natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The Dutch authorities further note that the independent experts were selected by the Municipality, which had no interest in obtaining a low value for the land.
Nizozemski organi nadalje opozarjajo, da je občina izbrala neodvisne cenilce, ki jim določitev nizke cene zemljišča ni bila v interesu.
ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTESTED MEASURES
OCENA SPORNIH UKREPOV
The existence of State aid under Article 107(1) TFEU
7.1 Obstoj državne pomoči v skladu s členom 107(1) PDEU
Article 107(1) TFEU provides that: “any aid granted by a Member State or through State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the internal market”.
V členu 107(1) PDEU je navedeno, da: „je vsaka pomoč, ki jo dodeli država članica, ali kakršna koli vrsta pomoči iz državnih sredstev, ki izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljala konkurenco z dajanjem prednosti posameznim podjetjem ali proizvodnji posameznega blaga, nezdružljiva z notranjim trgom, kolikor prizadene trgovino med državami članicami“.
First, it has not been challenged that SJB as well as Schouten de Jong and Bouwfonds, the members of this partnership, qualify as undertakings for the purpose of this provisions, since they pursue economic activities offering goods and services on the market, as indicated in the opening decision.
Ni bilo izpodbijano, da se partnerstvo SJB in članici tega partnerstva, tj. družbi Schouten de Jong in Bouwfonds, uvrščajo med podjetja za namene teh določb, saj opravljajo gospodarske dejavnosti, v okviru katerih ponujajo blago in storitve na trgu, kakor je navedeno v sklepu o začetku postopka.
Second, the contested measures were granted by the PPP, which means with the necessary agreement of the Municipality, which holds a 50 % stake in the PPP.
Poleg tega je sporne ukrepe odobrilo JZP, kar pomeni, da je bilo potrebno soglasje občine, ki ima v lasti 50-odstotni delež JZP.
Since the decision-making of the PPP is by unanimity and these measures could not have been agreed to without the express approval of the Municipality’s Council, the decision to grant the contested measures by the PPP are imputable to the State.
Ker se odločitve v JZP sprejemajo soglasno in teh ukrepov ne bi bilo mogoče sprejeti brez izrecne odobritve občinskega sveta, se odločitev JZP o odobritvi spornih ukrepov lahko pripiše državi.
Furthermore, had the Municipality not agreed to grant the contested measures, the extent of its financial exposure resulting from the PPP would have been proportionally lower.
Poleg tega bi bila stopnja finančne izpostavljenosti občine, ki izhaja iz njenega deleža v JZP, sorazmerno nižja, če občina ne bi pristala na odobritev spornih ukrepov.
Therefore, the price decrease and waived fees agreed to by the PPP imply a loss of State resources.
Zato znižanje cen in opustitev nadomestil, ki ju je odobrilo JZP, pomenijo izgubo državnih sredstev.
Third, since the measures benefit only SJB and, ultimately, Schouten de Jong and Bouwfonds, the members of this partnership, they must be considered as selective in nature.
Ker dajejo ukrepi prednost le partnerstvu SJB in nenazadnje tudi članicama partnerstva, družbama Schouten de Jong in Bouwfonds, jih je treba obravnavati kot selektivne.
However, the Dutch authorities have challenged the contention that the Municipality, by agreeing to a reduction in the initially agreed sales price for the land sold to SJB and a waiver of fees, conferred an economic advantage on SJB which it would not have otherwise obtained under normal market conditions.
Vendar so nizozemski organi izpodbijali trditev, da je občina s pristankom na znižanje prvotno dogovorjene prodajne cene zemljišča, ki ga je prodala partnerstvu SJB, in z opustitvijo nadomestil dala partnerstvu SJB gospodarsko prednost, ki je to pod običajnimi tržnimi pogoji ne bi pridobilo.
It also challenges the contention that the contested measures distort competition and affect intra-Union trade.
