natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
As well as the comparisons of the estimated costs of the different scenarios, the Belgian authorities consider that other factors are taken into account by investors when the question of the disposal or closure of an activity arises.
Belgijski organi menijo, da vlagatelji pri vprašanju prenosa ali zaprtja dejavnosti poleg primerjav ocenjenih stroškov različnih scenarijev upoštevajo tudi druge dejavnike.
Thus they consider that an adjudication of bankruptcy could have caused industrial trouble leading to an interruption of ABX Logistics' activities at the sites not affected by the liquidation (international activities), which would have had an impact on traffic to other countries or even on SNCB's traffic.
Tako menijo, da bi uvedba stečajnega postopka lahko povzročila socialne nemire, ki bi privedli do zaustavitve dejavnosti ABX LOGISTICS v poslovalnicah, ki jih likvidacija ne zadeva (mednarodne dejavnosti), kar bi vplivalo na prevoze v druge države in celo na prevoz SNCB.
A private company in the same situation would, according to them, also have taken account of the very considerable, similar risks and opted for voluntary liquidation.
Po njihovem mnenju bi tudi zasebna družba v enakih okoliščinah upoštevala podobna zelo velika tveganja in se odločila za prostovoljno likvidacijo.
More generally, according to the Belgian authorities, ‘it is not correct that a private investor, especially a European one of the size of SNCB, would definitely choose compulsory liquidation if it were less expensive than voluntary liquidation.
Po navedbah belgijskih organov na splošno „ni res, da bi zasebni vlagatelj, tem bolj če je evropski in po velikosti primerljiv s SNCB, nujno izbral scenarij prisilne likvidacije, če bi bila cenejša od prostovoljne likvidacije.
Other private companies, in the same circumstances, have opted for a voluntary liquidation scenario with the financing of a redundancy programme for the workers affected by the closure of activities’.
Druge družbe so se namreč v enakih okoliščinah odločale za scenarij“ prostovoljne likvidacije s financiranjem socialnega načrta za delavce, ki jih zadeva ukinitev dejavnosti.
According to the assessment requested by the Belgian authorities from a law firm specialising in labour law (Claeys & Engels), there are several recent examples of private companies which have adopted such conduct.
Glede na izvedensko mnenje, za katerega so belgijski organi zaprosili odvetniško pisarno, specializirano za socialno pravo (Claeys & Engels), naj bi zasebne družbe tako ravnale v več nedavnih primerih.
The Belgian authorities also state that the private company TNT acted in the same way as SNCB by deciding to divest itself of its loss-making national transport activities and part of its contract logistics activities in France rather than have them wound up voluntarily or by a court.
Poleg tega belgijski organi navajajo, da je zasebna družba TNT ravnala enako kot SNCB, ko se je odločila, da raje ukine dejavnosti nacionalnih prevozov, ki prinašajo izgube, in del svojih dejavnosti „contract logistics“ v Franciji, kot pa da zanje uvede postopek prostovoljne ali sodne likvidacije.
Lastly, with regard to corporate restructuring, the Belgian authorities quote the Commission communication of March 2005, which states in particular that ‘the preservation of social cohesion, which is a distinctive characteristic of the European social model, requires the introduction of accompanying policies designed to reduce the social costs to a minimum and to promote the search for alternative sources of jobs and income.
Nazadnje belgijski organi navajajo sporočilo Komisije iz marca 2005 o prestrukturiranju podjetij, v katerem je zlasti navedeno, da „ohranjanje socialne kohezije, ki je posebna značilnost evropskega socialnega modela, zahteva vzpostavitev spremljevalnih politik, katerih cilj je čim večje zmanjšanje socialnih stroškov in spodbujanje raziskovanja alternativnih virov delovnih mest in prihodkov.
(…) The restructuring of enterprises is often seen to be an essentially negative phenomenon, and its immediate effects on employment or working conditions are highlighted in most cases.
(…) Prestrukturiranje podjetij se pogosto obravnava kot predvsem negativen pojav, najpogosteje se poudarjajo takojšnji učinki na delovna mesta in delovne pogoje.
