natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Since 1 January 2009, the Crédit Mutuel Livret bleu has simply been a Livret A marketed under a different name.
Od 1. januarja 2009 je shema „Livret bleu“ banke Crédit Mutuel le še shema Livret A, ki se trži pod drugim imenom.
On that date the Livret bleu ceased to exist, and so did the exclusive right of distribution by the Crédit Mutuel.
Shema Livret bleu in posledično izključna pravica do njenega distribuiranja, ki jo je imela Crédit Mutuel, sta nehali obstajati s tem datumom.
Reasons for initiating the procedure/extending the procedure
Opis razlogov za začetek/razširitev postopka
As set out in the extension Decision [21], the Commission took the view that it was possible that France had granted aid to Crédit Mutuel through the brokerage commission.
Kot je bilo pojasnjeno v odločitvi o razširitvi postopka [21], se je Komisiji zdelo mogoče, da je Francija banki Crédit Mutuel odobrila pomoč v obliki posredniške provizije.
The Altmark case-law of the Court of Justice holds that public-service compensation does not constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU if it satisfies certain cumulative conditions referred to in the Altmark judgment of 24 July 2003 [22].
Iz sodne prakse Sodišča v zadevi Altmark izhaja, da nadomestila za javne storitve niso državna pomoč v smislu člena 107 PDEU, če izpolnjujejo nekatere kumulativne pogoje, navedene v sodbi z dne 24. julija 2003 v zadevi Altmark [22].
In its extension Decision, the Commission took the view that the fourth condition under the Altmark case-law might not be satisfied where the State did not assign this public-service task of collecting deposits intended for social rented housing to the highest bidder in a tendering procedure, but entrusted it directly through negotiations with Crédit Mutuel, which does not allow for any guarantee, by deduction, that the remuneration awarded to Crédit Mutuel is not higher than the amount required by a well-run undertaking.
Komisija je v odločitvi o razširitvi postopka menila, da je mogoče, da četrti pogoj iz sodne prakse Altmark ni izpolnjen, ker država naloge javne službe, to je zbiranja hranilnih vlog za socialna najemniška stanovanja, ni dodelila najugodnejšemu ponudniku po postopku javnega naročanja, temveč neposredno po postopku s pogajanji, ki jih je imela s Crédit Mutuel, kar a priori nikakor ne zagotavlja, da nadomestilo, dodeljeno Crédit Mutuel, ni višje od ravni, ki jo zahteva dobro vodeno podjetje.
The Commission also took the view that the French authorities had not demonstrated that the level of compensation had been determined by reference to the costs of a typical, well-run undertaking in the banking sector.
Poleg tega po njenem mnenju francoski organi niso dokazali, da je bila raven nadomestila določena glede na stroške povprečnega, dobro vodenega podjetja v bančnem sektorju.
It is not enough for the French authorities to highlight that Crédit Mutuel is a well-run undertaking to establish that the level of compensation has been determined on the basis of an analysis of the costs which a typical undertaking, within the meaning of the Altmark case-law, would have incurred.
Za dokaz, da je bila raven nadomestila določena na podlagi analize stroškov, ki bi jih imelo dobro vodeno podjetje v smislu sodne prakse Altmark, namreč ne zadostuje zatrjevanje francoskih organov, da je Crédit Mutuel dobro vodeno podjetje.
The Commission’s view is that the brokerage commission was a state resource that could constitute a selective advantage likely to distort competition and affect trade between Member States, which had not been notified.
Po mnenju Komisije je bila posredniška provizija državno sredstvo – ki lahko pomeni selektivno prednost, ki izkrivlja konkurenco in vpliva na trgovino med državami članicami –, ki ji ni bilo priglašeno.
The brokerage commission could therefore contain elements of unlawful aid.
Posredniška provizija bi torej lahko vsebovala elemente nezakonite pomoči.
In its extension Decision, the Commission thought it possible that the measure was not compatible with Article 86(2) of the EC Treaty (now Article 106(2) TFEU) and took the view that none of the exceptions referred to in Article 87(2) and (3) of the EC Treaty (now Article 107(2) and (3) TFEU) seemed to apply.
