natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The complainant argued that the duration of the agreement, that is to say 15 years, was not customary on the market.
Poleg tega je iz internega sporočila ministrstva dežele Brandenburg za kmetijstvo, okolje in regionalno načrtovanje z dne 1. oktobra 2003 razvidno, da so med pogajanji predstavniki dežele Brandenburg predlagali začetno referenčno ceno v višini 15,50 EUR/kubični meter, podjetje HoKaWe pa je zahtevalo ceno v višini 15,00 EUR/kubični meter.
However, the Commission does not have any indication that would justify a conclusion that this duration was not market-conform.
Pogodbenici sta se na koncu dogovorili za višjo ceno, torej za 15,50 EUR/kubični meter.
While a duration of 15 years appears rather long, it is not unreasonable for a vendor to bind itself to a buyer if this would guarantee to the vendor, as was the case under the agreement at stake, to sell steady volumes of wood which, in addition, at least partly did not fulfil the quality requirements for industrial wood.
Iz tega sledi, da je mogoče začetno referenčno ceno v višini 15,50 EUR/kubični meter obravnavati kot v skladu s tržnimi razmerami.
In the light of this fact and the foreseen sharing of the risk of price fluctuations it cannot be excluded that a private vendor would have entered into an agreement of comparable duration.
Glede na to, da ni uveljavljene tržne cene za primerjavo in ob upoštevanju dejstva, da zahteve kakovosti lesa za energijo niso višje od zahtev kakovosti industrijskega lesa, je bilo za deželo Brandenburg razumno, da sklene pogodbo, v skladu s katero bi cena temeljila na ceni industrijskega lesa (referenčna cena).
Initial reference price agreed
Cena je bila dogovorjena na podlagi pogajanj med pogodbenicama, poleg tega pa je bila v cenovnem okviru tržnih cen za industrijski les v deželi Brandenburg.
Similarly, regarding the initial reference price of EUR 15,50/cubic meter, the Commission does not have any indications that this price was not market-conform.
Dogovorjena je bila ob poznavanju kakovosti lesa, ki je na voljo v državnih gozdovih dežele Brandenburg [9], torej predstavlja premisleke, ki bi jih zasebni prodajalec upošteval kot sprejemljive za kakovost lesa, ki se ga bo dostavljalo.
As argued by Germany, at the time the agreement was signed, no established market price for energy wood existed.
Prilagoditev cene
The contracting parties, therefore, based the framework agreement on the price for industrial wood.
Glede prilagoditve cene je treba, kot je navedeno v uvodni izjavi 14, razlikovati med klavzulo o prilagoditvi cene in prilagoditvah cene, ki so bile dejansko izvedene na podlagi formule.
According to an overview of market prices for industrial wood submitted by the complainant, prices between EUR 15,50/cubic meter and EUR 17,50/cubic meter for the year 2004 and between EUR 15,00/cubic meter and EUR 17,00/cubic meter for the year 2005 can be regarded as market-conform.
Glede klavzule o prilagoditvi cene Komisija nima nobenih dokazov, da ni bila v skladu s tržnimi razmerami.
Also taking into account the fact that the agreement was a long-term contract, with the agreed price of EUR 15,50/cubic meter the initial reference price of the framework agreement stayed within the range of market-conform prices for industrial wood.
Podobno kot je bilo navedeno v uvodni izjavi 45 glede začetne referenčne cene, ni bilo indeksa za gibanje cen lesa za energijo.
Furthermore, an internal note from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Regional Planning of the Land Brandenburg dated 1 October 2003 shows that during the negotiations the representatives of the Land Brandenburg suggested an initial reference price of EUR 15,50/cubic meter, whereas HoKaWe argued for a price of EUR 15,00/cubic meter.
Zato ni bil razumen samo izračun začetne referenčne cene na podlagi cene industrijskega lesa, ampak tudi dogovor o prilagoditvi cene vzporedno z indeksom za industrijski les.
The parties finally agreed upon the higher price, namely EUR 15,50/cubic meter.
Poleg tega je bila v besedilu sporazuma predvidena enakomerna porazdelitev nihanj cene med pogodbenici, in sicer na vsako v višini 50 %.
It follows that the initial reference price of EUR 15,50/cubic meter may be regarded as market-conform.
Ker razvoja cene v času podpisa ni bilo mogoče v celoti predvideti, si bi na podlagi tega mehanizma obe pogodbenici delili tako tveganje kot (morebitne) koristi, kar bi lahko bilo tudi ugodno za deželo Brandenburg.
Given the lack of an established market price for comparison, and the fact that the quality requirements of energy wood are at least not higher than industrial wood, it was reasonable for the Land Brandenburg to conclude an agreement according to which the price would be based on the price for industrial wood (reference price).
