natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The services and applications which can be offered over the envisaged FTTH network are considered to be important for the exercise of the tasks of the municipality itself (e.g. offering e-Government services), for the healthcare sector (e.g. telemedicine and co-operation between different institutions involved in healthcare), as well as education (e.g. telelearning applications).
Storitve in aplikacije, ki bi jih morali zagotavljati preko omrežja FTTH, so pomembne za izvajanje nalog mestne občine (ponujanje storitev e-uprave), za zdravstvo (medicinska pomoč na daljavo ter sodelovanje med različnimi ustanovami, ki so vključene v zdravstveno varstvo) in za izobraževanje (aplikacije za izobraževanje na daljavo).
In this context, the Dutch authorities mention that Appingedam has a high rate of unemployed and elderly people which need access to advanced broadband services.
Nizozemski organi navajajo, da je v Appingedamu visok odstotek brezposelnih oseb in starejših ljudi, ki potrebujejo dostop do zmogljivejših širokopasovnih storitev.
PRESENCE OF STATE AID
PRISOTNOST DRŽAVNE POMOČI
The Dutch authorities have brought forward several arguments implying that the measure does not entail State aid or that the project merely concerns the provision of a ‘public infrastructure’.
Nizozemski organi so predstavili več argumentov, da bi dokazali, da zadevni ukrep ni državna pomoč in da projekt zadeva samo razvijanje „javne infrastrukture“.
General infrastructure?
Splošna infrastruktura?
According to the Dutch authorities, the measure at hand does not fall within the scope of Article 87(1) EC, but should rather be seen as a typical task of a public authority, providing general ‘public’ infrastructure open to all parties at similar conditions.
Po mnenju nizozemskih organov ta ukrep ne spada v področje uporabe člena 87(1) Pogodbe. Ukrep je treba razumeti kot tipično nalogo organov oblasti, to je zagotavljanje „javne“ infrastrukture v splošnem interesu, dostopne za vse pod enakimi pogoji.
The Commission considers that this would be the case if an infrastructure is needed to provide a service that is falling within the responsibility of the State towards the general public and is limited to meeting the requirements of that service.
Komisija meni, da bi bilo tako, če bi bila infrastruktura potrebna za opravljanje storitve, za katero je država odgovorna pred javnostjo, in če bi bila omejena na izvajanje te storitve.
Moreover, it should be a facility that it is unlikely to be provided by the market because it is not economically viable and the way in which it is operated should not selectively favour any specific undertaking.
Poleg tega mora biti oprema taka, da je manj verjetno, da bi jo zagotovil trg, ker je ekonomsko nedonosna. Poleg tega način delovanja ne sme biti tak, da podpira samo eno določeno podjetje.
Accordingly, the Commission is of the opinion that the project cannot be qualified as a general infrastructure which is outside the scope of State aid control.
Zato Komisija ocenjuje, da projekt ne more biti opredeljen kot splošna infrastruktura, ki ne spada v področje nadzora državnih pomoči.
Contrary to, for example, certain infrastructures in the transport sector, which are open to all potential users on equal and non-discriminatory terms and which are not provided (constructed and/or managed) by the market on purely commercial terms, this type of infrastructure is actually deployed by private parties which are also delivering electronic communications services, although not necessarily on the conditions foreseen by the municipality of Appingedam for the measure at hand.
V nasprotju z nekaterimi infrastrukturami v prometnem sektorju, ki so dostopne vsem morebitnim uporabnikom pod enakimi in nediskriminatornimi pogoji in ki jih trg ne zagotavlja (postavlja in/ali upravlja) pod izključno tržnimi pogoji, so to vrsto infrastrukture postavili zasebni udeleženci na trgu, tudi če niso nujno izpolnjevali pogojev, ki jih je mestna občina Appingedam zahtevala za zadevni ukrep.
As the presence of KPN and Essent in Appingedam shows, the provision of a local access network for electronic communications is not a typical task of a public authority, but such networks are normally deployed by providers of electronic communications services who deliver broadband services to households and businesses.
Kot dokazuje prisotnost podjetij KPN in Essent v Appingedamu, zagotavljanje dostopnosti elektronskega komunikacijskega omrežja ni naloga v izključni pristojnosti organov oblasti. Takšna omrežja ponavadi ponujajo operaterji, ki zagotavljajo elektronske komunikacijske storitve za gospodinjstva in podjetja.
The project thus duplicates to a certain extent market initiatives or makes possible the provision of services which are already available.
