natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The complainants and ESOA, on the contrary, maintained that the measure constitutes unlawful aid.
Pritožniki in združenje ESOA pa so nasprotno trdili, da je ukrep nezakonita pomoč.
COMMENTS FROM ITALY, MEDIASET AND RAI
PRIPOMBE ITALIJE, DRUŽBE MEDIASET IN JAVNE RADIOTELEVIZIJE RAI
First, Italy and Mediaset refer to the decision by AGCOM rejecting a complaint against Article 1(572) of the 2006 Finance Act, i.e. against the measure which replaces the measure in question.
Prvič, Italija in družba Mediaset se sklicujeta na sklep organa AGCOM, ki je zavrnil pritožbo zoper člen 1(572) finančnega zakona za leto 2006, tj. zoper ukrep, ki nadomešča zadevni ukrep.
The complainant alleged that Article 1(572) of the 2006 Finance Act favoured decoders distributed by companies linked to Mr Berlusconi's family.
Pritožnik je trdil, da člen 1(572) finančnega zakona za leto 2006 daje prednost sprejemnikom, ki jih distribuirajo družbe, povezane z družino g. Berlusconija.
The procedure was based on the law on the conflict of interest involving members of Government.
Postopek je temeljil na zakonu o navzkrižju interesov, ki vključuje člane vlade.
Comments by Italy more directly related to the content of the decision to initiate the procedure are that the measure does not constitute aid because (a) the beneficiaries do not receive an advantage and (b) there is no distortion of competition.
V pripombah Italije, ki so bolj neposredno povezane z vsebino odločitve o sprožitvi postopka, je navedeno, da ukrep ni pomoč, ker (a) upravičencem ne daje prednosti in (b) ker izkrivljanje konkurence ne obstaja.
Even if it did constitute aid, the measure would be compatible under the exceptions in Articles 87(2)(a) and 87(3)(b), (c) and (d) of the EC Treaty.
Tudi če bi ukrep bil pomoč, bi bil združljiv na podlagi izjem iz členov 87(2)(a) in 87(3)(b), (c) in (d) Pogodbe ES.
Italy agrees that there is no aid to decoder producers and that network operators and broadcasters have to be put on the same footing.
Italija se strinja, da ne obstaja pomoč proizvajalcem sprejemnikov ter da je treba omrežne operaterje in izdajatelje televizijskega programa obravnavati enakopravno.
Mediaset raises similar issues, although it sometimes uses different arguments.
Družba Mediaset obravnava podobna vprašanja, čeprav včasih uporablja različne argumente.
THE MEASURE IS NOT AID
UKREP NI POMOČ
The selective advantage is not certain
Selektivna prednost ni ugotovljena
Italy argues that there is no reasonable certainty that the beneficiaries had to bear the costs that are subsidised by the State with the measure in question because there is no proof that the beneficiaries subsidised the purchase of decoders by consumers.
Italija trdi, da ne obstaja razumna gotovost, da so morali upravičenci kriti stroške, ki jih subvencionira država z zadevnim ukrepom, ker ne obstajajo dokazi, da so upravičenci uporabnikom subvencionirali nakup sprejemnikov.
Italy argues that, contrary to the Court's judgment in the Netherlands v Commission case cited in point 30 of the decision to initiate the procedure, the beneficiaries did not even have any economic incentive to subsidise consumers because (a) they are the market incumbents and do not have any interest in completing the switchover to digital because they will then face greater competition as consumers with the digital technology will have access to many more competitors; (b) the size of the pay-per-view market was too small to compensate for a possible loss of this type and cannot be the only reason for subsidising consumers' purchase of decoders given the share of revenue from pay-per-view in 2004 and 2005; (c) the deadline set for switch-off was not sufficiently feasible, given that without a certain mass of consumers, no switch-off could take place.