Ob upoštevanju te negotovosti bi se lahko s takšno klavzulo strinjal tudi zasebni prodajalec.
The price agreed was the result of negotiations between the parties and was furthermore within the price range of market prices for industrial wood in the Land Brandenburg.
Zato je treba to klavzulo obravnavati kot skladno s tržnimi razmerami.
It was agreed upon in knowledge of the quality of wood available to the State forests of the Land Brandenburg [9] and thus represents what a private vendor would have considered as being acceptable for the quality of wood to be delivered.
Na podlagi navedenega je mogoče skleniti, da je bila klavzula o prilagoditvi cene, v kateri je predviden razvoj cene vzporedno z indeksom za industrijski les in enakomerna porazdelitev tveganja nihanj cene med obe pogodbenici, v skladu s tržnimi razmerami in da bi razumen zasebni prodajalec sklenil takšen sporazum.
Price adjustment
Vendar pa so bile, kot je že bilo navedeno, prilagoditve cen izvedene z uporabo formule.
Regarding the price adjustment, as pointed out in recital (14), it is necessary to distinguish between the price adjustment clause and the price adjustments actually applied on the basis of the formula.
Kot je razvidno iz pregleda v spodnji preglednici, so bile cene, izračunane s pomočjo te formule, precej nižje od cen, izračunanih na podlagi klavzule o prilagoditvi cene:
With regard to the price adjustment clause the Commission does not have any indications that it was not market-conform.
(v EUR na kubični meter)
Similarly to what has been stated in recital (45) concerning the initial reference price, there was no index for price developments of energy wood.
Dejansko plačana cena (izračunana s pomočjo formule)
It was, therefore, not only reasonable to base the initial reference price on the price for industrial wood but also reasonable to agree upon a price adjustment in parallel to the index for industrial wood.
Cena, izračunana [10] na podlagi klavzule o prilagoditvi cene
Furthermore, the text of the agreement foresaw that the parties should share price fluctuations at 50 %.
Povprečna cena vsega lesa v deželi Brandenburg
Since the price development was, at the time of signing, not fully foreseeable, this mechanism had the effect that both parties shared both the risk and (potential) benefits, which could have also resulted in an advantage for the Land Brandenburg.
ni podatka
In view of this uncertainty, also a private vendor could have agreed to such a clause.
Iz preglednice je jasno razvidno tudi, da so bile cene, izračunane s pomočjo formule, precej nižje od cen, izračunanih na podlagi klavzule o prilagoditvi cene, pa tudi precej nižje od povprečnih cen v deželi Brandenburg.
This clause must therefore be regarded as being market-conform.
Poleg tega je bilo mogoče te učinke formule predvideti že pred podpisom sporazuma.
It can be concluded that the price adjustment clause, foreseeing a development of the price in parallel with the index for industrial wood and an even sharing of the risk of price fluctuations between the parties, was market-conform and that a reasonable private vendor would have entered into such an agreement.
To je še zlasti pomembno, saj je treba za oceno, ali bi zasebni prodajalec na trgu ravnal na enak ali primerljiv način kot dežela Brandenburg, opraviti predhodno oceno sporazuma [11].
However, as already stated, the actual price adjustments were made by applying the formula.
Kot je bilo navedeno v uvodnih izjavah 16 in 18, je bila formula napačna in ni izražala namenov iz klavzule o prilagoditvi cene.
As can be seen from the overview in the following table, the prices that resulted from the application of this formula were significantly lower than the prices that would have resulted from the application of the price adjustment clause:
Kakor je bilo potrjeno v strokovnem mnenju družbe RAUE LLP, bi te namene matematično izražala naslednja formula:
(in EUR per cubic meter)
Vendar sta pogodbenici sporazuma namesto Indexn odšteli stalen znesek.
Price actually paid (based on the application of the formula)
Sicer je uporaba stalnega odbitka na podlagi okoliščin lahko upravičena, vendar mora biti rezultat takega odbitka vsaj dogovorjena začetna referenčna cena za leto, v katerem je bil sporazum sklenjen.
Price calculated [10] on the basis of the price adjustment clause
V tem primeru pa sta pogodbenici izbrali odbitek, zaradi katerega je bila že v letu podpisa pogodbe cena precej nižja od dogovorjene začetne referenčne cene v višini 15,50 EUR/kubični meter, ki je bila v skladu s tržnimi razmerami.
Average price for all wood in the Land Brandenburg
Zato je bilo dejstvo, da je formula napačna in da tako izračunane cene niso v skladu s cenami, dogovorjenimi s klavzulo o prilagoditvi cene, mogoče objektivno predvideti v času podpisa.
n.a.
