natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
‘Last but not least, the economic report observes, as if there was any need to, that France Télécom was not a firm in difficulty at the time of the events in question (as it had access to the capital markets and no long-term viability problem) and that the participation by the State shareholder in the plan to rebalance the company's balance sheet was in keeping with the private investor criterion, thereby confirming the absence of any aid element in the financial measures forming the subject-matter of the Commission's investigation’.
„Poleg tega na koncu gospodarsko poročilo navaja, če bi še obstajala potreba, da podjetje France Télécom v obdobju upoštevanih dejstev ni bilo podjetje v težavah (ker je imelo dostop do kapitalskega trga in ker ni imelo težav z dolgoročno učinkovitostjo) in da je bilo sodelovanje države v vlogi delničarja v okviru načrta o uravnoteženju bilance stanja podjetja v skladu z merilom previdnega delničarja, kar je bilo v skladu z odsotnostjo vseh elementov pomoči pri finančnih ukrepih, ki so bili del preiskave Komisije“.
OBJECT OF THE PRESENT DECISION
CILJ TE ODLOČBE
On 4 December 2002, the Commission received notification of a shareholder loan proposal which France was considering implementing in favour of France Télécom by way of an upfront prepayment towards its participation in a forthcoming operation to increase the Company's capital as part of a recovery plan entitled ‘Ambition 2005’.
decembra 2002 je Komisija prejela obvestilo o načrtu delničarskega posojila, ki ga je Francija želela izvesti v prid podjetju FT kot predplačilo svojega sodelovanja pri prihodnjem postopku povišanja kapitala podjetja v okviru načrta za preoblikovanje, poimenovanega „Ambition 2005“.
The notification's content is described in the opening decision.
Vsebina tega obvestila je opisana v odločitvi o začetku.
In order to decide whether the measures at issue are compatible with the Treaty, the Commission has examined the events connected with the proposal's notification, including the Government's declarations of July to September 2002(see Section 5).
Da bi uskladili zadevne ukrepe s Pogodbo, je Komisija pregledala dogodke, povezane z obvestilom o tem načrtu, torej izjave vlade od julija do decembra 20002(glej oddelek 5).
In carrying out this examination, the Commission has taken the view that the notified measures cannot be analysed without having regard to the Government's declarations of July to September 2002.
Pri izvajanju tega preizkusa je Komisija sklenila, da ukrepi obveščanja ne morejo biti analizirani brez upoštevanja izjav vlade od julija do decembra 2002.
By these declarations, the State manifested its will to take appropriate steps to resolve France Télécom's financial difficulties.
S temi izjavami je država pokazala svojo voljo o sprejetju ustreznih ukrepov za rešitev finančnih težav podjetja FT.
Thus, the shareholder loan proposal is the concretisation of intentions previously expressed by the State.
Tako načrt o predplačilu predstavlja udejanjanje predhodno izraženih namenov države.
From a material point of view, there is no legal reason to limit the examination of the relevant facts to the facts which the Member State has decided to mention in the notification.
Pravzaprav ni z materialnega stališča nobenega pravnega razloga za omejitev preizkusa dogodkov, primernih zaradi dogodkov, ki jih je država članica omenila v obvestilu.
The concept of aid is an objective concept based on economic reality.
Pojem pomoči je stvaren pojem, ki temelji na gospodarskih dejstvih.
It follows that, if the Commission has knowledge of earlier facts which are objectively relevant, it must include them in its analysis.
Iz tega sledi, da če Komisija pozna predhodne dogodke, ki so objektivno primerni, jih mora vključiti v svojo analizo.
In the present case, the Commission notes that the measures of December 2002, which were the subject-matter of the notification, were preceded by several declarations and measures by the French authorities dating from July.
V tem primeru Komisija ugotavlja, da je bilo pred ukrepi decembra 2002, ki so temeljili na obvestilih, več izjav in ukrepov francoske vlade, že od julija.
Firstly, these declarations and measures make it possible to better understand the reasons for and scope of the December measures.
Na eni strani te izjave in ukrepi omogočajo boljše razumevanje razlogov in pomena decembrskih ukrepov.
Secondly, they definitely had an impact on the perception which the markets and economic operators had of France Télécom's situation in December.
Na drugi strani pa so imele predhodne izjave in ukrepi vpliv na dojemanje trgov in gospodarskih dejavnikov situacije podjetja FT v mesecu decembru.
Inasmuch as the conduct of economic operators was itself influenced by the conduct of the State, it does not constitute an objective parameter for then judging the conduct of the State.