Italija trdi, da v nasprotju s sodbo Sodišča v zadevi Nizozemska proti Komisiji upravičenci niso imeli niti gospodarske spodbude za subvencioniranje uporabnikov, ker (a) so prvotni operaterji na trgu in niso zainteresirani za zaključek prehoda na digitalno radiodifuzijo, ker se bodo srečali z večjo konkurenco, saj bodo imeli uporabniki z digitalno tehnologijo dostop do veliko več konkurentov; (b) je bila velikost trga „plačilo po ogledu“ premajhna, da bi nadomestila morebitno tovrstno izgubo in ne more biti edini razlog za subvencioniranje uporabniškega nakupa sprejemnikov glede na delež prihodkov iz naslova storitev „plačilo po ogledu“ v letih 2004 in 2005; (c) rok, določen za izklop, ni bil dovolj izvedljiv glede na to, da izklop ne bi bil mogoč brez določene množice uporabnikov.
Furthermore, it would be impossible to determine the amount of public resources transferred to these beneficiaries.
Poleg tega bi bilo nemogoče opredeliti znesek javnih sredstev, ki so bila prenesena tem upravičencem.
In the case of State aid C-25/2004, which was the subject of Decision 2006/513/EC the Commission excluded T-System from the beneficiaries because it was not possible to ascertain the existence and the amount of a transfer of resources in its favour.
V zadevi državne pomoči C-25/2004, ki je bila predmet Odločbe 2006/513/ES, je Komisija izključila družbo T-System iz upravičencev, ker ni bilo mogoče potrditi obstoja in zneska prenesenih sredstev v njeno korist.
Second, Mediaset maintains that terrestrial broadcasters and satellite broadcasters are not comparable companies, because the DTT operators are only required to achieve digitalisation and encourage the digital switchover in gradual stages (with simulcast and switch-off) and therefore terrestrial broadcasters are subject to specific public service obligations — with a view to ensuring the availability of terrestrial broadcasting throughout Italy — and to use open technologies.
Drugič, družba Mediaset trdi, da prizemni izdajatelji televizijskega programa in satelitski izdajatelji televizijskega programa niso primerljive družbe, saj se od operaterjev DTT zahteva le, da dosežejo digitalizacijo in spodbujajo prehod v postopnih fazah (s hkratnim prenosom in izklopom), zato so prizemni izdajatelji televizijskega programa predmet posebnih obveznosti javnih služb zaradi zagotavljanja razpoložljivosti prizemne radiodifuzije po celi Italiji in uporabe odprtih tehnologij.
According to Mediaset, the purpose of the scheme was to facilitate the transfer from analogue to digital and to promote the development of open standards in a context where there was a legal deadline set for the compulsory transition from analogue to digital broadcasting — the so-called digital switchover — imposing burdensome costs specific to DTT operators (the cost of infrastructure for Mediaset was very high).
Po mnenju družbe Mediaset je bil namen subvencijske sheme olajšati prehod z analogne na digitalno radiodifuzijo in spodbujati razvoj odprtih standardov v okviru, v katerem je bil določen zakonski rok za obvezen prehod z analogne na digitalno radiodifuzijo, tako imenovani digitalni prehod, ki je naložil posebne obremenjujoče stroške operaterjem DTT (strošek infrastrukture je bil za družbo Mediaset zelo visok).
Moreover, Media argues that contrary to what is stated in the decision to initiate the procedure, there is no protection against the entry on to the market of new competitors via the acquisition of broadcasting infrastructure (Mediaset quotes the example of H3G which entered the market by acquiring a local broadcaster) and that new entrants do not have to bear the cost of simulcast.
Poleg tega družba Mediaset v nasprotju z navedbami iz odločitve o sprožitvi postopka trdi, da ne obstaja nobena zaščita zoper prihod novih konkurentov na trg prek pridobitve radiodifuzijske infrastrukture (družba Mediaset navaja primer družbe H3G, ki je prišla na trg z nakupom lokalnega izdajatelja televizijskega programa) in da novim operaterjem ni bilo treba kriti stroškov hkratnega prenosa.
Similarly, RAI maintains that the Commission's position does not take into account the obligations on RAI as the public service television broadcaster, which would reduce the alleged advantages to zero.