V tem primeru bi zasebni prodajalec uporabil drugačno formulo ali vsaj zahteval spremembo formule, zlasti ker sta se pogodbenici v besedilu sporazuma dogovorili, da bo prilagoditev cene določena v skladu z indeksom za industrijski les in da bo tveganje nihanj cene enakomerno porazdeljeno med državo in podjetje HoKaWe (kot je bilo navedeno v klavzuli o prilagoditvi cene).
The table also clearly shows that the prices calculated on the basis of the formula were not only significantly lower than the prices that would have resulted from the application of the price adjustment clause but also significantly lower than the average prices in the Land Brandenburg.
V zvezi s tem je treba poudariti, da razvoj cene v okviru sporazuma ni bil samodejni rezultat vnaprej določenega matematičnega izračuna, določenega s formulo.
Furthermore, these effects of the formula were already foreseeable before the signing of the agreement.
Kot je bilo navedeno v uvodni izjavi 19, je iz informacij, ki jih je Nemčija predložila v formalnem postopku preiskave, razvidno, da je bila formula med trajanjem sporazuma večkrat prilagojena [12].
This is of particular importance as, in order to assess whether a private market vendor would have acted in the same or a comparable way as the Land Brandenburg, it is necessary to carry out an ex ante assessment of the agreement [11].
Kot je jasno razvidno iz preglednice v uvodni izjavi 52, so se ti predvidljivi negativni učinki zaradi uporabe formule tudi uresničili, saj je bila cena, ki jo je dejansko plačevalo podjetje HoKaWe, precej nižja od cene, ki bi jo bilo treba zaračunati v skladu s klavzulo o prilagoditvi cene.
As stated above in recitals (16) and (18), the formula was flawed and did not reflect the intentions as expressed in the price adjustment clause.
Ta cena je bila tudi precej nižja od povprečnih cen lesa iz državnih gozdov dežele Brandenburg, torej cen, po katerih je dežela Brandenburg les prodajala drugim podjetjem [13].
These intentions could have been mathematically reflected, as also confirmed by the expert opinion of RAUE LLP, in the following formula:
Iz tega sledi, da je država dejstvo, da uporaba formule ne prinaša načrtovanega razvoja cene na podlagi indeksa za industrijski les, pri čemer bi bilo tveganje nihanj cene porazdeljeno med pogodbenici, poznala in sprejela.
However, the parties to the agreement deducted a fixed amount instead of Indexn.
Sklepne ugotovitve
While it may be justified, depending on the circumstances, to use a fixed deduction, such a deduction should at least result in the agreed initial reference price for the year in which the agreement is concluded.
Glede klavzule o prilagoditvi cene je mogoče skleniti, da bi bile cene sicer nižje od povprečne cene v deželi Brandenburg, vendar bi bile v skladu s tržnimi razmerami.
Yet, in the present case the parties chose a deduction that, already for the year of signing, led to a price significantly below the agreed initial and market-conform reference price of EUR 15,50/cubic meter.
Temeljile so na razumnih premislekih in pogajanjih med zadevnima pogodbenicama, zato ni mogoče izključiti, da bi tudi zasebni akter na trgu sklenil sporazum z enakimi ali primerljivimi pogoji.
Hence, the fact that the formula was flawed and did not lead to the prices agreed in the price adjustment clause was objectively foreseeable at the time of signing.
Vendar pa dejanska prilagoditev cene, ki sta jo pogodbenici izvajali na podlagi formule, ni izražala takih pogojev v skladu s tržnimi razmerami, cene pa so bile zato precej nižje od tistih, ki bi jih dobili z izračunom na podlagi klavzule o prilagoditvi cene (pa tudi od povprečne cene lesa v deželi Brandenburg).
In this situation, a private vendor would have used a different formula or at least requested a change of the formula, especially since the parties had agreed in the text of the agreement that the price adjustment would be established in accordance with the index for industrial wood and with the risk of price fluctuations to be shared equally between the State and HoKaWe (as expressed in the price adjustment clause).
Razvoj cene na podlagi klavzule o prilagoditvi cene izraža razumno poslovno odločitev in pošteno porazdelitev tveganj v zvezi z nihanji cene med pogodbenici, cene, izračunane s pomočjo formule pa so bile precej nižje in poleg tega tudi niso izražale porazdelitve tveganj.
In this regard it also needs to be underlined that the price developments under the agreement were not simply the automatic result of a predetermined mathematical calculation laid down in the formula.
V nasprotju z okoliščinami, na katerih temelji sklep Komisije v zadevi SA.19045 (Alleged aid of the Land Bavaria (Bavarian State Forest Enterprise) in form of long-term supply agreements for wood with the company Klausner) (Domnevna pomoč dežele Bavarske (državno bavarsko gozdarsko podjetje) v obliki dolgoročnih sporazumov o dobavi lesa z družbo Klausner) [14], v kateri je bilo za cene pod tržnim povprečjem ugotovljeno, da ne vsebujejo državne pomoči, saj je bil trg prenasičen, dežela Bavarska pa se je trudila, da bi pridobila kupca z veliko kupno močjo, ki bi dolgoročno zagotovil odkup velikih in stalnih količin, nobeno dejstvo v tej zadevi ne upravičuje cen, nižjih od tistih, ki bi jih dobili z izračunom na podlagi klavzule o prilagoditvi cene.