Na ravnanje gospodarskih dejavnikov je vplivalo ravnanje države, kar ni realen parameter za oceno ravnanja države.
These prior interventions must therefore be taken into account in analysing the presence of aid in the December measures.
Predhodni posegi se morajo torej upoštevati pri analizi prisotnosti pomoči v decembrskih ukrepih.
It is possible to view the successive declarations and measures of the French authorities from July 2002 onwards as forming a set which took concrete shape in the December measures (making available of a shareholder loan), these being the measures which were notified.
Pravzaprav je mogoče analizirati zaporedne izjave in ukrepe francoske vlade od julija 2002 kot celoto, ob kateri so trenutek konkretizacije decembrski ukrepi (razpolaganje z delničarskim posojilom), ki so bili objavljeni.
Of course, aid can be said to exist only in so far as the various elements of the aid concept are present (selective advantage, state resources, and effect on trade and competition).
Seveda bodo pomoči predložene le, če bodo različni elementi pojma pomoči predloženi (selektivne ugodnosti, državna sredstva, dodeljevanje poslov izmenjav in konkurence).
The analysis of the present case suggests at first sight the existence of a time lag between the advantages for the Company, which were particularly distinct in July, and the potential commitment of state resources, which seems to be more clearly established in December.
Analiza v tem primeru predlaga časovno razliko med ugodnostmi za podjetje, ki so morale biti posebno označene meseca julija, in možno obveznostjo državnih sredstev, ki se zdi bolj jasno določena v decembru.
Inasmuch as they clearly had an effect on the markets and conferred an advantage on the Company, the declarations by the Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance may be characterised as aid.
Izjave o pomoči ministra za gospodarstvo in finance lahko ocenimo, če so imele te izjave vpliv na trge in so prinesle ugodnosti podjetju.
It would not be easy, however, to establish beyond all doubt whether the July 2002 declarations were of such a character as to commit, at least potentially, state resources.
Tako ne bo težko določiti brez vsakršnega dvoma, ali so izjave julija 2002 razumele kot obveznost vsaj državna sredstva.
In this respect, the Commission has carefully analysed numerous legal arguments seeking to show, firstly, that such public declarations were equivalent from a legal standpoint to a state guarantee and, secondly, that they placed the State's reputation on the line, with economic costs in the event of non-compliance.
V tem pogledu je Komisija analizirala številne pravne argumente, ki so želeli pokazati, da so bile te javne izjave enake jamstvu države v pravnem vidiku in da so ogrožale ugled države z gospodarskimi stroški v primeru nespoštovanja.
Taken as a whole, these elements might be thought to actually risk putting state resources in jeopardy (either by making the State liable towards investors, or by increasing the cost of future state transactions).
V celoti so ti elementi lahko zasnovani kot tvegani ob dejanskem ogrožanju državnih sredstev (ali ob obvezovanju odgovornosti države proti vlagateljem ali ob zviševanju stroškov prihodnjih prenosov države).
The argument to the effect that the July 2002 declarations are aid is therefore innovative, but probably not without foundation.
Trditev, po kateri so izjave julija 2002 postale pomoč je torej napredna trditev, vendar verjetno ni neutemeljena.
The Commission does not, however, have sufficient evidence in the present case to establish irrefutably the existence of aid on the basis of this innovative argument.
Zato v tem primeru Komisija ne razpolaga z zadostnimi elementi, da na neovrgljiv način dokaže prisotnost pomoči, ki temelji na tej napredni trditvi.
On the other hand, it does consider that it can establish the existence of aid elements by following a more traditional approach, taking as a basis the December measures which were the subject-matter of the notification.
Nasprotno, Komisija ocenjuje, da lahko določi prisotnost elementov pomoči z bolj tradicionalnim pristopom glede na decembrske ukrepe, ki so bili zajeti v obvestilu.
For one thing, the existence of a commitment of state resources is clear in December.
Pravzaprav je bila na eni strani prisotnost obveznosti državnih sredstev jasna v mesecu decembru.
For another, the existence of an advantage for the Company in December is also evident as soon as one takes account of the impact on the markets of the prior declarations and measures.
Na drugi strani pa je prisotnost ugodnosti za podjetje v mesecu decembru očitna tudi ob upoštevanju vpliva na trge zaradi predhodnih izjav in ukrepov.
In this connection, the ‘private investor in a market economy’ test cannot be used to justify this December intervention as the French authorities claim, inasmuch as economic operators' conduct in December was clearly influenced by the prior actions and declarations of the Government since July.