Zato predvideni ukrep do določene mere podvaja tržne pobude ali omogoča zagotavljanje storitev, ki že obstajajo.
Indeed, the absence of distortion of competition is not an inherent feature of this type of facilities, but rather has to be verified on a case by case basis.
Odsotnost izkrivljanja konkurence pri tovrstni opremi ni samoumevna, ampak jo je treba ugotavljati za vsak primer posebej.
The market situation in Appingedam is such that the measure distorts or threatens to distort competition by competing with existing private networks and by discouraging future private investment in similar facilities.
Razmere na trgu v Appingedamu so take, da ukrep izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljal konkurenco, ker po eni strani konkurira obstoječim omrežjem zasebnih operaterjev, po drugi strani pa bo odvrnil prihodnje zasebne naložbe v podobno opremo.
The Commission thus considers that the project in Appingedam falls within the scope of State aid control rather than considering it a general infrastructure which falls within the normal responsibilities of the State towards the public.
Zato Komisija ocenjuje, da appingedamski projekt spada v področje nadzora državnih pomoči in ne more biti opredeljen kot splošna infrastruktura, za katero ponavadi država odgovarja javnosti.
The provision of a Service of General Economic Interest (SGEI)?
Zagotavljanje storitve splošnega gospodarskega pomena?
Although the Dutch authorities have not explicitly invoked the existence of a Service of General Economic Interest, the argument that the provision of the FTTH network in Appingedam might represent a SGEI will be assessed.
Čeprav se nizozemski organi niso izrecno sklicevali na storitev splošnega gospodarskega pomena, se bo proučila možnost, da bi tako razumeli zagotavljanje omrežja FTTH v Appingedamu.
Member States have in general a large power of appreciation concerning the identification of a service as SGEI, while respecting the case-law of the EU courts which set out the general principles to be respected.
Na splošno imajo države članice široke pristojnosti za priznavanje storitve splošnega gospodarskega pomena. Vendar pa je treba upoštevati sodno prakso sodišča Skupnosti, ki določa splošna načela.
In the measure at hand, the envisaged contractual relationship between the operator of the active layer and the municipality/the foundation reflects rather a classical private-public-partnership than the entrustment and implementation of a Service of General Economic Interest.
Namen zadevnega ukrepa je vzpostavitev pogodbenega razmerja med operaterjem aktivne plasti in mestno občino/ustanovo v skladu s pravili relativno klasičnega javno-zasebnega partnerstva. Njegov namen ni naročiti in izvajati storitve splošnega gospodarskega pomena.
This can also be deduced from the communication and documentation of the Dutch government regarding the measure which never mentions the term ‘Service of General Interest’ or similar notions.
To se lahko ugotovi tudi iz sporočil in dokumentacije nizozemske vlade za ta ukrep, v katerih se nikjer ne pojavi niti izraz „storitve splošnega gospodarskega pomena“ niti noben drug primerljiv izraz.
Unlike in cases in which the Commission decided that public financial support constitutes compensation for a SGEI — cf. decision on Pyrénées-Atlantiques – neither the foundation nor the operator have a clear SGEI mandate to enable broadband access to the general public, citizens and businesses, in rural and remote areas where no other operator is providing ubiquitous and affordable broadband access.
V nasprotju s primeri, v katerih je Komisija odločila, da je javna finančna pomoč nadomestilo za storitev splošnega gospodarskega pomena (glej odločbo glede Pyrénées-Atlantiques, v tej zadevi ne ustanova ne operater nista bila jasno pooblaščena za zagotavljanje storitve splošnega gospodarskega pomena in zagotavljanje širokopasovnega dostopa javnosti, to je državljanom in podjetjem na podeželskih in oddaljenih območjih, kjer noben drug operater ne ponuja splošno dostopnega in plačljivega širokopasovnega dostopa.
In the case of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the direct objective of the measure was to enable access to broadband services through a wholesale network to the general public in a region with limited broadband coverage.
V zadevi Pyrénées-Atlantiques je bil neposredni namen ukrepa zagotoviti javnosti dostop do širokopasovnih storitev preko grosističnega omrežja na slabo pokritem območju.
These conditions do not apply in Appingedam where broadband services are already provided over two networks.
Takih razmer pa ni v Appingedamu, kjer so širokopasovne storitve preko dveh širokopasovnih omrežij že na voljo.
As the Commission finds that the measure does not represent a Service of General Economic Interest, it does not deem necessary to assess the measure in light of the other criteria laid down in the Altmark jurisprudence.