Javna radiotelevizija RAI podobno trdi, da stališče Komisije ne upošteva obveznosti, ki jih ima RAI kot javni izdajatelj televizijskega programa, kar bi izničilo domnevne prednosti.
This is because (i) switchover can be done by RAI (given that it is the public service company) only if the penetration rate of DTT equals that of analogue TV; and (ii) RAI was obliged to choose its investments in the DTT sector in line with its legal obligations, and not following market criteria, since it was obliged to have two multiplexes covering at least 70 % of the population by 1 January 2005, with the aim of rapid digitalisation, helped in this by the decoder subsidies.
To pa zato, ker (i) lahko javna radiotelevizija RAI (glede na to, da je javna družba) izvede prehod le, če je stopnja razširjenosti DTT enaka stopnji analogne televizije in ker (ii) je javna radiotelevizija RAI morala izbrati svoje naložbe v sektorju DTT v skladu s svojimi pravnimi obveznostmi in ne glede na tržna merila, saj je morala do 1. januarja 2005 imeti dva multipleksa, ki pokrivata vsaj 70 % prebivalstva za namene hitre digitalizacije, pri čemer so ji pomagale subvencije za sprejemnike.
First, Italy maintains that terrestrial and satellite operators do not compete on the same pay-TV market because they cover different market segments, namely free-to-air and pay-TV.
Prvič, Italija trdi, da prizemni in satelitski operaterji ne tekmujejo na istem trgu plačljive televizije, saj pokrivajo različne tržne segmente, in sicer brezplačne in plačljive televizijske programe.
Furthermore, pay-per-view offers started only in the second half of 2005.
Poleg tega so se ponudbe „plačilo po ogledu“ začele šele v drugi polovici leta 2005.
The separation of the two markets also holds for the network operators as confirmed by AGCOM in one of its decisions, in line with the RAI/Rami d'azienda decision and the survey of the television sector by the Competition Authority.
Ločitev zadevnih dveh trgov velja tudi za omrežne operaterje, kot je potrdil organ AGCOM v enem izmed svojih sklepov v skladu s sklepom RAI/Rami d'azienda in raziskavo televizijskega sektorja, ki jo je izvedel organ, pristojen za konkurenco.
In addition, the cost of the decoder has only a marginal impact on the consumer's choice between the two different platforms.
Poleg tega ima strošek sprejemnikov le zanemarljiv vpliv na izbiro uporabnikov med dvema različnima platformama.
The absence of distortion of competition is confirmed by the fact that in the first six half of 2005 Sky's subscriptions increased by 7,4 %.
Dejstvo, da so se v prvi polovici leta 2005 naročnine družbe Sky povečale za 7,4 %, potrjuje, da ni bilo izkrivljanja konkurence.
If they so wish, all operators can use the technology that entitles them to the subsidies in question.
Če želijo, lahko vsi operaterji uporabljajo tehnologijo, ki jim bo dala pravico do zadevnih subvencij.
COMPATIBILITY
ZDRUŽLJIVOST
As a general comment, Italy emphasises that the Commission acknowledges the benefits of interoperability and that the reason for excluding satellite decoders from the benefit is that when the aid measure was introduced, there were no satellite decoders that offered interoperability.
Italija je na splošno poudarila, da Komisija priznava koristi medobratovalnosti in da je razlog, da so bili satelitski sprejemniki izključeni iz ugodnosti ta, da niso v času uvedbe ukrepa pomoči obstajali nobeni satelitski sprejemniki, ki so omogočali medobratovalnost.
Moreover, following the 2006 Finance Act, which included satellite decoders, Sky did not alter the characteristics of its decoder to benefit from the subsidy.
Poleg tega družba Sky po sprejetju finančnega zakona za leto 2006, ki je vključeval satelitske sprejemnike, ni spremenila značilnosti svojega sprejemnika, da bi imela korist od subvencije.
Article 87(2)(a) of the EC Treaty
Člen 87(2)(a) Pogodbe ES
Italy argues that the AGCOM figure of 50 % of households with a decoder by the end of 2006 or 2008 quoted by the Commission in point 55 of the decision to initiate the procedure is low, particularly given that the aim is to push the more expensive interactive decoders.