V tem pogledu „načelo zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu“ne more opravičevati decembrskega posega, kot trdi francoska vlada, ker so bila ravnanja gospodarskih dejavnikov decembra očitno pod vplivom predhodnih spletk in izjav vlade od julija naprej.
While it may be doubted that the July declarations were sufficiently concrete to constitute aid in themselves, there is scarcely any doubt that such declarations were more than sufficient to ‘contaminate’ the markets' perception and to influence economic operators' subsequent conduct.
Če lahko dvomimo, da so bile julijske izjave dovolj nazorne, da bi predstavljale samo pomoč, ni dvoma, da so bile te izjave več kot dovolj za „okužbo“ dojemanja trgov in za vpliv na zadnje ravnanje gospodarskih dejavnikov.
If such is the case, this conduct on the part of economic operators cannot be taken as a neutral point of comparison from which to judge the State's conduct.
Če je tako, ravnanja gospodarskih dejavnikov ne moremo obravnavati kot neodvisnega za ocenjevanje ravnanja države.
The presumption based on the ‘private investor in a market economy’ test cannot therefore take as point of departure the market situation as it was in December but ought logically to be based on a market situation uncontaminated by the impact of the prior declarations.
Domneva, ki temelji na „načelu zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu“, se ne more opirati na okoliščine trga, kot se je pokazalo decembra, ampak se mora opirati na okoliščine trga, ki ni okužen s predhodnimi izjavami.
ASSESSMENT OF THE MEASURE AT ISSUE IN THE LIGHT OF ARTICLE 87(1) OF THE TREATY
UPOŠTEVANJE ZADEVNIH UKREPOV V SKLADU S ČLENOM 87(1) POGODBE
Article 87(1) of the Treaty provides that any aid granted by a Member State or through state resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods is, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, incompatible with the common market.
Člen 87(1) Pogodbe predvideva, da pomoči, ki jih dodeli država s pomočjo državnih sredstev v kakršni koli obliki, ki izkrivljajo ali grozijo z izkrivljanjem konkurence, za spodbujanje določenih podjetij ali določenih proizvodenj, niso usklajene s skupnim trgom, če vplivajo na izmenjave poslov med državami članicami.
The Treaty does not distinguish between measures of State intervention by reference to their causes or their aims but defines them in relation to their effects.
Pogodba ne razlikuje med posegi države glede na njihove vzroke ali cilje, ampak jih določa glede na njihov učinek.
The concept of aid refers to state measures which, in any form whatsoever, are likely directly or indirectly to favour certain undertakings or products in an appreciable way and which threaten, even potentially, to distort competition.
Pojem pomoči iz državnih ukrepov, ustanovljenih v kakršnikoli obliki, ki so dovzetni za neposredno ali posredno spodbujanje, na pomemben način, podjetij ali proizvodov in ki morda grozijo z izkrivljanjem konkurence.
According to well established case law, the concept of aid embraces not only subsidies themselves, but also interventions which, in various forms, mitigate the charges which are normally included in the budget of an undertaking and which, without therefore being subsidies in the strict meaning of the word, are similar in character and have the same effect.
V skladu s stalno sodno prakso pojem pomoči ne zajema samo subvencij v ožjem pomenu, ampak tudi posredovanja, ki v različnih oblikah razbremenijo stroške, kateri bremenijo proračun podjetja, in ki niso subvencije v ožjem pomenu, vendar pomenijo isto in imajo enake učinke.
It follows from the above that the concept of aid is based on the economic concept of advantage, the formal criterion being therefore immaterial.
Iz omenjenega sledi, da pojem pomoči temelji na gospodarskem pojmu ugodnosti, katerega uradni kriterij ni pomemben.
In conclusion, the concept of aid is an objective concept which takes no account of the legal form of a state measure, being exclusively concerned with the latter's effects.
Za zaključek pojem pomoči je objektiven pojem, ki ne upošteva pravne oblike, katera preoblikuje državni ukrep, in se nanaša izključno na učinke slednjega.
Consequently, these provisions must be interpreted not on the basis of formal criteria but rather by reference to their purpose, which, according to Article 3(g) of the Treaty, is to ensure that competition is not distorted.
Zato tolmačenje teh določil, namesto da bi se oprli na uradne kriterije, izvira iz namena omenjenih določil, ki v skladu s členom 3(g) Pogodbe zagotavljajo neizkrivljanje konkurence.
For a measure to qualify as aid, several elements must be present: a selective advantage, granted through state resources, which distorts or threatens to distort competition and trade between Member States.