Komisija ob upoštevanju, da ukrep ni storitev splošnega gospodarskega pomena, ugotavlja, da ukrepa ni treba oceniti z vidika drugih meril iz sodbe Altmark.
The municipality of Appingedam does not act like a private investor
Mestna občina Appingedam ne deluje kot zasebni vlagatelj
The Dutch authorities claim that the investments by the municipality and the foundation are necessary precisely because market players are not willing to invest in the passive FTTH network in Appingedam as the expected return on investment is not sufficient to justify the investment on market terms.
Nizozemski organi trdijo, da so naložbe mestne občine in ustanove nujne, ker udeleženci na trgu ne želijo vlagati v pasivno omrežje FTTH v Appingedamu, kajti pričakovani donos ne upravičuje naložbe pod tržnimi pogoji.
According to the Dutch authorities, the municipality had requested several banks to finance the investment in the passive network, but all banks except for the Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG) have refused to finance the project.
Nizozemski organi navajajo, da je mestna občina prosila več bank, da bi financirale naložbe v pasivno plast omrežja. Vendar so vse banke, razen Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten (BNG), zavrnile financiranje projekta.
BNG is willing to grant a loan to the municipality because, according to the municipality, BNG only assessed the creditworthiness of the beneficiary of the loan, i.e. the municipality, but not the setup of the FTTH network by the foundation or the overall project as such.
BNG je pripravljena dodeliti posojilo mestni občini, ker se je omejila na oceno kreditne sposobnosti prejemnika posojila, to je mestne občine, ni pa ocenila vzpostavitve omrežja FTTH s strani ustanove niti celotnega projekta v ožjem pomenu.
Hence, the investment by the municipality in the foundation and the investment by the foundation in the passive network do not pass the ‘market investor test’ as a market operator would not have invested in the passive network, as experienced by the municipality when it contacted private investors.
Naložba mestne občine v ustanovo in naložba ustanove v pasivno plast torej ne ustrezata „merilu vlagatelja, ki deluje v tržnem gospodarstvu“, ker udeleženec na trgu ne bi želel vlagati v pasivno plast, kot je ugotovila mestna občina v stiku z zasebnimi vlagatelji.
State aid assessment
Ocena pomoči
In their initial submissions before the Commission's decision to initiate the procedure, the Dutch authorities claim that there is no aid involved in this project, on any of the four levels which can be distinguished.
V prvih prispevkih pred odločitvijo o sprožitvi postopka so nizozemski organi trdili, da načrtovani ukrep ni državna pomoč na nobeni od štirih ravni, ki se jih da ločiti.
There would be no advantage to the foundation and even if there were an advantage, it would have no effect on trade between Member States.
Po njihovem mnenju ustanova ne bi imela prednosti, če pa bi jih imela, to ne bi vplivalo na trgovino med državami članicami.
The authorities are further of the opinion that there is neither aid granted to the operator of the active layer nor to the retail service providers.
Nizozemski organi poleg tega trdijo, da niti operater aktivne plasti niti ponudniki maloprodajnih storitev niso deležni pomoči.
The operator will (have to) charge a wholesale price in line with market rates to service providers that deliver retail services which they already offered over existing infrastructures.
Operater bo izračunal (bo moral izračunati) veleprodajne cene v skladu s trgom za ponudnike maloprodajnih storitev, ki te storitve že ponujajo preko obstoječih infrastruktur.
If the Commission were to request the municipality to guarantee that the operator charges these market prices, the municipality would lay this down in the agreement between the foundation and the operator.
Če bi Komisija zahtevala jamstvo mestne občine, da operater uporablja tržne cene, lahko mestna občina to določi v dogovoru med ustanovo in operaterjem.
Finally, the authorities claim that contrary to the ATLAS case the network in Appingedam will be mainly used to provide services to households/citizens who do not perform economic activities.
Poleg tega nizozemski organi trdijo, da bo omrežje v Appingedamu, v nasprotju z zadevo ATLAS, namenjeno v glavnem zagotavljanju storitev za gospodinjstva/državljane, ki ne opravljajo gospodarske dejavnosti.
If there is aid to undertakings in Appingedam, this remains under the allowed aid intensity laid down in Regulation 69/2001 (‘de minimis’).
Če se vseeno pojavi vprašanje pomoči podjetjem v Appingedamu, ta ne presega zneska, določenega v Uredbi Komisije (ES) št. 69/2001 z dne 12. januarja 2001 o uporabi členov 87 in 88 Pogodbe ES pri de minimis pomoči.
The Commission already noted in its opening decision that the Dutch authorities had not provided information to substantiate these arguments.