Komisija je v odločitvi o razširitvi postopka menila, da je mogoče, da ta ukrep ni združljiv s členom 86(2) Pogodbe ES (zdaj člen 106(2) PDEU), ter da ni mogoče uporabiti nobenega odstopanja, navedenega v členu 87(2) in (3) Pogodbe ES (zdaj člen 107(2) in (3) PDEU).
It seemed possible to the Commission, on the basis of the calculations by its consultant, that the amount of the compensation had exceeded what was necessary to cover the costs incurred in discharging the public service obligations (the collection of deposits intended for social rented housing), taking into account the related income and a reasonable profit for discharging that obligation.
Komisiji se je namreč na podlagi izračunov njenega svetovalca zdelo mogoče, da je znesek nadomestila presegel znesek, potreben za pokrivanje stroškov, ki nastanejo zaradi izpolnjevanja obveznosti javne službe (zbiranje hranilnih vlog za socialna najemniška stanovanja), ob upoštevanju ustreznih prejemkov in zmernega dobička za izpolnjevanje te obveznosti.
The Commission, having reiterated that the amount of the compensation had to include all the advantages granted by the State or through state resources in any form whatsoever, took account in the calculation of the compensation not only of the net cost of collecting the deposits centralised with the CDC, but also of the net result (cost or profit) of the general-interest uses and non-earmarked uses.
Potem ko je opozorila, da mora znesek nadomestila zajemati vse ugodnosti, ki jih je odobrila država, ali kakršno koli obliko ugodnosti iz državnih sredstev, je pri izračunu nadomestila poleg neto stroškov zbiranja hranilnih vlog, centraliziranih pri CDC, upoštevala tudi neto poslovni izid (stroški ali dobiček) naložb splošnega pomena in prostih naložb.
The report by the Commission’s consultant revealed over-compensation to Crédit Mutuel for the years 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1998.
Svetovalec Komisije je v poročilu prikazal prekomerno nadomestilo za Crédit Mutuel za leta 1991, 1992, 1993 in 1998.
THE COMPLAINANTS’ ARGUMENTS
TRDITVE PRITOŽNIKOV
The complainants’ arguments were presented by the Commission in its Decision of 6 February 1998 on the initiation of proceedings pursuant to Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty (now Article 108(2) TFEU).
Komisija je trditve pritožnikov predstavila v odločitvi z dne 6. februarja 1998 o začetku postopka na podlagi člena 88(2) Pogodbe ES (zdaj člen 108(2) PDEU).
The additional written statements submitted since then contain the following new arguments.
V dodatnih izjavah, ki so bile poslane pozneje, so predstavljene naslednje nove trditve.
A paper (updated at the end of February 1999 and communicated to the Commission in October 1999) on the pull effect of the Livret bleu assessed the net banking income generated by this effect at FRF 17 billion (EUR 2,6 billion), assuming that the increase in Crédit Mutuel’s market shares in every segment over the period 1986 to 1997 was exclusively the result of distributing the Livret bleu.
V obvestilu AFB (posodobljeno konec februarja 1999 in poslano Komisiji oktobra 1999) o učinku vabe sheme Livret bleu je bil neto bančni dobiček, ustvarjen zaradi učinka vabe te sheme, ocenjen na 17 milijard FRF (2,6 milijarde EUR) ob domnevi, da povečanje tržnih deležev Crédit Mutuel v vseh segmentih v obdobju 1986–1997 izhaja izključno iz distribuiranja sheme Livret bleu.
A study conducted by Caisse Nationale du Crédit Agricole, submitted in May 2000, analysed developments in the number of Crédit Mutuel branches.
V študiji, ki jo je opravila Caisse Nationale du Crédit Agricole in je bila poslana maja 2000, je bilo analizirano gibanje števila poslovalnic Crédit Mutuel.
It is therefore likely that Crédit Mutuel reduced its establishments in rural areas in order to concentrate on urban areas.
Torej je verjetno, da je Crédit Mutuel zmanjšala navzočnost na podeželskih območjih, da bi jo okrepila v mestih.
These figures appear to refute Crédit Mutuel’s allegations that it was obliged to maintain a large number of branches in rural areas in the 1990s.
Zdi se, da so ti podatki v nasprotju s trditvami Crédit Mutuel, da je bila v 90. letih prisiljena ohraniti močno navzočnost na podeželskih območjih.