Prisotnost več elementov je potrebna za ocenitev ukrepa pomoči: selektivna ugodnost, dodeljena z državnimi sredstvi, ki izkrivljajo ali grozijo z izkrivljanjem konkurence in izmenjavo poslov med državami članicami.
As regards the advantage, the Commission would observe that the shareholder loan (which constitutes the upfront prepayment by the State towards the Company's recapitalisation), confers an advantage on France Télécom as it enables it to increase its means of financing and to reassure the market as to its capacity to meet its maturities.
Ker gre za ugodnosti, Komisija opaža, da delničarsko posojilo (ki sestavlja predplačilo sodelovanja države pri dokapitalizaciji podjetja) dodeljuje ugodnosti v korist podjetja FT, kar mu omogoča zvišanje finančnih sredstev in umiritev trga ob zmogljivosti soočenja z rokom plačila.
Even if the loan agreement has never been signed, the appearance given to the market of the existence of such a loan is likely to confer an advantage on France Télécom as the market has considered the Company's financial situation to be more secure.
Kljub temu, da dogovor o predplačilu ni bil nikoli podpisan, je zaradi videza o obstoju tega predplačila na trgu mogoče dodeliti predplačilo podjetju FT, ker trg meni, da je finančna situacija podjetja bolj trdna.
This may have influenced France Télécom's borrowing terms.
To lahko vpliva na pogoje za posojilo podjetju FT.
As to the condition relating to state resources, the Commission would point out that the fact that an advantage results from the giving of a state commitment leading to a potential, but not immediate, transfer of resources does not rule out the possibility that the advantage may have been granted through state resources.‘In that respect, it should first be noted that, according to settled case-law, it is not necessary to establish in every case that there has been a transfer of State resources for the advantage granted to one or more undertakings to be capable of being regarded as a State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) EC’.
Glede pogoja o državnih sredstvih Komisija poudarja dejstvo, da predplačilo, izvirajoče iz dodeljevanja državnih obveznosti, ki povzročajo prenos možnih sredstev, vendar ne takoj, ne izključuje dodeljevanja predplačila s pomočjo državnih sredstev. „V tem pogledu je treba najprej poudariti, da v skladu s stalno sodno prakso ni potrebno v vsakem primeru dokazati obstoja prenosa državnih sredstev, da bi se dodeljeno predplačilo enemu ali več podjetjem lahko razumelo kot državna pomoč v skladu s členom 87(1) Pogodbe ES“.
Thus, even an advantage granted through a potential additional burden for the State constitutes state aid where it affects competition and trade between Member States.
Prav tako predplačilo, dodeljeno z možnim dodatnim stroškom za državo, sestavlja državno pomoč, dokler vpliva na konkurenco in na izmenjave poslov med državami članicami.
Contrary to what the French authorities and France Télécom maintain, the Commission finds that a potential additional burden on the State's resources was created by the announcement of the provision of the shareholder loan coupled with the fulfilment of the preconditions for such provision, by the impression given to the market that the loan had actually been provided and, lastly, by the dispatch to France Télécom of the loan contract initialled and signed by ERAP.
V nasprotju s tem kar poudarjata francoska vlada in podjetje FT, Komisija opaža, da je bil mogoč dodatni strošek za državna sredstva ustvarjen z obvestilom o razpolaganju delničarskega posojila skupaj z izvedbo predhodnih pogojev za razpolaganje, z videzom na trgu, da je bilo to predplačilo na razpolago, in nazadnje s pogodbo o predplačilu, ki jo je parafiralo in podpisalo podjetje ERAP za podjetje FT.
While it is true that the contract was never signed by France Télécom, this does not mean that there was no potential commitment of state resources.
Res je, da te pogodbe podjetje FT ni nikoli podpisalo; kar ne pomeni, da ni bilo možnosti obveze državnih sredstev.
In so far as the document constituted a contractual offer and as long as it was not rescinded, France Télécom could have signed it at any time, thereby acquiring the right to obtain immediate payment of the sum of EUR 9 billion. Inasmuch as it could not be unaware of this, the State accordingly had to keep at France Télécom's disposal through ERAP the amount of the corresponding resources.
Če ta dokument predstavlja pogodbeno ponudbo, ki ni bila razveljavljena, ga podjetje FT lahko podpiše kadar koli in si tako vzame pravico do pridobitve takojšnjega plačila vsote 9 milijard EUR. Država, ki tega ne more vedeti, mora zato podjetju FT prek podjetja ERAP omogočiti vsoto ustreznih sredstev.