Prav tako izpodbijajo trditev, da sporni ukrepi izkrivljajo konkurenco in vplivajo na trgovino znotraj Unije.
For the reasons set out in recitals 69 to 89 below, the Commission disagrees with the Dutch authorities on these points.
Zaradi razlogov iz uvodnih izjav (69)–(89) se Komisija v teh točkah ne strinja z nizozemskimi organi.
The existence of an advantage
7.1.1 Obstoj prednosti
According to settled case law [15], the sale by public authorities of land or buildings to an undertaking or to an individual involved in an economic activity may constitute State aid, in particular where it is not made at market value, that is to say, where it is not sold at the price which a private investor, operating in normal competitive conditions, would be likely to have fixed.
V skladu z ustaljeno sodno prakso [15] lahko prodaja zemljišč ali objektov s strani javnih organov podjetju ali posamezniku, ki opravlja gospodarsko dejavnost, pomeni državno pomoč, zlasti, če se ne izvaja po tržni vrednosti, to je, če se ne prodaja po ceni, ki bi jo najverjetneje določil zasebni vlagatelj, ki deluje pod običajnimi konkurenčnimi pogoji.
The Commission notes, in this regard, that land sale transactions should, in principle, be assessed under the Commission Communication on State aid elements in sales of land and buildings by public authorities [16] (hereinafter: “the Land Sale Communication”), which provides a set of guidelines for Member States to ensure that the sale of land and buildings by public authorities is free of State aid.
V zvezi s tem Komisija opozarja, da bi bilo treba transakcije prodaje zemljišč načeloma oceniti v skladu s Sporočilom Komisije o elementih državne pomoči pri prodaji zemljišč in objektov s strani javnih organov [16] (v nadaljnjem besedilu: Sporočilo o prodaji zemljišč), ki vsebuje vrsto smernic, kako naj države članice zagotovijo, da pri prodaji zemljišč in objektov s strani javnih organov ni prisoten element državne pomoči.
The Land Sale Communication provides two methods to exclude the presence of aid from such transactions: first, a sale of land and buildings following a sufficiently well-publicised, open and unconditional bidding procedure, comparable to an auction, accepting the best or only bid; and, second, an ex-ante valuation report prepared by an independent expert.
V Sporočilu o prodaji zemljišč sta navedena dva načina za izključitev prisotnosti pomoči pri tovrstnih transakcijah: prodaja zemljišč in objektov po dovolj oglaševanem, odprtem in brezpogojnem postopku za zbiranje ponudb, primerljivem z dražbo, na katerem je sprejeta najboljša ali edina ponudba, in predhodno cenitveno poročilo, ki ga pripravi neodvisni cenilec.
These methods seek to ensure that the price at which land is sold by a public authority adequately reflects, as much as possible, the market value of that land, thus conforming to the MEIT, so as to rule out that that sale confers an economic advantage on the purchaser of the land.
Namen teh metod je zagotoviti, da cena, po kateri javni organi prodajajo zemljišče, čim bolj ustreza tržni vrednosti tega zemljišča in je torej v skladu z načelom zasebnega vlagatelja pod tržnimi pogoji, s čimer se pri prodaji izključi dajanje gospodarske prednosti kupcu zemljišča.
It cannot be excluded, however, that other valuation methods may also be applied in such instances so long as it is assured that the price actually paid by the purchaser on the basis of those methods reflects, in so far as possible, the market value of that land [17].
Vendar ni mogoče izključiti, da se lahko v teh primerih uporabijo druge metode vrednotenja, če je zagotovljeno, da cena, ki jo kupec dejansko plača na podlagi teh metod, v največji možni meri izraža tržno vrednost zadevnega zemljišča [17].
In the present case, no unconditional bidding procedure was organised.
V zvezi z obravnavanim primerom ni bilo nobenega brezpogojnega postopka za zbiranje ponudb.