They also tend to show that Crédit Mutuel is capable of maintaining an exceptionally dense network of branches even after the removal of all controls by the authorities.
Dokazujejo tudi, da je Crédit Mutuel sposobna ohraniti izjemno gosto mrežo tudi po odpravi vsakršnega nadzora s strani javnih organov.
On 4 June 1998 the AFB sent the Commission a letter stating that the commission of 1,3 % on Livret bleu deposits centralised with the CDC was excessive given that, at the same time, the Caisses d’Épargne and la Poste received 1,2 % and 1,5 % respectively on Livret A savings, which were also held centrally by the CDC.
AFB je v dopisu z dne 4. junija 1998, ki ga je poslal Komisiji, trdil, da je nadomestilo v višini 1,3 % od hranilnih vlog Livret bleu, centraliziranih pri CDC, prekomerno, ker so v istem obdobju Caisses d’Épargne in La Poste od CDC prejemale 1,2 % oziroma 1,5 % od hranilnih vlog Livret A, ki so bile prav tako centralizirane pri CDC.
The AFB pointed out in this letter that it proposed to the French authorities in 1997 that it would ensure the collection of Livret bleu deposits for a charge of only 1 %, but that the Government had not replied to this offer.
AFB je v tem dopisu navedel, da je leta 1997 francoskim organom predlagal, da bo zagotovil zbiranje hranilnih vlog Livret bleu v zameno za le 1-odstotno nadomestilo, vendar vlada na to ponudbo ni odgovorila.
The AFB underlined in particular that the April 1998 report by Mr Douyère, a member of parliament, on the modernisation of the Caisses d’épargne indicated that the cost of collecting savings for an average Caisse d’épargne such as that of Burgundy was 0,96 % of its total funds, and that there was no reason why Crédit Mutuel’s management costs should be higher.
AFB je predvsem poudaril, da je bilo v poročilu poslanca Douyèra iz aprila 1998 o posodobitvi Caisses d’Épargne navedeno, da stroški zbiranja, ki jih ima povprečna hranilnica, kot je Caisse d’épargne de Bourgogne, znašajo 0,96 % od hranilnih vlog in da ni razloga, da bi Crédit Mutuel imela višje stroške upravljanja.
A memorandum produced by the Glais consultancy dated August 2000, submitted at the request of the AFB, contains statistics concerning the competitive advantage thought to be enjoyed by Crédit Mutuel as a result of the exclusive rights to distribute the Livret bleu.
Obvestilo družbe Glais iz avgusta 2000, predloženo na zahtevo AFB, je vsebovalo statistične podatke o konkurenčni prednosti, ki naj bi jo Crédit Mutuel dobila zaradi izključne pravice do distribuiranja sheme Livret bleu.
The Glais consultancy expert deduced that ‘the Livret bleu effect therefore seems to have worked by attracting customers and, from the mid-1980s, the positive effect seems to have continued without an increase in deposits. Thus the customers who remained loyal appear to have been the ones who financed Crédit Mutuel’s expansionist strategy from that period on’.
Izvedenec družbe Glais je iz tega sklepal, da „se zdi, da je učinek sheme Livret bleu torej pritegnil stranke, od sredine 80. let pa se zdi, da se je pozitivni učinek nadaljeval brez povečanja hranilnih vlog. Zdi se torej, da so prvotno pridobljene stranke vzdrževale širitveno strategijo Crédit Mutuel od tega obdobja naprej“.
The expert concluded that Crédit Mutuel’s (essentially credit) activities appear to have been unrelated to average developments in the banking market, notably on the basis of an indicator of the persistence of random economic shocks on activity variables and by creating a model based on a simple credit-demand equation.
Izvedenec je predvsem na podlagi kazalnika vztrajnosti vpliva naključnih gospodarskih pretresov na spremenljivke dejavnosti in modela preprostega izračuna povpraševanja po posojilih sklepal, da se zdi, da dejavnost Crédit Mutuel (predvsem posojila) ni bila povezana s povprečnim razvojem bančnega trga.
The expert explains this phenomenon by the fact that Crédit Mutuel’s customers remain much more loyal than those of other banking networks, for example because of the Livret bleu.