The Commission must therefore consider whether the advantage thus granted to France Télécom satisfies the prudent private investor test and whether it affects competition and trade between Member States.
Komisija mora posledično preveriti, če tako dodeljeno predplačilo podjetju FT spoštuje načelo zasebnega dobro poučenega vlagatelja in če vpliva na konkurenco ter na izmenjave poslov med državami članicami.
The advantage which the measures at issue procured for France Télécom enabled the Company to mitigate or partly avoid the consequences normally flowing from its unbalanced financial situation.
Predplačilo, ki ga zadevni ukrepi nudijo podjetju FT, omogočajo doseči ali se delno izogniti posledicam, ki izhajajo običajno iz neuravnotežene finančne situacije podjetja.
It will be recalled that the purpose of the State's intervention was explicitly to resolve the financial crisis while substantially preserving the integrity of France Télécom's operational structure and its rate of domestic growth (a purpose which has essentially been achieved inasmuch as France Télécom has recovered and at the same time retained the integrity of the group apart from a few minor disposals).
Treba je spomniti, da je bil namen posega države izključno rešiti finančno krizo ob ohranitvi pomembne celote operativne strukture podjetja FT in njegove ravni notranje rasti (namen, ki je bil dosežen, ker je podjetje FT spremenilo stanje ob ohranitvi celovitosti skupine, kljub izjemam nekaterih pomembnih prenosov).
In so far as the advantage granted to France Télécom is selective, it is clear that that advantage would distort competition between France Télécom and its competitors.
Če bo predplačilo dodeljeno podjetju FT selektivno, je jasno, da bo to predplačilo izkrivljalo konkurenco med podjetjem FT in njegovimi konkurenti.
It must be concluded that, in a competitive sector like telecommunications, the advantages enjoyed by France Télécom distort or threaten to distort competition to a particularly appreciable extent.
Skleniti je treba, da v tako konkurenčnem sektorju kot so telekomunikacije, ugodnosti, ki jih uživa podjetje FT, izkrivljajo ali grozijo z izkrivljanjem konkurence na posebno občutljiv način.
When state financial aid strengthens the position of an undertaking compared with other undertakings competing in intra-Community trade, the latter must be regarded as affected by that aid.
Če finančna pomoč države okrepi položaj podjetja glede na druga konkurenčna podjetja pri izmenjavah znotraj Skupnosti, se slednja štejejo, kot da so pod vplivom pomoči.
Similarly, where a Member State grants aid to undertakings operating in the service and distribution industries, it is not necessary for the recipient undertakings themselves to carry on their business outside the Member State for the aid to have an effect on Community trade.
Poleg tega, kadar država članica odobri pomoč nekemu podjetju, ki je aktivno na trgu storitev in distribucije, ni nujno, da upravičenec deluje zunaj svoje države članice, da bi bilo trgovanje med državami članicami pod vplivom.
In so far as France Télécom operates in markets which have been gradually opened up to competition since the end of the 1980s, the declarations made by the Government as from July 2002 are likely to affect trade between Member States.
Če podjetje FT deluje na trgih, ki so bili odprti za konkurenco od konca 80-ih let, izjave vlade julija 2002 lahko vplivajo na izmenjave poslov med državami članicami.
The telecommunications sector is today one of the most dynamic and most integrated sectors in Europe.
Sektor za telekomunikacije je danes eden od najbolj dinamičnih in najbolj integriranih na evropski ravni.
Many are the operators in this sector who, like France Télécom, are active in more than one Member State.
Akterji tega sektorja, ki so kot podjetje FT aktivni v več državah članicah, so številni.
It follows from the above that the measures in question are likely to affect trade between Member States.
Iz omenjenega je razvidno, da zadevni ukrepi lahko vplivajo na izmenjave poslov med državami članicami.
The prudent private investor principle is discussed in Section 8 as part of the examination of all the declarations made by the Government during the months preceding the loan proposal.
Načelo zasebnega dobro poučenega vlagatelja je preverjeno v oddelku 8 v okviru vseh izjav vlade v mesecu pred projektom predplačila.
PRINCIPLE OF THE PRUDENT PRIVATE INVESTOR IN A MARKET ECONOMY
NAČELO ZASEBNEGA DOBRO POUČENEGA VLAGATELJA V TRŽNEM GOSPODARSTVU
As previously mentioned, the Commission would stress that the notified measures cannot be analysed without taking into account the declarations made by the Government between July and December 2002.
Kot je bilo že omenjeno, Komisija poudarja, da se ukrepi obveščanja ne morejo analizirati brez upoštevanja izjav vlade od julija do decembra 2002.