natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
In the decision to initiate the formal investigation procedure pursuant to Article 88(2), the Commission took the view that the measure constituted State aid within the scope of Article 87(1).
Pri odločbi za sprožitev uradnega postopka za preiskavo, na podlagi člena 88(2) Pogodbe ES, je Komisija upoštevala, da ukrep predstavlja državno pomoč na podlagi člena 87(1) Pogodbe.
The measure was therefore caught by the general ban on State aid, and could be considered compatible with the common market only if it qualified for one of the exemptions laid down in the Treaty.
V skladu s tem je ukrep načeloma prepovedan in se upošteva, da je kompatibilen s skupnim tržiščem le v primeru, da je dopuščen v korist s strani enega od predvidenih odstopanj v Pogodbi.
The Commission doubted whether the measure constituted a scheme of assistance to a general class of recipients; in view of its short duration it appeared rather to be aimed at very specific recipients (the legislation was adopted on 14 February 2003, and the deadline for the purchase of the firm and ministerial approval of the transfer of employees was 30 April 2003).
Komisija je izrazila dvome o tem, ali pregledan ukrep dejansko predstavlja program pomoči v prid splošni skupini koristnikov ali, če morebiti v tem primeru ne gre za ukrep, ki je namenjen le določenim koristnikom, upoštevajoč dejstvo, da objavljen program pomoči traja le kratek čas (zakonski dekret je bil sprejet 14. februarja 2003, rok, določen za nakup podjetja ter ministrski dogovor o premestitvi uslužbencev, pa 30. aprila 2003).
The Commission said that if Italy considered that the notification of the scheme was in fact an individual notification of restructuring aid to a single firm in difficulty, then the measure would have to be notified as such.
Komisija je opozorila na to, da bi v primeru, da bi Italija sodila, da objavljen program pomoči predstavlja dejansko individualno obvestilo o pomoči pri prestrukturiranju za posamezno podjetje v težavah, moral biti ukrep objavljen kot tak.
It would then be necessary to clarify whether the firm in financial difficulty was the effective recipient of the aid.
V tem primeru bi bilo potrebno razjasniti, če je podjetje v finančnih težavah dejanski koristnik pomoči.
Such a notification would have to be accompanied by a restructuring plan intended to restore the firm to viability, and would have to satisfy all the conditions laid down in the rescue and restructuring guidelines.
Poleg tega bi morala individualna objava vsebovati še načrt za prestrukturiranje, ki je izdelan za ponovno vzpostavitev ekonomsko-finančnega donosa podjetja, in bi moral izpolnjevati vse določene pogoje pri zgoraj navedenih usmeritvah.
COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY ITALY
PRIPOMBE, KI JIH JE PREDLOŽILA ITALIJA
The Italian authorities stated that during the lifetime of the scheme only one firm had been sold in accordance with the mechanisms it laid down: this was Ocean SpA, located in Verolanuova, Brescia, which was bought by Brandt Italia SpA.
Italijanske oblasti so nakazale, da je bilo v času trajanja programa pomoči, samo eno podjetje odkupljeno na način, ki ga predvideva program, oziroma podjetje Ocean SpA, ki se nahaja v Verolanuovi (BS), in je bilo prodano podjetju Brandt Italia SpA.
According to the Italian authorities Brandt Italia acquired Ocean at a market price and did not receive any direct economic advantage under the scheme.
Po besedah italijanskih oblasti je podjetje Brandt odkupilo podjetje Ocean SpA po tržni ceni, ne da bi koristilo neposredne ekonomske prednosti v okviru obravnavanega programa pomoči.