Komisija je že v odločitvi o sprožitvi postopka trdila, da nizozemski organi niso predložili informacij, ki bi podkrepile te argumente.
Following the decision to open the procedure, the authorities have not provided any further evidence supporting their reasoning concerning these points.
Tudi po sprožitvi postopka nizozemski organi niso predložili nobenega dokaza, ki bi v zvezi s tem podprl njihove argumente.
According to the Treaty and consolidated case law there is State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) if:
V skladu s Pogodbo in uveljavljeno sodno prakso gre za državno pomoč v smislu člena 87(1) Pogodbe, kadar ukrep:
there is an intervention by the State or through State resources;
pomeni državno pomoč ali je dodeljen iz državnih sredstev;
it confers an economic advantage on the recipient;
daje prednost nekaterim podjetjem ali vrstam proizvodnje;
it distorts or threatens to distort competition and
izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljal konkurenco in
the intervention is liable to affect trade between Member States.
lahko vpliva na trgovino med državami članicami.
The municipality of Appingedam will provide either a loan or a guarantee for a loan.
Mestna občina Appingedam bo zagotovila posojilo ali jamstvo za posojilo.
Therefore, at least part of the resources for financing the passive layer of this network would come from the municipality of Appingedam.
Zato bi sredstva za financiranje pasivne plasti vsaj delno prispevala mestna občina Appingedam. Zato je ta sredstva treba šteti kot državna sredstva.
The loan or guarantee to be provided by the municipality confer an advantage to several actors:
Posojilo ali jamstvo, ki ga mora zagotoviti mestna občina, daje prednost različnim udeležencem na trgu:
Advantage to the foundation
Prednost za ustanovo
The municipality has set up and controls the foundation which will own the passive layer of the network.
Ustanova, ki jo je ustanovila in jo upravlja mestna občina, bi bila lastnica pasivne plasti omrežja.
In turn, the foundation makes the passive layer available to the operator.
Ustanova da pasivno plast na razpolago operaterju.
The construction and rental of the passive layer can be considered as an economic activity and the foundation can therefore be qualified as an undertaking within the meaning of Article 87(1) EC.
Postavitev in dajanje v najem pasivne plasti lahko veljata za gospodarski dejavnosti in zato se ustanovo lahko razume kot podjetje v smislu člena 87(1) Pogodbe.
Based on the information available to the Commission, the passive layer is financed by the municipality without any contribution from the foundation.
Glede na podatke, ki jih ima Komisija, pasivno plast financira mestna občina brez najmanjšega prispevka ustanove.
The foundation does not seem to pay a remuneration for the use of the network either.
Ustanova verjetno ne bo plačevala koncesnine za uporabo omrežja.
As outlined above, the investment by the municipality of Appingedam in the passive network does not seem to be in line with the Market Economy Investor principle.
Kot je ugotovljeno v uvodnih izjavah (43) do (45), naložba appingedamske mestne občine v pasivno plast ni v skladu z načelom vlagatelja, ki deluje v tržnem gospodarstvu.
Therefore, the state funding provided by the municipality represents an economic advantage to the foundation within the meaning of article 87(1) EC Treaty.
Zato ima ustanova prednost v smislu člena 87(1) Pogodbe zaradi državnih sredstev, ki jih zagotovi mestna občina.
Advantage to the operator of the active network
Prednost za operaterja aktivne plasti omrežja
The authorities have confirmed that the concession for operating the passive infrastructure will be tendered out.
Nizozemski organi so potrdili, da bi dovoljenje za upravljanje pasivne infrastrukture podelili s postopkom za javna naročila.
If the concession is tendered out, in principle, the tender could minimize the economic advantage for the successful supplier within the meaning of Article 87(1) EC Treaty.
V primeru podelitve po opravljenem postopku za javna naročila bi bila prednost v smislu člena 87(1) Pogodbe za uspešnega kandidata omejena na najmanjšo mero.
However, although as a result of the tender, the operator would not obtain an excessive return from the project it would, nevertheless, have access to the passive network at conditions which will — for the reasons set out above — most likely not reflect the underlying costs incurred by the municipality and/or the foundation for building this network and which are not set to maximise the revenues from the project for the municipality.
Tudi če projekt za izbranega operaterja ne bo izjemno donosen, bo le-ta imel dostop do pasivne plasti omrežja pod pogoji, ki verjetno ne bodo odsevali stroškov, ki jih bo imela mestna občina in/ali ustanova z izgradnjo omrežja in ki niso bili opredeljeni tako, da bi mestna občina od tega imela kar največji dobiček.