While an expert valuation was made in March 2003 to establish the sales prices laid down in the 2004 Co-operation Agreement, the price agreed with SJB for the purchase of the land on the Damplein was subsequently decreased and the fees earlier agreed were waived in 2010 as a result of the Supplementary Agreement.
Medtem ko je bila strokovna ocena za določitev prodajnih cen, ki so navedene v sporazumu o sodelovanju iz leta 2004, izvedena marca 2003, je bila nakupna cena za zemljišče na Dampleinu, ki je bila dogovorjena s partnerstvom SJB, pozneje znižana, predhodno dogovorjena nadomestila pa so bila na podlagi dopolnilnega sporazuma opuščena leta 2010.
As regards the expert valuation of February 2009 referred to in recital (30) above, the Commission considers the residual value method used in that ex post assessment inappropriate to calculate the market value of the land sold to SJB, since the expected decrease in revenues from the sale of the housing units would be entirely absorbed by the price of the land.
V zvezi s strokovno oceno iz uvodne izjave (30), ki je bila izvedena februarja 2009, Komisija meni, da je metoda preostale vrednosti, uporabljena pri naknadni oceni, neprimerna za izračun tržne vrednosti zemljišča, ki je bilo prodano partnerstvu SJB, ker bi pričakovano znižanje prihodkov od prodaje stanovanjskih enot v celoti absorbirala cena zemljišča.
To calculate the value of land, the residual value method starts from the sales price of the housing units.
Prodajna cena stanovanjskih enot je pri uporabi metode preostale vrednosti izhodišče za izračun vrednosti zemljišča.
From this price, the construction costs and a profit and risk provision are deducted.
Od te cene se odštejejo stroški gradnje ter dobiček in tveganje.
What is left is the residual value of the land.
Kar ostane, je preostala vrednost zemljišča.
It is clear that in a declining housing market such as that in casu the residual value method shifts the deceasing value of real estate entirely to the value of the land.
Očitno je, da se v primeru nazadujočega stanovanjskega trga, tako kot v obravnavanem primeru, pri metodi preostale vrednosti nižanje vrednosti nepremičnine v celoti prenese na vrednost zemljišča.
In theory, this could even result in a negative value for the land.
V teoriji to lahko celo privede do negativne vrednosti zemljišča.
Finally, the Dutch authorities claim that the Municipality, by agreeing to the contested measures, acted in accordance with the MEIT; that is, that a hypothetical private vendor in the same situation as the Municipality would have agreed to the same price reduction and fee waivers, so as to preclude the existence of an advantage as a result of the contested measures.
Poleg navedenega nizozemski organi trdijo, da je občina s pristankom na sporne ukrepe ravnala v skladu z načelom zasebnega vlagatelja pod tržnimi pogoji, kar pomeni, da bi hipotetični zasebni prodajalec v enakem položaju kot občina pristal na enako znižanje cene in opustitev nadomestil; zato naj bi bil izključen obstoj prednosti, ki bi izhajala iz spornih ukrepov.
First, according to the Dutch authorities, the Municipality had an important financial and social interest in starting the construction works on the Damplein as soon as possible, since further delays would lead to direct and indirect damages for the Municipality and these damages would be higher than the costs for the Municipality to agree to the contested measures.
Po navedbah nizozemskih organov je bil čimprejšnji začetek izvajanja gradbenih del na Dampleinu v velikem finančnem in socialnem interesu občine, saj bi nadaljnje zamude za občino pomenile neposredno in posredno škodo, ki bi bila višja od stroškov, ki bi jih imela, če bi pristala na sporne ukrepe.
Second, the Dutch authorities contend that the Municipality behaved as a private investor by accepting a commitment from SJB to waive its right to invoke the 70 % clause of the 2004 Co-operation Agreement in return for the contested measures.
Nizozemski organi tudi trdijo, da je občina s sprejetjem zaveze partnerstva SJB, da se v zameno za sporne ukrepe odpove svoji pravici do uveljavljanja klavzule o 70 % iz sporazuma o sodelovanju iz leta 2004, ravnala kot zasebni vlagatelj.