The Italian authorities also stated:
Italijanske oblasti so izjavile še naslednje:
that the measure under examination was not one that applied in specific areas or to specific recipients,
obravnavani ukrep se ne izvaja na specifičnem območju in ne zadeva specifičnih koristnikov,
that if the Commission did not consider it a general measure, it should conclude that it did not affect competition, as it was aimed at restoring the productive activity of firms in difficulty and safeguarding the jobs involved,
v primeru, da Komisija ne bi upoštevala tega kot splošni ukrep, bi bilo potrebno upoštevati, da omenjeni ukrep ne spreminja konkurenčnosti, v kolikor je njegov cilj ta, da ponovno vzpostavi proizvodno aktivnost podjetij, ki so v težavah, in da ohranja ustrezna delovna mesta,
that the scheme complied with the rescue and restructuring guidelines, as it did not increase production capacity but aimed to restore viability and safeguard jobs.
program pomoči je v skladu z usmeritvijo državne pomoči pri reševanju in prestrukturiranju, v kolikor ne povečuje proizvodnih kapacitet podjetja, temveč je usmerjen v ponovno vzpostavitev ekonomsko-finančnega donosa in v ohranjanje delovnih mest.
By letter dated 11 February 2004, Italy indicated that the amount of aid awarded to Brandt Italia under the scheme was, at that date, EUR 3197982,20 and that the granting of aid had begun in March 2003.
V pismu z dne 11. februarja 2004 je Italija nakazala, da je pomoč, odobrena podjetju Brandt Italia v okviru programa pomoči, na tisti dan znašala 3197982,20 evrov in da se je izplačilo pomoči začelo marca 2003.
ASSESSMENT OF THE AID
OCENA POMOČI
Existence of aid
Predmet pomoči
In order to assess whether the measure constitutes aid within the scope of Article 87(1) of the Treaty, it is necessary to determine whether it favours certain undertakings, whether it is granted through State resources, whether it distorts competition, and whether it may affect trade between Member States.
Da bi ocenili, če ukrep predstavlja pomoč po členu 87(1) Pogodbe, je potrebno preveriti, če podpira nekatera podjetja, če je prednost odobrena z državnimi viri, če ukrep ponaredi konkurenco in če lahko vpliva na izmenjave znotraj Skupnosti.
The first condition for the application of Article 87(1) is that the measure must favour certain undertakings.
Prvi pogoj za izvajanje člena 87(1), predstavlja okoliščina, da ukrep podpira nekatera podjetja.
It is therefore necessary to verify whether the measure confers an economic advantage on recipients that they would not enjoy in normal market conditions, or whether it relieves them of charges that are normally borne from their budgets, and whether such an advantage is granted to specific undertakings.
In zato je potrebno ugotoviti, če ukrep dodeljuje koristnikom ekonomsko prednost, katere ne bi prejemali pri običajnih pogojih tržišča, ali če jim pomaga, da se izognejo plačevanju taks, ki praviloma bremenijo bilanco podjetja, in če je ta prednost odobrena specifičnim podjetjem.
The scheme under examination provides for grants and social security reductions to purchasers of firms in financial difficulty that are in special administration and have at least 1000 employees.
Obravnavan program pomoči predvideva dodelitev prispevkov in zmanjšanje socialnih prispevkov za kupce podjetij v težavah, podrejenih posebnim administrativnim postopkom, ki imajo število zaposlenih, ki presega 1000 enot.
It therefore confers an economic advantage on the purchaser, who receives a non-repayable grant for every employee transferred, and is relieved of part of the social security contributions ordinarily payable by the employer for 18 months.
Ta predvideva torej ekonomsko prednost za kupca, ki prejme nepovraten prispevek za vsakega „prevzetega“ uslužbenca, poleg tega 18 mesecev koristi zmanjšanje socialnih prispevkov, ki običajno bremenijo delodajalce.
The Commission takes the view that the measure may comprise an economic advantage to the firm in special administration as well.
Komisija sodi, da bi lahko sporni ukrep predstavljal ekonomsko prednost tudi za podjetja, ki so podrejena izredni administraciji.
Who is the effective recipient of the aid will depend on a number of factors which have not been clarified by the Italian authorities: whether the firm in financial difficulty is a going concern, whether the sale is an asset or a share deal, whether the purchaser is clearly separate from the firm in financial difficulty, how the selling price is determined, etc.