Although it is unclear under which financial terms the concession would be granted, as indicated above, it is likely that the pricing of this access may be below the underlying costs due to State intervention and will probably not be based on market rates for access to a comparable passive network.
Tudi če niso znani finančni pogoji, kot izhaja iz uvodnih izjav (8) in (9), pod katerimi bi bilo dovoljenje dodeljeno, je verjetno, da bo cena dostopa zaradi državnih pomoči nižja od stroškov in da najbrž ne bo temeljila na veljavnih tržnih cenah za dostop do primerljivega pasivnega omrežja.
Therefore, the operator would be able to establish its business based on the government-funded network and enter the market for wholesale services on conditions not otherwise available on the market.
Operater bi lahko upravljal omrežje, ki so ga financirali organi oblasti, in vstopil na trg veleprodajnih storitev pod pogoji, ki sicer na trgu ne obstajajo.
The intervention of the State therefore confers an economic advantage to the operator.
Tako ima operater prednost zaradi posredovanja organov oblasti.
Advantage to providers of electronic communications services
Prednost za ponudnike elektronskih komunikacijskih storitev
Even if access to the optical network via the operator is provided to all interested providers of electronic communications services at transparent and equal conditions, it is likely that the pricing of this access may be below the underlying costs due to State intervention and will probably not be based on market rates for comparable wholesale broadband services.
Tudi če imajo zainteresirani ponudniki elektronskih komunikacijskih storitev preko operaterja dostop do omrežja optičnih vlaken pod preglednimi in enakimi pogoji, je verjetno, da bo tudi v tem primeru cena dostopa zaradi državnih pomoči nižja od stroškov in najbrž ne bo temeljila na veljavnih tržnih cenah za primerljive veleprodajne širokopasovne storitve.
Hence, the service providers will be granted an advantage since they have the possibility of entering the market for high speed retail broadband services, operating their business on conditions not otherwise available on the market.
Zato so ponudniki teh storitev v prednostnem položaju, ker lahko vstopijo na trg hitrih maloprodajnih širokopasovnih storitev in opravljajo gospodarsko dejavnost pod pogoji, ki sicer na trgu ne obstajajo.
Advantage to the end-users
Prednost za končne uporabnike
The above-mentioned elements suggest that the advantage granted to the operator, service providers and other telecommunication service providers may also translate into an advantage for the households and enterprises in Appingedam.
Iz navedenega sledi, da se prednost, ki jo imajo operater, ponudniki storitev in različni ponudniki telekomunikacijskih storitev, kaže tudi v prednosti za gospodinjstva in podjetja v Appingedamu.
The authorities have reiterated that if there is an aid to undertakings in Appingedam, the level of the aid remains under the allowed aid intensity laid down in Regulation 69/2001 (‘de minimis’)).
Nizozemski organi so ponovili svoje stališče, da v primeru pomoči appingedamskim podjetjem pomoč ne presega višine, določene v Uredbi (ES) št. 69/2001.
The fact that a new network becomes available, prima facie at conditions below market prices, has the effect of distorting competition also in the downstream markets of retail broadband and other electronic communications services.
Dejstvo, da bo dostopno novo omrežje pod pogoji, po vsej verjetnosti nižjimi od tržnih cen, prav tako pomeni izkrivljanje konkurence na trgih maloprodajnih širokopasovnih storitev in drugih elektronskih komunikacijskih storitev nižje v verigi.
Effect on trade
Posledice za trgovino
Insofar as the intervention is liable to affect telecom operators and service providers from other Member States, the measures have an effect on trade.
Ker posredovanje organov oblasti lahko vpliva na operaterje v telekomunikacijskem sektorju v drugih državah članicah, ukrep vpliva na trgovino.
The telecommunications markets are open to competition between providers of electronic communications services and service providers, which generally engage in activities that are the subject of trade between Member States.
Na telekomunikacijskih trgih je vse ostrejša konkurenca med ponudniki elektronskih komunikacijskih storitev in ponudniki storitev, ki največkrat razvijajo dejavnosti, ki vključujejo trgovanje med državami članicami.
For example, several cable operators and Internet service providers active in the Netherlands are part of international groups which operate on a pan-European basis and have investments in the Netherlands but also in other countries.
Tako je več kabelskih operaterjev in ponudnikov internetnih storitev, ki delujejo na Nizozemskem, vključenih v mednarodne skupine, ki delujejo po celi Evropi in imajo naložbe na Nizozemskem in tudi v drugih državah.