The Commission does not accept this reasoning.
Komisija se s to obrazložitvijo ne strinja.
As a preliminary matter, the Commission recalls that the Municipality was only involved in the ground exploitation phase of the real estate project, while the construction phase of the project was at the risk and the expense of the private developers concerned, including SJB (see recitals 13 and 16 above).
Komisija najprej opozarja, da je občina sodelovala le pri fazi uporabe stavbnega zemljišča v nepremičninskem projektu, medtem ko so za fazo gradnje v projektu tveganje in stroške nosili zadevni zasebni razvijalci, vključno s partnerstvom SJB (glej uvodi izjavi (13) in (16)).
It is unlikely that a private investor, operating in normal competitive conditions, would have decided to take on the risk of a declining housing market from SJB, which it was previously not exposed to, by agreeing to a reduction in the initially agreed sales price for that land and a waiver of fees, without a clear financial compensation that would outweigh the losses stemming from that decision.
Ni verjetno, da bi se zasebni vlagatelj, ki deluje pod običajnimi konkurenčnimi pogoji, odločil namesto partnerstva SJB prevzeti tveganje nazadujočega stanovanjskega trga, ki mu prej ni bil izpostavljen, in sicer s pristankom na znižanje prvotno dogovorjenih prodajnih cen zemljišč in z opustitvijo nadomestil, če mu ne bi bila zagotovljena finančna prednost, ki bi bila večja od izgub zaradi te odločitve.
As explained in recitals 75 to 86 below, neither the fact that the Municipality would suffer damages as a result of further delays, nor the fact that SJB decided to waive its right to invoke the 70 % clause, leads the Commission to a different conclusion in its application of the MEIT to the Municipality’s actions.
Kot je pojasnjeno v uvodnih izjavah (75)–(86), dejstvo, da bi občina utrpela škodo zaradi nadaljnjih zamud, in dejstvo, da se je partnerstvo SJB odločilo odpovedati svoji pravici do uveljavljanja klavzule o 70 %, ne vpliva na sklepno ugotovitev Komisije glede vprašanja, ali je občina ravnala v skladu z načelom zasebnega vlagatelja pod tržnimi pogoji.
Alleged damages
Domnevna škoda
As regards the direct damages the Municipality would allegedly suffer from further delays to the Damplein Project, the Commission notes that the costs estimated by the Dutch authorities in Table 2 above all relate to the ground exploitation phase of the entire Leidschendam Centrum Project.
Glede neposredne škode, ki bi jo domnevno utrpela občina zaradi nadaljnjih zamud pri projektu Damplein, Komisija opozarja, da se stroški v preglednici 2, ki jo jih ocenili nizozemski organi, nanašajo na fazo uporabe stavbnega zemljišča v celotnem projektu Mestno središče Leidschendama.
Assuming it would take at least another two years for SJB to start construction, the Dutch authorities estimated the reduced revenues for the PPP from the sale of the land to SJB, as well as assumed similar delays for the rest of the Leidschendam Centrum Project, to result in interest costs of approximately EUR 1,8 million on an outstanding loan of the PPP for the ground exploitation phase of the entire Leidschendam Centrum Project.
Ob predpostavki, da bo partnerstvo SJB za začetek gradnje potrebovalo še najmanj dve leti, so nizozemski organi ocenili nižje prihodke JZP od prodaje zemljišča partnerstvu SJB ter predvideli podobne zamude za preostali projekt Mestno središče Leidschendama, kar pomeni približno 1,8 milijona EUR stroškov obresti za neplačano posojilo JZP za fazo uporabe stavbnega zemljišča v celotnem projektu Mestno središče Leidschendama.
A two year delay would also lead to extra planning and other costs of approximately EUR 1 million for the entire Leidschendam Centrum Project.