Dejanski koristnik pomoči je namreč odvisen od vrste faktorjev, ki niso bili pojasnjeni s strani italijanskih oblasti (če je podjetje, ki je v finančnih težavah, podjetje v aktivi, če so predmet prodaje aktivi podjetja ali družbene kvote, če je kupec jasno ločen od podjetja v finančnih težavah, načini določanja prodajne cene, itd.).
The Commission considers that the scheme confers an economic advantage on a specific category of recipients, namely:
Komisija sodi, da je na osnovi obravnavanega programa pomoči odobrena ekonomska prednost specifični kategoriji koristnikov, oziroma:
the purchaser of a firm, where the firm is in financial difficulty, is in special administration, and has at least 1000 employees, and the purchaser concluded a collective agreement approving the transfer of employees with the Ministry of Labour by 30 April 2003, and/or
kupcem podjetij v finančnih težavah, podrejenih izredni administraciji, ki imajo vsaj 1000 zaposlenih, ki so sklenili kolektivno pogodbo do 30. aprila 2003 z Ministrstvom za delo glede odobritve premestitve uslužbencev, in/ali
the firm sold, where the firm is in financial difficulty, is in special administration, and has at least 1000 employees.
podjetjem v finančnih težavah, podrejenim izredni administraciji, ki imajo vsaj 1000 uslužbencev in ki predstavljajo predmet predaje.
The Commission therefore takes the view that the measure is not a general measure, but instead confers an economic advantage on certain undertakings, reducing the costs they would otherwise have to bear and strengthening their financial position as compared with competitors who do not benefit under the same measures.
Na osnovi zgoraj navedenega, Komisija sodi, da obravnavani ukrep ni splošne narave, temveč da dodeljuje ekonomsko prednost specifičnim podjetjem tako, da jim zmanjša običajne stroške in okrepi finančni položaj teh podjetij v primerjavi z drugimi konkurenti, ki nimajo koristi od istih ukrepov.
This finding is confirmed by the fact that the measure has been applied in only one case.
Takšno ugotovitev potrjuje dejstvo, da je bil ukrep izvajan samo v enem primeru.
The second condition for the application of Article 87(1) is that the aid must be granted through State resources.
Drugi pogoj za izvedbo člena 87(1) predstavlja okoliščina, da je ukrep odobren z državnimi viri.
In the scheme under examination, the use of State resources is shown by the fact that the measure is financed by non-repayable public funding and by the State’s foregoing a portion of the social contributions ordinarily due.
V obravnavanem primeru je posredovanje državnih virov dokazano z dejstvom, da je ukrep, po eni strani, financiran z nepovratnim javnim financiranjem in, po drugi strani, z odpovedjo države kvoti socialnih prispevkov, ki jih je običajno treba plačevati.
The third and fourth conditions for the application of Article 87(1) are that the measure must distort or threaten to distort competition and must affect trade between Member States.
Na osnovi tretjega in četrtega pogoja za izvajanje člena 87(1) Pogodbe mora ukrep ponarediti ali ogroziti z izkrivljanjem konkurence in vplivati na izmenjavo znotraj Skupnosti.
The scheme under examination threatens to distort competition because it reinforces the financial position of some undertakings compared to those of their competitors.
Obravnavan program pomoči ogroža z izkrivljanjem konkurence, v kolikor okrepi finančni položaj nekaterih podjetij v primerjavi z njihovimi konkurenti.
In particular, it threatens to distort competition and affect trade in cases where the recipients compete with products coming from other Member States, even if they do not export their own products.
Ukrep posebno ogroža izkrivljanje konkurence in vpliva na izmenjave, če koristniki konkurirajo z izdelki iz drugih držav članic, čeprav sami ne izvažajo svoje proizvodnje.
If they do not export their own products there is nevertheless an advantage to domestic production, because undertakings established in other Member States have less chance of exporting their products to the market in question [6].