It is therefore necessary to accompany these changes in such a way as to ensure that their effects on employment and working conditions are as short-lived and limited as possible’.
Zato je treba spremljati te spremembe na način, ki bo zagotovil, da so njegovi vplivi na delovna mesta in delovne pogoje čim bolj kratkoročni in omejeni“.
In conclusion, the Belgian authorities state that SNCB chose the MBO scenario for the following reasons:
Na koncu belgijski organi navajajo, da se je družba SNCB odločila za scenarij odkupa podjetja s strani zaposlenih iz naslednjih razlogov:
cost and risk significantly less than in the court-ordered or voluntary liquidation scenarios;
občutno manjši stroški in tveganje kot pri scenarijih sodne ali prostovoljne likvidacije,
limited impact on the value and image of the ABX Logistics Worldwide group;
omejen vpliv na vrednost in podobo skupine ABX LOGISTICS Worldwide,
more acceptable social consequences (preservation of 1300 jobs in France in the new private company Cool Jet);
sprejemljivejše socialne posledice (ohranitev 1300 delovnih mest v Franciji v novem zasebnem podjetju „Cool Jet“),
social responsibility of SNCB towards its suppliers and creditors to act in a responsible way, like any other European undertaking of its size.
družbena odgovornost SNCB do njenih dobaviteljev in upnikov, da ravna odgovorno kot vsako drugo tako veliko evropsko podjetje.
Reduction of the ABX network
Zmanjšanje mreže ABX
The restructuring of the ABX group involved considerable reductions in its freight forwarding capacity.
Zaradi prestrukturiranja skupine ABX se je zelo zmanjšala zmogljivost njene dejavnosti špedicije (freight forwarding).
In this activity, capacity is measured in an appropriate way by indicators such as invoiced turnover, number of sites, warehousing area or number of wage-earners.
Pri tej dejavnosti se zmogljivost ustrezno meri s kazalniki, kot so fakturiran promet, število poslovalnic, skladiščna površina ali število zaposlenih.
According to the Belgian authorities, the total operational restructuring measures applied to the ABX-WW group go significantly beyond the measures originally planned.
Po mnenju belgijskih organov popolni operativni ukrepi prestrukturiranja, ki veljajo za celotno skupino ABX-WW, občutno presegajo prvotno predvidene ukrepe.
The original plan provided for the sale of 3 subsidiaries with a turnover of EUR 98,5 million, the closure of 7 agencies and 3 warehouses in Germany, 4 agencies in France, 2 agencies in the Netherlands, and a reduction of 690 FTE (including the impact of the agency closures).
Prvotni načrt je predvideval prodajo 3 hčerinskih družb z 98,5 milijona EUR prometa, zaprtje 7 agencij in 3 skladišč v Nemčiji, 4 agencij v Franciji, 2 agencij na Nizozemskem, zmanjšanje števila delavcev, zaposlenih za polni delovni čas, za 690, vključno z učinkom zaprtja agencij.
The capacity reduction measures notified during 2005 will have the effect by the end of the restructuring exercise of reducing the number of sites by 176 (- 31 %), turnover by EUR 624 million (- 21 %), staff by 5827 FTE (- 40 %) and surface area by 917377 m2 (- 54 %).
Posledica ukrepov zmanjšanja zmogljivosti, priglašenih v letu 2005, bo do konca prestrukturiranja zmanjšanje števila poslovalnic za 176 (-31 %), zmanjšanje prometa za 624 milijonov EUR (-21 %), zmanjšanje števila delavcev, zaposlenih za polni delovni čas, za 5827 (-40 %) in zmanjšanje območja poslovanja za 917377 m2 (-54 %).
The additional commitments regarding Germany, which Belgium made in November 2005, will increase this reduction.
Zaradi dodatnih obveznosti v zvezi z Nemčijo, ki jih je Belgija sprejela novembra 2005, bo to zmanjšanje še večje.