Izvedenec ta pojav pojasnjuje s tem, da naj bi se zvestoba strank Crédit Mutuel ohranjala močneje, na primer zaradi sheme Livret bleu, kot zvestoba strank drugih bančnih mrež.
In a second memorandum (December 2000), the Glais consultancy proposed a new econometric analysis of the degree of loyalty of each set of customers to each banking network.
Družba Glais je v drugem obvestilu (december 2000) predlagala novo ekonometrično analizo stopnje zvestobe strank posameznih bančnih mrež.
According to the expert, the figures corroborate the hypothesis that Crédit Mutuel and Caisses d’Épargne have much better means of retaining their customers’ loyalty than other banks.
Njeni rezultati po mnenju izvedenca potrjujejo predpostavko, da imajo Crédit Mutuel in Caisses d’Épargne sredstva, s katerimi lahko ohranjajo stranke bolje kot druge banke.
But it is impossible to determine whether the offer of a tax-free savings account or the use of a dense network of branches in different regions (two instruments shared by these networks) is the reason for the greater customer loyalty.
Vendar ni mogoče ugotoviti, ali je vzrok za to močnejše ohranjanje strank distribuiranje davkov oproščene sheme hranilnih vlog ali gosta mreža podružnic v različnih regijah (dva skupna instrumenta teh mrež).
Finally, the complaint by the Association of Victims of Crédit Mutuel dated 19 September 2006 contains a simple allegation of ‘diversion of public savings for private and commercial ends […] to the detriment of savers and of the French economy’, which is not backed up by any serious arguments or evidence relating to potential unlawful State aid.
Nazadnje, pritožba „Association des Victimes du Crédit Mutuel“ z dne 19. septembra 2006 vsebuje trditev o „poneverbi javnih prihrankov za zasebne in poslovne namene […] v škodo varčevalcev in francoskega gospodarstva“, ki pa ne vsebuje prave utemeljitve oziroma dokazov o morebitni nezakoniti državni pomoči.
Following the publication of the opening Decision of 6 February 1998, the Commission received comments from numerous third parties.
Komisija je po objavi odločitve o začetku postopka z dne 6. februarja 1998 prejela komentarje številnih tretjih oseb.
Some of Crédit Mutuel’s competitors cited the damage they had suffered as a result of exclusive distribution rights for the Livret bleu being granted to Crédit Mutuel.
Nekateri konkurenti Crédit Mutuel so navedli škodo, ki so jo po lastnem mnenju utrpeli, ker je bila Crédit Mutuel podeljena izključna pravica do distribuiranja sheme Livret bleu.
These banks generally argued that the Livret bleu generated a pull factor making them lose clients to Crédit Mutuel and they wanted to see the end of this exclusive right.
Te banke so večinoma govorile o učinku vabe sheme Livret bleu, zaradi česar so izgubile stranke, ki so odšle k Crédit Mutuel, in so želele, da bi se ta izključna pravica ukinila.