Če podjetja, ki koristijo pomoč, ne izvažajo, je državna proizvodnja v prednosti zaradi dejstva, da je možnost podjetij, ki se nahajajo v ostalih državah članicah, da izvažajo svoje izdelke na obravnavano tržišče, zaradi tega zmanjšana [6].
The measure under examination is consequently caught by the general prohibition in Article 87(1) of the Treaty, and can be considered compatible with the common market only if it qualifies for one of the exemptions laid down in the Treaty.
Iz zgoraj navedenih razlogov je obravnavani ukrep načeloma prepovedan s členom 87(1) Pogodbe in se upošteva kot kompatibilen s skupnim tržiščem samo v primeru, da lahko koristi z odstopanji, ki so predvidena v Pogodbi.
Lawfulness of the aid
Upravičenost pomoči
As the measure constitutes State aid, the Commission regrets that the Italian authorities have not fulfilled their obligation under Article 88(3) of the Treaty and have put the measure into effect before approval by the Commission.
Ker ukrep predstavlja državno pomoč, Komisija poroča, da italijanske oblasti niso izpolnile dolžnosti, ki jih nalaga člen 88(3) Pogodbe, in so izvedle ukrep, preden ga je Komisija odobrila.
Assessment of compatibility of the aid
Ocena združljivosti pomoči
Having determined that the measure constitutes State aid within the scope of Article 87(1) of the Treaty, the Commission considered whether it could be held to be compatible with the common market under Article 87(2) and (3).
Potem ko je bila določena narava državne pomoči glede spornega ukrepa po členu 87(1) Pogodbe, je Komisija preučila, če se ta lahko upošteva kot združljiva s skupnim tržiščem na osnovi člena 87(2) in (3) Pogodbe.
The Commission takes the view that the aid does not qualify for exemption under Article 87(2), because it is not aid having a social character of the kind referred to in Article 87(2)(a), nor aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences of the kind referred to in Article 87(2)(b), nor does it fall under Article 87(2)(c).
Komisija sodi, da pomoč ne more koristiti odstopanja po členu 87(2) Pogodbe, v kolikor ne predstavlja pomoči, ki je socialne narave po členu 87(2)(a), ali pomoči, ki je namenjena preprečevanju škode, ki so jo povzročile naravne nesreče ali drugi izredni dogodki po členu 87(2)(b), niti ni v obsegu člena 87(2)(c).
The exemptions in Article 87(3)(b) and (d) are obviously inapplicable too.
Zaradi očitnih razlogov niso uporabna niti odstopanja po členu 87(3)(b) in (d).
Turning to Article 87(3)(a) and (c), the Commission has laid down its policy on certain categories of aid in exemption regulations and guidelines.
S sklicevanjem na člen 87(3)(a) in (c) je Komisija opredelila svojo politiko v zvezi z nekaterimi kategorijami pomoči in določenimi uredbami, panogami in usmeritvami glede oprostitev.
The aid under examination aims to safeguard jobs and involves the sale of firms in difficulty, which means that it may fall within the scope of any of three acts of secondary legislation.
Preučena pomoč je mišljena za ohranjanje delovnih mest in zadeva predajo podjetij v težavah in torej lahko pride v obseg izvajanja treh jasnih aktov pravic, ki iz tega izhajajo.
The Commission has accordingly examined the compatibility of the aid under the rescue and restructuring guidelines, under the Employment Aid Regulation, and finally under the guidelines on national regional aid.
Zato je Komisija preučila združljivost sporne pomoči na osnovi usmeritev državne pomoči za reševanje in prestrukturiranje, na osnovi Uredbe (ES) št. 2204/2002 in, nazadnje, na osnovi usmeritev v zvezi z državno pomočjo v korist regij.
But in each case the doubts expressed by the Commission as to the compatibility of the aid scheme with the common market have been confirmed.
Na osnovi vseh treh zgoraj navedenih disciplin so bili dvomi, ki jih je izrazila Komisija glede združljivosti programa pomoči s skupnim tržiščem, potrjeni.