The Belgian authorities state that the area reductions and disposals carried out since 2002 and those provided for recently are as large as possible, and that further reductions would lead to the dismantling of the ABX Logistics network.
Belgijski organi navajajo, da so zmanjšanja območij in prenosi po letu 2002 in tisti, ki so bili nedavno še predvideni, največji možni, in da bi dodatna zmanjšanja privedla do razpada mreže ABX LOGISTICS.
In their view, the existence of an international network is essential for the strategic and commercial positioning of ABX and its competitors; dismantling the network would have a serious adverse effect, which would jeopardise the group's competitive structural position in the market, the possibility of carrying out the restructuring plan and the group's attraction for potential partners in the context of a privatisation.
Po njihovem mnenju je obstoj mednarodne mreže namreč temelj za strateški in poslovni položaj ABX in njegovih konkurentov; razpad mreže bi imel zelo negativne posledice, ki bi ogrozile strukturni konkurenčni položaj skupine na trgu, možnost za uresničitev načrta prestrukturiranja in privlačnost skupine za potencialne partnerje v okviru privatizacije.
They consider in this respect that the divestiture of the domestic parcel delivery services in France cannot be replicated in Germany; the integration of the domestic and international activities of the group's companies in Germany and the Netherlands is more advanced than in France because of the integration of IT operations and systems and the high proportion of common customers; this greater integration is the result not only of the structure of the German market but also of the history of ABX Logistics — the international and domestic departments in France having been integrated in 2003 only and in a partial manner, whereas in Germany domestic parcel delivery services and international freight forwarding by road had coexisted in a single entity since the merger in 1996 of THL and Bahntrans (which became ABX in Germany).
V zvezi s tem menijo, da postopka umika dejavnosti notranjega prevozništva v Franciji ni mogoče uporabiti za Nemčijo; povezanost dejavnosti notranjega in mednarodnega cestnega prevoza družb skupine v Nemčiji in na Nizozemskem je namreč še izrazitejša kot pri dejavnostih cestnega prevoza v Franciji, in sicer zaradi povezanosti postopkov in informacijskih sistemov ter pomembnega deleža skupnih strank; ta večja povezanost ne izhaja samo iz strukture nemškega trga, ampak tudi iz preteklosti ABX LOGISTICS – mednarodne (international) in domače (domestic) dejavnosti so se v Franciji povezale šele leta 2003 in še to le deloma, medtem ko so v Nemčiji dejavnosti notranjega prevoza in dejavnosti mednarodne cestne špedicije soobstajale znotraj istega subjekta že od združitve družb THL in Bahntrans (ki sta postali ABX v Nemčiji) leta 1996.
They add that, both in Germany and the Netherlands, a further decline in the density of the Road network would lead to exit from the German market, given the comparison of the number of sites owned by ABX Logistics and its competitors in each of these countries.
Kot dodajajo, bi dodatno zmanjšanje gostote mreže „Road“ v Nemčiji in na Nizozemskem privedlo do odhoda z nemškega trga, če primerjamo število poslovalnic ABX LOGISTICS in njegovih konkurentov v vsaki od teh držav.
Comparison of the number of Road sites of ABX Logistics and its main competitors in the German and Dutch markets (before allowing for further reduction commitments in Germany) [69]Source: Websites; estimates by ABX Logistics
Primerjava števila poslovalnic „Road“ ABX LOGISTICS in njegovih glavnih konkurentov na nemškem in nizozemskem trgu (pred upoštevanjem obveznosti dodatnih zmanjšanj v Nemčiji) [69]Vir: spletne strani, ocene ABX LOGISTICS
They emphasise that the divestitures occur at a time when ABX's main competitors are acquiring parcels delivery and groupage companies, particularly in Germany, with a view to expanding their own domestic courier network in that country.
Nazadnje poudarjajo, da do teh umikov prihaja v trenutku, ko največji tekmeci ABX kupujejo prevozne in paketne družbe, še zlasti v Nemčiji, da bi razvili lastno mrežo razvažanja v domačem prometu v tej državi.