Dvoletni odlog bi povzročil tudi dodatne stroške načrtovanja in druge stroške v višini približno 1 milijona EUR za celoten projekt Mestno središče Leidschendama.
However, as the Dutch authorities themselves acknowledge, it is the contested measures which contributed to the loss resulting from the ground exploitation phase of the project, since the PPP received a lower price for the land from SJB than that originally agreed under the 2004 Co-operation Agreement and waived certain fees [18].
Vendar so ti sporni ukrepi, kot priznavajo tudi sami nizozemski organi, prispevali k izgubi v okviru faze uporabe stavbnega zemljišča v projektu, saj je JZP od partnerstva SJB za zemljišča prejelo nižjo ceno od prvotno dogovorjene v sporazumu o sodelovanju iz leta 2004 in se odpovedalo določenim nadomestilom [18].
A private investor, operating under normal market conditions and seeking to maximise its return on the sale of its land, would not have likely agreed to the contested measures which contributed to a loss on the ground exploitation phase of the project, for which the private investor himself would be liable for 50 %.
Zasebni vlagatelj, ki deluje pod običajnimi tržnimi pogoji in si prizadeva za povečanje donosa od prodaje svojih zemljišč, najverjetneje ne bi pristal na sporne ukrepe, ki bi prispevali k izgubi v okviru faze uporabe stavbnega zemljišča, za katero bi sam nosil 50 % odgovornosti.
Rather, a private investor with only a financial participation in the ground exploitation phase of the project would have made sure the ground exploitation works were carried out promptly so that the land could be delivered to the project developers and would have requested the private developers to pay the sales price of the land and the fees as foreseen in the freely negotiated contracts.
Zasebni vlagatelj, ki je v fazi uporabe stavbnega zemljišča v projektu le finančno udeležen, bi poskrbel, da se dela v fazi uporabe stavbnega zemljišča izvedejo pravočasno, da bi se lahko zemljišča predala razvijalcem projektov, od katerih bi zahteval plačilo prodajne cene zemljišča in nadomestil, kot je predvideno v prosto dogovorjenih pogodbah.
In any event, even if the alleged direct costs referred to by the Dutch authorities could be taken into account to support the Municipality’s decision to grant the contested measure, which the Commission contests, its calculations of these costs are nevertheless flawed.
Tudi če bi se domnevni neposredni stroški, ki jih navajajo nizozemski organi, lahko upoštevali pri utemeljitvi odločitve občine, da odobri sporni ukrep – čemur Komisija nasprotuje – so izračuni občine v zvezi s temi stroški vseeno napačni.
First, the interest costs are calculated in relation to a credit facility granted to the PPP covering the entire Leidschendam Centrum Project and not just the Damplein Project, which is but one of eight sub-projects.
Stroški obresti so izračunani v povezavi s kreditnimi sredstvi, ki so bila odobrena JZP ter krijejo celoten projekt Mestno središče Leidschendama in ne samo projekt Damplein, ki je le eden izmed osmih podprojektov.
Similarly, the extra planning costs are calculated for the entire Leidschendam Centrum Project.
Podobno so dodatni stroški načrtovanja izračunani za celoten projekt Mestno središče Leidschendama.
It can therefore not be assumed that in the case that the Damplein Project would have been realised, all the other sub-projects would also have been realised, and thus that none of these interest costs would have been incurred.
Zato ni mogoče domnevati, da bi bili v primeru realizacije projekta Damplein realizirani tudi vsi drugi podprojekti in tako ne bi nastali nobeni od navedenih stroškov obresti.
Second, the 5 % interest rate is not an actual interest rate, but a rate used for internal calculations.
dstotna obrestna mera ni dejanska obrestna mera, ampak mera, ki se uporablja za notranje izračune.
The actual interest to be paid on the credit facility agreed for the Leidschendam Centrum Project is considerably lower than this rate [19] so that the interest costs suffered by the Municipality through the PPP would have been lower than those alleged by the Dutch authorities.