Assessment under the rescue and restructuring guidelines
Ocena na osnovi smernic državne pomoči za reševanje in prestrukturiranje
Given that the notified scheme applied to the sale of firms in financial difficulty, the Italian authorities argued that it should be assessed under the rescue and restructuring guidelines.
Glede na to, da objavljen program pomoči zadeva prodajo podjetij v finančnih težavah, so italijanske oblasti prosile, da bi se to ocenilo po smernicah Skupnosti glede državne pomoči za reševanje in prestrukturiranje.
The Commission considered whether the aid scheme could be assessed under those guidelines.
Komisija je preučila, če je program pomoči lahko ocenjen na osnovi omenjenih usmeritev.
The rescue and restructuring guidelines allow:
Usmeritve Skupnosti v zvezi s pomočjo za reševanje in prestrukturiranje predvidevajo:
rescue and restructuring aid notified individually to the Commission, for all firms irrespective of size,
pomoč pri reševanju in prestrukturiranju, ki je bila Komisiji javljena individualno za vsa podjetja, ne glede na njihovo velikost,
rescue and restructuring aid schemes confined to small and medium-sized enterprises.
program pomoči pri reševanju in prestrukturiranju izključno za manjša in srednja podjetja.
The Italian authorities notified an aid scheme that applies to all firms irrespective of size.
Italijanske oblasti so javile program pomoči, ki se izvaja pri vse podjetjih ne glede na njihovo velikost.
Indeed, as the scheme concerns the sale of firms having more than 1000 employees, the firms concerned will for the most part be large [7].
Poleg tega, glede na to, da režim zadeva prodajo podjetij z več kot 1000 zaposlenimi, se zato zanimajo predvsem večja podjetja [7].
In its current form, therefore, the scheme cannot be considered compatible with the common market on the basis of the rescue and restructuring guidelines.(27) In its decision initiating the investigation, the Commission said that if Italy considered that the notification of the scheme was in fact an individual notification of restructuring aid to a single firm in difficulty, then the measure would have to be notified as such.
Zato program pomoči v svoji trenutni obliki ne more biti upoštevan kot združljiv s tržiščem, na osnovi usmeritev pri reševanju in prestrukturiranju.(27) Pri odločitvi v zvezi s sproženjem postopka je Komisija pokazala, da v primeru da bi Italija sodila, da režim pomoči dejansko predstavlja individualno pomoč pri prestrukturiranju posameznega podjetja v težavah, bi potem moral biti ukrep javljen kot tak.
The Italian authorities indicated that in reality only one firm had been sold under the scheme during its lifetime.
Italijanske oblasti so pokazale, da je bila samo ena taka prodajna transakcija izvedena na osnovi programa pomoči v celotnem času trajanja tega programa.
But they continued to describe the measure as a scheme, and did not provide any information that might have enabled the Commission to assess it as an individual notification of restructuring aid to a single firm in difficulty.
Vendar so še naprej ukrep opredeljevale kot program pomoči in Komisiji niso predložile nobenih informacij, ki bi ji omogočile, da ta ukrep oceni, v kolikor je to individualna objava pomoči pri prestrukturiranju enega samega podjetja v težavah.
The Commission cannot, therefore, assess the individual case of the sale of Ocean SpA to Brandt Italia SpA on its own merits.
Komisija zato ne more oceniti individualnega primera prodaje podjetja Ocean SpA podjetju Brandt Italia na avtonomen način.
Assessment under the Employment Aid Regulation
Ocena na osnovi Uredbe (ES) št. 2204/2002
The notified aid scheme aims to safeguard jobs.
Cilj objavljenega programa pomoči temelji na ohranjanju delovnih mest.
In addition to the rescue and restructuring guidelines, the Italian authorities also referred to the Employment Aid Regulation.
Italijanske oblasti se sklicujejo, poleg na usmeritve glede pomoči pri reševanju in prestrukturiranju, še na Uredbo (ES) št. 2204/2002.
