ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka menila, da bi bil lahko znesek, dobljen z uporabo dajatve na izdelke, ki so uvoženi iz drugih držav članic, da bi se financirala javna storitev predelave klavnih trupov, s pravili o konkurenci nezdružljivo financiranje in da bi bila zato tako financirana državna pomoč enako nezdružljiva s Pogodbo.
From 1 January 2001, revenue from the levy was assigned directly to the national budget.
Prihodek od dajatve je bil od 1. januarja 2001 neposredno dodeljen v splošni državni proračun.
The Commission pointed out that, in accordance with its usual practice, it takes the view that, generally speaking, the payment of the revenue from a levy into the national budget makes it impossible to trace the link between that levy and a particular service provided and financed by the national authorities.
Komisija je v skladu s svojo prakso menila, da je na splošno zaradi vključitve prihodka od dajatve v nacionalni proračunski sistem nemogoče vzpostaviti povezavo med navedeno dajatvijo in financiranjem določene storitve, ki jo opravlja in financira država.
It is therefore impossible to say that a levy discriminates against other products since the revenue from the levy becomes merged with other Government revenue and the financing of the aid cannot be directly attributed to the levy.
Zaradi tega ne bi bilo več mogoče trditi, da je dajatev diskriminacijska do drugih izdelkov, ker bi se prihodek od dajatve pomešal z drugimi prihodki države in financiranja pomoči ne bi bilo mogoče neposredno povezati s tem prihodkom.
However, there were serious doubts as to whether the link between the revenue and the use made of it had been broken, since it appeared that, after being paid into the budget, the revenue from the levy was allocated to a specific chapter for the Ministry of Agriculture and subsequently transferred to the budget of the CNASEA, the body responsible for the financial management of the rendering service [16].
Vendar so obstajali resni dvomi o tem, ali je bila povezava med virom in njegovo uporabo resnično prekinjena. Tako se zdi, da je bil prihodek od dajatve, potem ko je bil vključen v proračun, dodeljen v določeno poglavje ministrstva za kmetijstvo, iz katerega je bil nato nakazan v proračun CNASEA, organa, odgovornega za finančno poslovodenje storitve predelave klavnih trupov [16].
Furthermore, the revenue from the levy and the amount of financing provided for the service were almost identical.
Poleg tega se je izkazalo, da je ujemanje med prihodkom od dajatve in financiranjem storitve skoraj popolno.
The Court of Justice has acknowledged that the possible existence of a link between a system of taxation and an aid scheme represents a serious difficulty in determining whether that scheme is compatible with the provisions of the Treaty and that, under such circumstances, only by initiating the procedure provided for in Article 88(2) of the Treaty can the Commission be in a position to appreciate the issues raised in complaints lodged regarding those provisions [17].
Sodišče Evropskih skupnosti je opozorilo, da bi bil morebitni obstoj povezave med sistemom obdavčitve in pomočjo resna težava pri ugotavljanju, ali je pomoč združljiva s pogodbo. Sodišče navaja, da bo lahko Komisija v primeru resne težave pri ugotavljanju združljivosti nacionalnega ukrepa z določbami Pogodbe samo z uvedbo postopka iz člena 88(2) Pogodbe odprla vprašanja, načeta v pritožbah, ki so vložena v zvezi z navedenimi določbami [17].
At the time the investigation procedure was opened, the Commission was not in a position to decide whether or not the scheme was compatible with the Treaty since it potentially discriminated against products imported from other Member States, on which the levy was also imposed.
Komisija ob začetku preiskovalnega postopka ni mogla izdati mnenja o združljivosti sistema s Pogodbo, zlasti zaradi njegove morebitne diskriminacije do izdelkov, uvoženih iz drugih držav članic, za katere je bilo ravno tako treba plačati dajatev.
The Commission pointed out that, so long as the financing of a State aid was considered to be incompatible with the competition rules, the aid so financed must also be considered to be incompatible.
Komisija je opozorila, da bi morali, če se financiranje državne pomoči šteje kot nezdružljivo z veljavnimi pravili o konkurenci, tako financirane pomoči prav tako šteti kot nezdružljive, dokler bi obstajala nepravilnost financiranja.
In fact, it is a necessary condition for aid being declared compatible that its method of financing is in compliance with the rules.
Pravilnost financiranja pomoči je potreben pogoj za to, da se pomoč razglasi za združljivo s Pogodbo.
ARTICLE 86(2) OF THE TREATY
ČLEN 86(2) POGODBE