Loans granted by SNCB to ABX in 2002
Posojila, ki jih je SNCB dodelila ABX v letu 2002
SNCB granted loans to various ABX subsidiaries.
SNCB je dodelila posojila različnim hčerinskim družbam ABX.
In April-May 2002, SNCB granted its Belgian subsidiary ABX Logistics group NV three loans (EUR 50 million, EUR 10 million and EUR 29 million), which were remunerated at variable rates.
Aprila in maja 2002 je SNCB svoji belgijski hčerinski družbi ABX LOGISTICS group NV dodelila tri posojila v višini 50 milijonov EUR, 10 milijonov EUR in 29 milijonov EUR po variabilnih obrestnih merah.
According to the Belgian authorities, the average rate for these loans was [...] %, [...] % and [...] % respectively.
Po podatkih belgijskih organov so bile povprečne obrestne mere za posamezno posojilo [...] %, [...] % in [...] %.
On 30 June 2004 the loans were called in by SNCB and allocated direct to ABX Germany, ABX Netherlands and ABX France at the respective interest rates of [...] %, [...] % and [...] %.
Dne 30. junija 2004 je ta posojila prevzela SNCB in jih neposredno dodelila ABX Nemčija, ABX Nizozemska in ABX Francija po obrestnih merah [...] %, [...] % in [...] %.
Privatisation of ABX-WW
Privatizacija ABX-WW
According to the Belgian authorities, ‘SNCB confirmed its willingness to privatise ABX Logistics Worldwide within six months of the Commission decision approving the restructuring plan.
Kot navajajo belgijski organi „je SNCB potrdila svojo pripravljenost, da privatizira ABX LOGISTICS Worldwide v šestih mesecih po odločitvi Komisije o odobritvi načrta prestrukturiranja.
(…) A binding agreement in principle (“Term sheet”) was concluded by SNCB Holding with a potential buyer and signed on 22 March 2005.
(…) SNCB Holding je s potencialnim kupcem sklenil zavezujoč načelni dogovor (Term Sheet), ki je bil podpisan 22. marca 2005.
The agreement was subject, however, to a condition precedent that the Commission would adopt a positive decision authorising the restructuring plan.’
Vendar za ta dogovor velja odložilni pogoj o sprejetju pozitivne odločitve Komisije o odobritvi načrta prestrukturiranja“
The Belgian authorities stated that, following its decision to restructure and dispose of ABX, SNCB started negotiations with various potential buyers.
Belgijski organi so navedli, da je po odločitvi o prestrukturiranju in prenosu ABX s strani SNCB to podjetje začelo pogajanja z različnimi potencialnimi prevzemniki.
Accordingly, it mandated ABX-WW and Petercam to represent it for the purposes of the sale.
V ta namen je SNCB pooblastila ABX-WW in družbo „Petercam“, da jo zastopata pri tej prodaji.
Between June and August 2004 the negotiations were suspended for reasons peculiar to this initial potential partner.
V obdobju med junijem in avgustom 2004 so bila pogajanja prekinjena zaradi razlogov tega prvega potencialnega partnerja.
In June 2004 ABX-WW contacted a second industrial partner.
Junija 2004 je ABX-WW stopil v stik z drugim industrijskim partnerjem.
However, in September 2004, this second potential partner indicated that it wanted to put an end to the negotiations with ABX-WW.
Vendar je septembra 2004 ta drugi potencialni partner navedel, da dokončno prekinja pogajanja z ABX-WW.
At the end of August 2004 contact was established with a third potential partner, another industrial group.
Konec avgusta 2004 so bili navezani stiki s tretjim potencialnim partnerjem, še eno industrijsko skupino.
However, these negotiations ended when successful talks were held with a fourth partner, which in November 2004 transmitted to SNCB the above-mentioned binding offer for the takeover of ABX-WW.
Vendar so se ta pogajanja končala zaradi uspešnih stikov s četrtim partnerjem, ki je novembra 2004 SNCB predložil ugodno ponudbo za prevzem ABX-WW, kot je navedena zgoraj.