The following establishments sent comments to this effect to the Commission:
Take komentarje so Komisiji poslale naslednje ustanove:
At the same time, in addition to the comments in defence of Crédit Mutuel, presented in Section 4, the Commission received comments from the following third parties which were in favour of the Livret bleu vehicle:
Komisija je poleg pripomb Crédit Mutuel, ki jih je ta navedla v svoj zagovor in so predstavljene v oddelku 4, prejela pripombe, ki so jih poslale naslednje tretje osebe, ki so zagovarjale shemo Livret bleu:
Mr Bertholet, MP (Drôme Department)
Bertholet, poslanec departmaja Drôme,
Mr Blondel, Member of the General Council of the Nord Department
Blondel, generalni svetnik departmaja Nord,
Mr Cabot, Director of the Regional Youth Information Centre of Toulouse
Cabot, direktor Centre régional Information Jeunesse de Toulouse,
Mr Cormorèche, Mayor of Montluel
Cormorèche, župan Montuela,
Mr Cornelis, Member of the General Council of the Nord Department
Cornelis, generalni svetnik departmaja Nord,
Mr Chavannes, Mayor of Angoulême
Chavannes, župan Angoulêma,
Mr Crépeau, MP (Charente Maritime Department)
Crépeau, poslanec departmaja Charente-Maritime,
Mr Debavelaere, Senator (Pas-de-Calais Department)
Debavelaere, senator departmaja Pas-de-Calais,
Mr Decool, Mayor of Brouckerque
Decool, župan Brouckerqua,
Mr Delevoye, Senator (Pas-de-Calais Department)
Delevoye, senator departmaja Pas-de-Calais,
Mr Delnatte, MP (Nord Department)
Delnatte, poslanec departmaja Nord,
Mr Dolez, MP (Nord Department)
Dolez, poslanec departmaja Nord,
Mr Ewald, Regional Delegate of the Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Economique
Ewald, regionalni predstavnik Association pour le droit à l’initiative économique,
Mr Fronton, Union Départementale des Associations Familiales de Haute-Garonne
Fronton, Union départementale des associations familiales de Haute-Garonne,
Mr Foy, Senator (Nord Department)
Foy, senator departmaja Nord,
Mr Galiègue, President of the Solesmes Caisse de Crédit Mutuel
Galiègue, predsednik Caisse de Crédit Mutuel de Solesmes,
Ms Gournay, Mayor of Caëstre
ga. Gournay, županja Caestra,
Ms Armelle Guinebertière, Member of the European Parliament
ga. Armelle Guinebertière, poslanka v Evropskem parlamentu,
Mr Hervé, Mayor of Rennes
Hervé, župan Rennesa,
Mr Humez, President of the Pas-de-Calais Comité départemental de lutte contre la mucoviscidose
Humez, predsednik Comité départemental de lutte contre la mucoviscidose du Pas-de-Calais,
Ms Ingelaere, President of Flandr’action
ga. Ingelaere, predsednica Flandr’action,
Mr Juppé, Mayor of and MP for Bordeaux
Juppé, poslanec in župan Bordeauxa,
Mr Lapalu, President of the Association Animation et Gestion d’Organismes Privés
Lapalu, predsednik združenja Animation et gestion d’organismes privés,
Mr Lazaro, MP (Nord Department)
Lazaro, poslanec departmaja Nord,
Mr Lebreton, President of the General Council of Côtes d’Armor Department
Lebreton, predsednik generalnega sveta Côtes d’Armor,
Mr Ledieu, Mayor of Le Cateau-Cambrésis
Ledieu, župan Cateau-Cambrésisa,
Mr Leleu, Director of Crédit Mutuel Nord
Leleu, član uprave Crédit Mutuel Nord,
Mr Maille, President of the Brest urban area
Maille, predsednik mestne skupnosti Brest,
Mr Masclet, Member of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council
Masclet, regionalni svetnik regije Nord-Pas-de-Calais,
Mr Méhaignerie, President of the General Council of the Ille et Vilaine Department
Méhaignerie, predsednik generalnega sveta Ille-et-Vilaina,
Mr Mio, Member of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council
Mio, regionalni svetnik regije Nord-Pas-de-Calais,
Ms Novak, President of the Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Economique
ga. Novak, predsednica Association pour le droit à l’initiative économique,
Ms Permuy, Member of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council
ga. Permuy, regionalna svetnica regije Nord-Pas-de-Calais,
Mr Albert Rivaux, Member of the General Council of the Pas-de-Calais Department
Albert Rivaux, generalni svetnik departmaja Pas-de-Calais,
Mr de Rohan, President of the Brittany Regional Council
de Rohan, predsednik regionalnega sveta Bretanje,
Mr Valla, Member of the General Council of the Ardèche Department
Valla, generalni svetnik departmaja Ardèche,
Mr Vanlerenberghe, Mayor of Arras
Vanlerenberghe, župan Arrasa,
Mr Villain, Mayor of Cambrai
Villain, župan Cambraija,
Mr de Villiers, MP (Vendée Department).
de Villiers, poslanec departmaja Vendée.
The vast majority of third parties underlined the role played by Crédit Mutuel, particularly at regional level, in financing the social economy, especially non-profit-making organisations.
Velika večina tretjih oseb je poudarila vlogo, ki jo ima Crédit Mutuel predvsem na regionalni ravni pri financiranju socialne ekonomije in zlasti nepridobitnih združenj.