Italija trdi, da je številka organa AGCOM o 50 % gospodinjstev s sprejemnikom do konca leta 2006 ali 2008, ki jo navaja Komisija v točki 55 odločitve o sprožitvi postopka, nizka, zlasti glede na to, da je namen spodbujati dražje interaktivne sprejemnike.
The price reduction due to the economies of scale resulting from the subsidies would mean that poor households could also afford to buy the decoder.
Znižanje cene zaradi ekonomije obsega, ki je posledica subvencij, bi pomenilo, da bi si lahko tudi revna gospodinjstva kupila sprejemnik.
Article 87(3)(b) of the EC Treaty
Člen 87(3)(b) Pogodbe ES
Well-designed aid
Dobro zasnovana pomoč
Coordination problem
Težava z usklajevanjem
Subsidising consumers
Subvencioniranje uporabnikov
Subsidising consumers for digital terrestrial services is justified because they do not incur additional costs to watch free-to-air programmes, unlike in the case of satellite TV, which requires consumers to buy satellite dishes and pay a fee for the pay-TV service.
Subvencioniranje uporabnikov za digitalne prizemne storitve je upravičeno, saj v nasprotju s satelitsko televizijo, ki od uporabnikov zahteva nakup satelitskih krožnikov in plačilo za storitve plačljive televizije, nimajo dodatnih stroškov za gledanje brezplačnih programov.
In the case of cable, despite additional costs, Italy justified subsidies for decoders because these costs are not directly linked to TV services and because, in general, Italy wished to promote the development of broadband.
V primeru kabla je Italija kljub dodatnim stroškom upravičila subvencije za sprejemnike, ker ti stroški niso neposredno povezani s televizijskimi storitvami in ker je Italija na splošno želela spodbuditi razvoj širokopasovnosti.
Increasing competition between platforms
Naraščajoča konkurenca med platformami
Italy disagrees with the Commission that the measures in question have an impact on competition between platforms but considers that ultimately the new digital platform will increase competition between the different segments of the television market to the benefit of consumers.
Italija se ne strinja s Komisijo, da zadevni ukrepi vplivajo na konkurenco med platformami, temveč meni, da bo nova digitalna platforma v končni fazi povečala konkurenco med različnimi segmenti televizijskega trga v korist uporabnikov.
Externalities
Zunanji učinki
The Commission's argument that the incumbents already receive compensation for the switchover because digital technology allows greater transmission capacity at lower transmission costs does not take into account the true costs/benefits of the switchover, given that incumbent network operators holding more than one digital licence must give access to 40 % of their bandwidth to content providers with which they do not have ownership links.
Argument Komisije, da prvotni operaterji že prejemajo nadomestilo za prehod, saj digitalna tehnologija omogoča večjo zmogljivost prenosa ob nižjih stroških prenosa, ne upošteva dejanskih stroškov/koristi prehoda, ker morajo prvotni omrežni operaterji, ki imajo več kot eno digitalno licenco, omogočiti dostop do 40 % svoje pasovne širine ponudnikom vsebin, s katerimi niso lastniško povezani.
The main beneficiaries of the switchover (the entrants) differ from those who bear the cost of the switchover (consumers and, above all, the incumbents).
Glavni upravičenci prehoda (novi operaterji) se razlikujejo od tistih, ki krijejo stroške prehoda (uporabniki in zlasti prvotni operaterji).
Mediaset puts forward the same argument.
Družba Mediaset je izpostavila isti argument.
Mediaset also argues that simply obliging terrestrial operators to bear the cost of the decoders, on top of the other switchover-related costs, would not allow it to achieve sufficient coverage and would leave Mediaset subject to free riding by other companies because consumers could use open technology decoders to watch competing channels.
Družba Mediaset poleg tega trdi, da ji zgolj zavezovanje prizemnih operaterjev, da poleg drugih stroškov, povezanih s prehodom, krijejo stroške sprejemnikov, ne bi omogočilo dosege zadostnega pokritja in bi tako drugim družbam omogočilo parazitiranje (free riding), saj bi uporabniki lahko uporabljali sprejemnike odprte tehnologije za gledanje konkurenčnih kanalov.