It was with this candidate, hereinafter referred to as ‘Yvan’, that SNCB signed the sale agreement and the above-mentioned Term Sheet (letter of intent) in March 2005.
S tem kandidatom (v nadaljnjem besedilu „Yvan“) je SNCB marca 2005 podpisala predpogodbo o prodaji in zgoraj navedeno pismo o nameri (Term Sheet).
According to the Term Sheet, Yvan undertook, subject to a positive decision from the Commission, to invest an amount of between EUR [60 and 150 (**)] million, of which EUR [...] million for the payment of ABX Logistics Worldwide shares to SNCB Holding.
Iz zgoraj navedenega pisma o nameri (Term sheet) je razvidno, da se je Yvan obvezal, da bo ob pozitivni odločitvi Komisije vložil [med 60 in 150 (**)] milijonov EUR, od tega [...] milijonov EUR za plačilo delnic ABX LOGISTICS Worldwide družbi SNCB Holding.
The remainder of the investment by Yvan would be used as follows:
Preostali del vloženih sredstev Yvana naj bi se porabil takole:
EUR [...] million to provide back-to-back cover (borrowing and on-lending operations) for an SNCB guarantee for a building in [...];
[...] milijonov EUR za „back-to-back“ kritje (zadevno najemanje in dajanje posojil) jamstva SNCB za stavbo v [...];
EUR [...] million in the form of a subordinated loan granted to ABX Logistics Worldwide in order to finance:
[...] milijonov EUR v obliki podrejenega posojila, odobrenega ABX LOGISTICS Worldwide za financiranje:
the transaction costs, including the costs of Yvan and in particular its strategic, legal and financial advisers.
transakcijskih stroškov, ki med drugim vključujejo stroške Yvana ter zlasti njegovih strateških, pravnih in finančnih nasvetov.
These costs are estimated to be between EUR [...] and [...] million;
Ti stroški naj bi znašali od [...] do [...] milijonov EUR;
the financing needs associated with possible withdrawal or possible requests for guarantees on the part of certain financial institutions following the change of shareholder.
finančnih potreb, povezanih z morebitnim umikom ali morebitnimi zahtevami po jamstvih s strani nekaterih finančnih institucij zaradi spremembe delničarja.
The balance of the amount of EUR [...] million after transaction costs, i.e. EUR [...] to [...] million, is intended to meet the need for financing resulting from such withdrawals.
Preostanek v višini [...] milijonov EUR po transakcijskih stroških, in sicer od [...] do [...] milijonov EUR, je namenjen kritju finančne potrebe, ki bi bila posledica takšnih umikov.
The Term Sheet provides that, subject to the usual conditions and due diligence in disposal cases, Yvan and SNCB will be obliged to sell the ABX group as soon as the condition precedent concerning the Commission's decision is removed.
Pismo o nameri (Term Sheet) določa, da bosta Yvan in SNCB ob upoštevanju pogojev in potrebne skrbnosti, ki so običajni v primerih prenosa, obvezana začeti prodajo skupine ABX, čim bi bil odpravljen odložilni pogoj glede odločitve Komisije.
If this condition is not removed, Yvan and SNCB could in certain circumstances no longer be bound by the sale agreement.
Če ta pogoj ne bi bil odpravljen, bi bilo v določenih okoliščinah mogoče, da predpogodba o prodaji Yvana in SNCB ne bi več zavezovala.
Lastly, the Belgian authorities stated that ‘after the privatisation of ABX-WW, SNCB will be free from all off-balance sheet commitments, guarantees and comfort letters.
Nazadnje so belgijski organi pojasnili, da „bo SNCB po privatizaciji ABX-WW razrešena vseh pogojnih obveznosti, jamstev in priporočilnih pisem.
[...] There will no longer be any need for the comfort letters, which will cease to apply once the financial measures for the recapitalisation of the German subsidiary are authorised by the Commission and implemented’.
[...] Priporočilna pisma ne bodo več potrebna in ne bodo več veljala, kakor hitro bo Komisija odobrila finančne ukrepe dokapitalizacije nemške hčerinske družbe in se bodo ti ukrepi začeli izvajati“.