Dejanske obresti za dogovorjena kreditna sredstva v okviru projekta Mestno središče Leidschendama so bistveno nižje od te obrestne mere [19], tako da bi bili stroški obresti, ki bi jih občina utrpela prek JZP, nižji od stroškov, ki jih navajajo nizozemski organi.
Third, the outstanding credit facility, and therefore the interest costs, would have been much lower in the case that payment would have been made on the date and for the amount as foreseen in the 2004 Co-operation Agreement.
Neplačana kreditna sredstva in s tem stroški obresti bi bili bistveno nižji, če bi se plačilo izvršilo na datum in v znesku, ki sta predvidena v sporazumu o sodelovanju iz leta 2004.
Fourth, it is clear that, even in the calculations submitted by the Dutch authorities, the financial consequences of granting the contested measures for the PPP, estimated at approximately EUR 3,6 million, outweigh the alleged direct costs of further delaying construction of the real estate on the Damplein by SJB, estimated by the Dutch authorities at approximately EUR 2,8 million.
Jasno je, da tudi v izračunih, ki so jih predložili nizozemski organi, finančne posledice odobritve spornih ukrepov, ki naj bi jih utrpelo JZP in so ocenjene na približno 3,6 milijona EUR, presegajo domnevne neposredne stroške nadaljnje zamude pri gradnji nepremičnin na Dampleinu v izvedbi partnerstva SJB, ki so jih nizozemski organi ocenili na približno 2,8 milijona EUR.
Finally, as regards the alleged indirect costs of delaying the project by a further two years, the Dutch authorities have not quantified these damages so that it is impossible for the Commission to verify them.
Poleg navedenega nizozemski organi niso količinsko opredelili škode v zvezi z domnevnimi neposrednimi stroški zaradi dodatne dveletne zamude s projektom, zato je Komisija ne more preveriti.
The 70 % clause
Klavzula o 70 %
As regards SJB’s commitment to waive its right to invoke the 70 % clause, the Commission notes at the outset that this clause, which also applied to the other private developers involved in the Leidschendam Centrum Project, is not uncommon in the Netherlands.
Glede zaveze partnerstva SJB, da se odpove svoji pravici do uveljavljanja klavzule o 70 %, Komisija najprej opozarja, da ta klavzula, ki se je uporabljala tudi za druge zasebne razvijalce v projektu Mestno središče Leidschendama, na Nizozemskem ni neobičajna.
By agreeing to this clause, the Municipality accepted that the start of the actual construction of the free sector housing units would be determined by the success of the private project developers, including SJB, in pre-selling the housing units.
S pristankom na to klavzulo je občina odobrila, da je začetek dejanske gradnje stanovanjskih enot v profitnem sektorju odvisen od uspeha zasebnih razvijalcev projektov, vključno s partnerstvom SJB, pri predprodaji stanovanjskih enot.
This follows from the fact that the Municipality was only involved in the ground exploitation phase of the project, whereas the construction phase was carried out at the risk and the expense of the private developers.
To izhaja iz dejstva, da je občina sodelovala le pri fazi uporabe stavbnega zemljišča, medtem ko je bila faza gradnje izvedena na tveganje in stroške zasebnih razvijalcev.
If the Municipality had indeed had an interest in a prompt start of the construction works, it was free, when negotiating the sale agreements with private developers in 2004, either not to agree to the 70 % clause in the contract or to incorporate penalties in case the construction phase would not be started and/or finished at a defined date.
Če bi bil hiter začetek gradbenih del dejansko v interesu občine, ji pri pogajanjih o prodajnih sporazumih z zasebnimi razvijalci leta 2004 v pogodbi ne bi bilo treba pristati na klavzulo o 70 % oziroma bi lahko v pogodbo vključila sankcije za primere, ko se faza gradnje ne bi začela in/ali zaključila na določen datum.