Promoting innovation
Spodbujanje inovativnosti
When the measure was enforced, the interactivity of satellite decoders was very limited due to the use of a proprietary technology without open API standards.
Ko se je začel ukrep izvrševati, je bila interaktivnost satelitskih sprejemnikov zelo omejena zaradi uporabe zaščitene tehnologije brez odprtih standardov vmesnikov aplikacijskih programov (API-jev).
Italy emphasises that up to now there have been no interoperable satellite decoders on the market even after the amendments to the 2006 Finance Act.
Italija poudarja, da do zdaj na trgu še niso obstajali medobratovalni satelitski sprejemniki, niti po spremembah Finančnega zakona za leto 2006.
The need to promote the availability of interactive services is also highlighted by Mediaset.
Potrebo po spodbujanju razpoložljivosti interaktivnih storitev je poudarila tudi družba Mediaset.
Avoiding unnecessary distortions of competition
Preprečevanje nepotrebnega izkrivljanja konkurence
Italy stresses that the pay-per-view TV market is different from the satellite market because the two products are not the same.
Italija je poudarila, da se televizijski trg „plačilo po ogledu“ razlikuje od satelitskega trga, ker proizvoda nista enaka.
In any case, the aid in question helps new entrants to access the pay-TV market, which should mean increased benefits for consumers.
V vsakem primeru zadevna pomoč pomaga novim operaterjem vstopati na trg plačljive televizije, kar bi moralo uporabnikom prinesti večje koristi.
In Decision 2006/513/EC, the Commission stated that the aid was not compatible under Article 87(3)(d) of the EC Treaty because it was not related to particular cultural content, nor targeted at small local operators which would otherwise be absent from the terrestrial platform.
V Odločbi 2006/513/ES je Komisija navedla, da pomoč ni bila združljiva na podlagi člena 87(3)(d) Pogodbe ES, saj ni bila povezana z določeno kulturno vsebino niti ni bila omejena na majhne lokalne izdajatelje, ki drugače ne bi bili prisotni na prizemni platformi.
In Italy there are many terrestrial local broadcasters that broadcast a clearly identified cultural product which Italy wants to protect.
V Italiji je veliko prizemnih lokalnih izdajateljev televizijskega programa, ki oddajajo jasno opredeljen kulturni proizvod, ki ga želi Italija zaščititi.
Given that satellite is not well suited to providing local services — a view also shared by experts working for the Commission — satellite decoders should not be entitled to the subsidy.
Glede na to, da satelitska radiodifuzija ni primerna za zagotavljanje lokalnih storitev, s čimer se strinjajo tudi strokovnjaki, ki delajo za Komisijo, satelitski sprejemniki ne morejo biti upravičeni do subvencije.
In the case at issue, it is impossible to determine which broadcaster benefited from a transfer of State resources and how much, so that the Commission should not call for recovery of the aid.
V zadevnem primeru je nemogoče opredeliti, kateri izdajatelj televizijskega programa je imel koristi od prenosa državnih sredstev in koliko koristi je imel, zato Komisija ne sme zahtevati vračila pomoči.
Italy also argues that broadcasters had no means of opposing the subsidy so that, even if the beneficiaries had acted diligently, they could have not refused it.
Italija prav tako trdi, da izdajatelji televizijskega programa niso mogli nasprotovati subvenciji, tako da je upravičenci niso mogli zavrniti, tudi če so ravnali skrbno.
This type of reasoning was followed by the Commission in Decision 2006/513/EC.
Komisija je tovrstnemu utemeljevanju sledila v Odločbi 2006/513/ES.
COMMENTS FROM SKY ITALIA, ESOA AND EUROPA7
PRIPOMBE DRUŽBE SKY ITALIA, ZDRUŽENJA ESOA IN DRUŽBE EUROPA7
The two complainants, in particular, do not disagree with this conclusion, even though Sky Italia had stated the opposite in its complaints.