OBSERVATIONS FROM INTERESTED PART IES
PRIPOMBE ZAINTERESIRANIH STRANK
In light of the circumstances of the case, and in particular the conclusions outlined by the Commission in the initiation of the procedure, the following interested parties have separately and independently submitted the following observations.
Na podlagi okoliščin zadeve in zlasti ugotovitev, ki jih je ob sprožitvi postopka navedla Komisija, so naslednje zainteresirane stranke ločeno in neodvisno podale naslednje pripombe.
Firstly the arguments of an initial group of third parties were presented, namely 1.
Najprej so navedeni argumenti prve skupine zainteresiranih tretjih strani, in sicer: 1. Verein zur Förderung des Wettbewerbs und lauteren Verhaltens im Speditions- Logistik- und Transportgewerbe E.V.
Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer (representing Deutsche Post AG), 5.
Freshfields, Bruckhaus, Deringer (kot pooblaščenec Deutschen Post AG), 5.
The Professional body of Flemish freight transporters and logisticians (SAV). Their arguments are summarised below.
De Beroepsorganisatie van de Vlaamse Goederentransport Ondernemers en Logistieke Dienstverleners (SAV), katerih argumenti sovpadajo in so povzeti spodaj.
Regarding the restructuring plan. The interested parties stress the intrinsic weaknesses of the original restructuring plan proposed by ABX.
Glede načrta prestrukturiranja: Zainteresirane stranke opozarjajo na bistvene pomanjkljivosti načrta prestrukturiranja, ki ga je prvotno predstavil ABX.
It is disputed whether the entities concerned are eligible for restructuring aid since they are part, at least financially, of a group of companies which should be able to co-finance the proposed measures.
Ugovarja se temu, da so navedeni subjekti upravičeni do pomoči za prestrukturiranje, ker so vsaj gospodarsko vključeni v skupino podjetij, ki bi morala biti sposobna sofinanciranja predvidenih ukrepov.
It is stressed that restructuring aid can be authorised only in conjunction with a viable restructuring plan ensuring the long-term restoration of profitability.
Poudarjeno je, da se pomoč za prestrukturiranje lahko odobri samo, če se navezuje na izvedljiv načrt prestrukturiranja, ki zagotavlja ponovno vzpostavitev dolgoročne donosnosti.
However, the interested parties take the same line as in the initiation of the procedure, which found that, given the lack of funding and that the operational restructuring measures are inadequate, this plan would not restore viability.
Te zainteresirane stranke torej podpirajo sprožitev postopka, kar zadeva ugotovitev, da ta načrt ne vodi v sposobnost preživetja, in sicer zaradi nezadostnega financiranja in nezadostnih operativnih ukrepov prestrukturiranja.
It follows that approving aid which does not lead to viability would distort competition in a way contrary to the Community's interests.
Iz tega izhaja, da bi odobritev pomoči, ki ne vodi v sposobnost preživetja, izkrivila konkurenco v obsegu, ki bi bil v nasprotju z interesi Skupnosti.
In general terms, the probability of restoring a normal level of capital profitability was not made explicit, any more so than the conditions for this development in terms of overall market growth, increases in market share, improving productivity and quality of service and changing client behaviour.
Verjetnost ponovne vzpostavitve normalne donosnosti kapitala na splošno naj ne bi bila jasno izražena, prav tako ne pogoji za takšen razvoj glede skupne rasti trga, pridobitve tržnih deležev, izboljšanja produktivnosti in kakovosti storitev ter sprememb v vedenju strank.
The planned restructuring and rationalisation measures are adaptations to changes in the parcel service and logistics business which ABX should have carried out several years ago and which other companies in the sector have already completed at considerable cost.
Predvideni ukrepi prestrukturiranja in racionalizacije naj bi pomenili prilagajanje spremembam v dejavnosti prevozništva in logistike, ki bi jih ABX moral uresničiti že pred leti in ki so jih druga podjetja v tem sektorju že izvedla z velikimi napori.