They also stressed the supporting role it plays with respect to people in lower income groups, from which a large part of its customers come.
Poudarile so tudi, da Crédit Mutuel podpira nižje sloje prebivalstva, iz katerih prihaja velik del njenih strank.
Several local elected representatives emphasised Crédit Mutuel’s role in setting up undertakings and creating jobs, and in developing local initiatives in conjunction with the local authorities.
Več lokalnih poslancev je poudarilo vlogo Crédit Mutuel pri ustanavljanju podjetij in ustvarjanju delovnih mest ter razvoju lokalnih pobud v povezavi z lokalnimi skupnostmi.
Others considered that because of its decentralised structures, Crédit Mutuel was better able than centralised institutions to meet local needs and respond to the requirement of balanced regional development.
Drugi so menili, da Crédit Mutuel s svojimi decentraliziranimi strukturami bolj kot centralizirane ustanove ustreza lokalnim potrebam in nujnosti uravnoteženega razvoja ozemlja.
CRÉDIT MUTUEL’S COMMENTS
PRIPOMBE CRÉDIT MUTUEL
Crédit Mutuel criticises the Commission for having taken a particularly long time in dealing with the case.
Crédit Mutuel očita Komisiji, da je to zadevo posebno dolgo obravnavala.
Furthermore, according to Crédit Mutuel, the judgment by the Court of First Instance, in addition to stressing the failure to state valid grounds, contained criticism of the argument presented by the Commission, which was not taken into account in the extension Decision, in particular as far as the calculation of any overcompensation was concerned.
Poleg tega se je po mnenju Crédit Mutuel sodba Sodišča prve stopnje nanašala ne le na neobstoj obrazložitve, temveč je vsebovala tudi kritike sklepanja Komisije, ki niso bile upoštevane v odločitvi o razširitvi postopka, zlasti kar zadeva izračun morebitnega prekomernega nadomestila.
In this respect, Crédit Mutuel accuses the Commission of adding together the positive full-year amounts without deducting the figure for the negative full-year amounts, contrary to the method put forward in the Community framework for State aid in the form of public service compensation (hereafter ‘the 2005 Community framework’) [23].
Crédit Mutuel v zvezi s tem Komisiji očita, da je seštela pozitivne letne salde, ne da bi odštela salde negativnih let, kar je v nasprotju z metodo, priporočeno v Okviru Skupnosti za državne pomoči v obliki nadomestila za javne storitve (v nadaljnjem besedilu: okvir Skupnosti iz leta 2005) [23].
According to the bank, the brokerage commission fulfils the four conditions of the Altmark case-law:
Po mnenju banke posredniška provizija izpolnjuje štiri pogoje iz sodne prakse Altmark:
With respect to the first condition, Crédit Mutuel was engaged in the provision of two services of general economic interest, firstly by maintaining a significant branch presence in rural areas for regional development purposes and secondly by gathering deposits intended to finance social housing.
kar zadeva prvi pogoj, naj bi bila Crédit Mutuel pooblaščena za opravljanje dveh storitev splošnega gospodarskega pomena, in sicer ohranjanje močne navzočnosti poslovalnic na podeželju zaradi ciljev prostorskega načrtovanja in zbiranje hranilnih vlog za financiranje socialnih stanovanj.
As far as maintaining branches in rural areas is concerned, it disputes the Commission’s conclusion that French laws and regulations remain too vague to entrust Crédit Mutuel with any such role and thus for the first condition of the Altmark case-law to be fulfilled.
V zvezi z ohranjanjem poslovalnic na podeželju izpodbija ugotovitev Komisije, da francoski zakoni in drugi predpisi ostajajo preveč nejasni, da bi bila z njimi banki Crédit Mutuel dodeljena taka naloga in da bi bil torej prvi pogoj iz sodne prakse Altmark izpolnjen.
According to Crédit Mutuel, the Commission draws this conclusion from the fact that this legislation did not place any specific constraints on Crédit Mutuel since it applied to the banking sector as a whole.
Po mnenju Crédit Mutuel je Komisija tako sklepala iz dejstva, da s temi akti banki Crédit Mutuel niso bile naložene posebne zahteve, ker veljajo za celoten bančni sektor.