Zlasti zadevna pritožnika ne nasprotujeta temu sklepu, čeprav je družba Sky Italia v svojih pritožbah navedla ravno nasprotno.
In its analysis, Sky Italia focuses on the alleged positive effects in favour of DTT operators, mainly Mediaset and Telecom Italia.
Družba Sky Italia se v svoji analizi osredotoča na domnevne pozitivne učinke v korist operaterjev DTT, predvsem družb Mediaset in Telecom Italia.
According to Sky, at the time of the Telepiù/Newscorp merger, the Commission had listed various barriers to the entry and expansion of DTT operators that called for remedies.
Glede na navedbe družbe Sky je Komisija v času združitve Telepiù/Newscorp navedla različne ovire za prihod in razširitev operaterjev DTT, ki so zahtevale popravne ukrepe.
Contrary to the Commission's assumptions, as a result of the subsidies, new entrants — which were in fact incumbents on the analogue TV market — brought about a rapid expansion in DTT.
V nasprotju z domnevami Komisije so zaradi subvencij novi operaterji, ki so bili dejansko prvotni operaterji na analognem televizijskem trgu, povzročili hitro širitev DTT.
The subsidies in question provided Mediaset and Telecom Italia with a threefold advantage: first, since access to DTT decoders and to DTT broadcasters are complementary, the reduced price of decoders led to increased demand for both decoders and broadcasters — indeed it is only to be expected that DTT broadcasters would install a base for their platform, just as Sky did, incurring costs that they have not yet recouped — and the subsidies helped DTT operators to convince consumers to change over to their new television offer.
Zadevne subvencije so družbama Mediaset in Telecom Italia zagotovile trikratno prednost: prvič, ker je dostop do sprejemnikov DTT in izdajateljev televizijskega programa DTT komplementaren, je znižana cena sprejemnikov pripeljala do večjega povpraševanja po sprejemnikih in izdajateljih televizijskega programa – dejansko je mogoče samo pričakovati, da bodo izdajatelji televizijskega programa DTT namestili bazo za svojo platformo, kot je to naredila družba Sky in imela stroške, ki jih še ni dobila povrnjene – subvencije pa so pomagale operaterjem DTT, da prepričajo uporabnike, naj preidejo na njihovo novo televizijsko ponudbo.
The measure also helped to solve the free-riding issue by creating a customer base.
Ukrep je prav tako pomagal rešiti težavo parazitiranja z vzpostavitvijo baze strank.
Second, according to a study by the Global Equity Division of Deutsche Bank, subsidies would allow Mediaset a low risk/low cost way of entering pay-TV.
Drugič, glede na študijo, ki jo je izvedla Global Equity Division pri Deutsche Bank, bi subvencije družbi Mediaset omogočile vstop na trg plačljive televizije ob nizkem tveganju in nizkih stroških.
Subsidies reduced the cost of financing for Mediaset and Telecom Italia: (a) directly, since in order to achieve the same effect as achieved through the subsidies, DTT companies would have had to invest EUR 100 million, i.e. half the total cost of the infrastructure investment borne by Mediaset by January 2005; and (b) indirectly, because they dispelled the uncertainty about the success of the switchover to digital.
Subvencije so družbama Mediaset in Telecom Italia znižale stroške financiranja: (a) neposredno, saj bi morale družbe DTT, če bi hotele doseči isti učinek, kot je bil dosežen s subvencijami, vložiti 100 milijonov EUR, tj. polovico celotnega stroška naložbe v infrastrukturo, ki ga je imela družba Mediaset do januarja 2005, in (b) posredno, ker so odpravile negotovost glede uspeha prehoda na digitalno radiodifuzijo.
Finally, given the ‘duality’ of the market, a broad consumer base that allows attractive content at reduced price also gives an advantage in the advertising market.
Nazadnje, glede na „dvojnost“ trga tudi široka baza uporabnikov, ki omogoča privlačno vsebino ob znižani ceni, zagotavlja prednost na oglaševalskem trgu.