In this respect, according to the Italian authorities:
Glede tega, po mnenju italijanskih oblasti:
the notified measure should be considered as a ‘general measure to promote employment which does not distort or threaten to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods’ (recital 6 to the abovementioned Regulation), as it is general and abstract, and applies to all firms with more than 1000 employees which are in special administration and which are sold,
mora biti objavljen ukrep upoštevan kot „ukrep splošne narave, ki je usmerjen k spodbujanju zaposlovanja, ki ne izkrivlja in niti ne ogroža z izkrivljanjem konkurence s tem, da podpira določena podjetja ali proizvodnjo določenih dobrin“ (uvodnja izjava 6 Uredbe (ES) št. 2204/2002), ker gre za splošen in abstrakten ukrep, ki zadeva vsa podjetja, ki imajo več kot 1000 zaposlenih, so podrejena izredni administraciji in so predmet prodaje, odobrene prednosti so enake tistim pri programu „Dopolnilni sklad, izredni zaslužek“, ki ni bil nikoli upoštevan kot državna pomoč,
the benefits granted are the same as those available under the laid-off workers’ mobility scheme, which has never been considered State aid,
v primeru, da bi se obravnaval kot državna pomoč, bi moral biti ukrep določen kot program pomoči pri ustvarjanju delovnih mest.
if the measure is considered to constitute State aid, it should be regarded as a scheme for the creation of employment: Article 4(4)(c) of the Employment Aid Regulation explicitly provides that ‘the new workers employed as a result of the creation of employment must have never had a job or have lost or be losing their previous job’.
Namreč, po členu 4(4)(c) Uredbe (ES) št. 2204/2002 „delavci, ko so bili zaposleni, da zasedejo nova delovna mesta, ki so bila ustvarjena, ne smejo biti v delovnem razmerju pred tem ali pa so izgubili ali pa so tik pred tem, da izgubijo prejšnjo službo“.
The measure under examination concerns the last of these cases.
Ukrep, ki se ocenjuje, zadeva zadnjega od teh primerov.
On the first point, the Commission considers that the measure is not a general measure, for the reasons already mentioned in this Decision in the section on the existence of aid.
Kar zadeva prvo točko, Komisija sodi, da ukrep ni splošne narave iz razlogov, ki so bili že navedeni s to odločitvijo v delu, ki zadeva predmet pomoči.
On the second point, the measure does not modify lay-off schemes such as the special lay-off fund (Cassa integrazione straordinaria) or the laid-off workers’ mobility scheme.
Kar zadeva drugo točko, sporni ukrep ne spreminja programa, kot je program izrednega dopolnilnega sklada ali premestitev na čakanje.
It is a temporary measure designed for a specific situation and applies only to transactions carried out in the course of one three-month period.
Nasprotno, gre za začasen ukrep, ki je namenjen poseganju v specifično situacijo in izključno za posege, ki so izvedeni v treh mesecih.
Thus it cannot be considered equivalent to general lay-off schemes such as the special lay-off fund or the laid-off workers’ mobility scheme, which have never been assessed by the Commission under the State aid rules.
Zato se ta ukrep ne more primerjati s programi, kot so izredni dopolnilni sklad ali premestitev na čakanje, ki jih Komisija nikoli ni ocenjevala na osnovi pravil o državni pomoči.
On the third point, the Commission would point out that under the Employment Aid Regulation aid towards the creation of new jobs in non-assisted areas is allowed only where it is given to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Kar zadeva zgoraj omenjeno tretjo točko, Komisija poudarja, na osnovi Uredbe (ES) št. 2204/2002, da je pomoč pri ustvarjanju novih delovnih mest na področjih, ki niso podprta, dovoljena samo kot pomoč majhnim in srednjim podjetjem.
The notified aid scheme applies throughout the country and to all undertakings irrespective of size.
Objavljen program pomoči se izvaja na celotnem državnem območju in pri vseh podjetjih, ne glede na njihovo velikost.