As stated above in recital (19) it rather follows from the information provided by Germany in the formal investigation procedure that the formula was adjusted several times [12] during the course of the duration of the agreement.
V klavzuli o prilagoditvi cene, o kateri sta se pogodbenici dogovorili, sta že bila upoštevana narava dolgoročne pogodbe in kakovost prodanega lesa, tako izračunane cene pa bi bile prav tako nižje od povprečne cene v deželi Brandenburg.
As can clearly be seen from the table shown in recital (52), these foreseeable negative effects of applying the formula also materialized, given that the price actually paid by HoKaWe was significantly lower than the price to be charged according to the price adjustment clause.
Nič ne kaže na to, da bi se zasebni akter na trgu strinjal s še nižjimi cenami.
It was also significantly lower than the average prices paid for wood from Brandenburg's State forest, that is to say the prices for which the Land Brandenburg sold wood to other companies [13].
To potrjujejo tudi trditve Nemčije, ki je izrecno navedla, da klavzula o prilagoditvi cene predstavlja resnične namene pogodbenic.
It follows that the fact that the application of the formula did not lead to the intended result of a price development based on the index for industrial wood, with the risk of price fluctuations being shared between the parties, was both known and accepted by the State.
Poleg tega se je leta 2011 dežela Brandenburg zaradi dveh pravnih mnenj iz leta 2010, navedenih v uvodni izjavi 16, v katerih so bili izraženi pomisleki glede državne pomoči zaradi uporabe formule, pogodila za spremembo sporazuma, s katero je bila formula izločena iz sporazuma.
Conclusion
Dežela Brandenburg se je torej pogodila za spremembo sporazuma brez formule izključno zaradi izvajanja resničnih namenov pogodbenic in odprave pomislekov o državni pomoči.
As regards the price adjustment clause, it can be concluded that although it would have led to prices below the average price for the Land Brandenburg, these prices would have been market-conform.
Iz navedenega sledi, da sporazum zaradi načina izvajanja oziroma natančneje prilagoditev cene na podlagi formule ne izpolnjuje merila zasebnega prodajalca in ni v skladu s tržnimi razmerami.
They were based on reasonable considerations and negotiations between the parties involved and, therefore, it cannot be excluded that also a private actor on the market would have entered into an agreement with the same or comparable conditions.
Po trditvah Nemčije je regionalna vlada dežele Brandenburg dejstvo, da cene, ki jih dejansko plačuje podjetje HoKaWe, ne upoštevajo razvoja cen v skladu s klavzulo o prilagoditvi cene, zaradi česar so bile cene precej nižje od tistih, ki so jih za dostavljen les plačevale druge družbe, ugotovila šele ob reorganizaciji gozdarske uprave leta 2009, dežela Brandenburg pa je nato ravnala v skladu s tržnimi razmerami, saj je naročila dve strokovni mnenji iz uvodne izjave 16 in nato začela ponovna pogajanja, na podlagi katerih je bil leta 2011 sporazum spremenjen.
However, the actual price adjustment implemented by the parties on the basis of the formula did not reflect such market-conform conditions and led to significantly lower prices than the ones that would have resulted from the application of the price adjustment clause (and, even more so, the average price for wood in the Land Brandenburg).
Te trditve se ne zdijo utemeljene.
While the price development on the basis of the price adjustment clause reflects a reasonable business decision and a fair balance of risks concerning price fluctuations between the contracting parties, the prices resulting from the application of the formula were significantly lower and, furthermore, also did not reflect that balance of risks.
Prvič, kot je bilo pojasnjeno v uvodnih izjavah 54 do 57, je bilo mogoče učinke formule v času podpisa sporazuma predvideti.
Contrary to the situation underlying the Commission decision in case SA.19045 (Alleged aid of the Land Bavaria (Bavarian State Forest Enterprise) in form of long-term supply agreements for wood with the company Klausner) [14] in which prices below market average were held not to contain State aid as the market suffered from overcapacities and the Land Bavaria tried to attract a significant buyer that would guarantee in the long term large and steady volumes of purchase, nothing in the facts of the present case would justify prices below the ones that would have resulted from the application of the price adjustment clause.
Drugič, zasebni prodajalec na trgu, ki bi rad zagotovil izvajanje dogovorjene rešitve iz klavzule o prilagoditvi cene in bi zato pozorno spremljal prilagoditve cene, se bi odzval nemudoma in zahteval ponovno pogajanje o ceni.
The price adjustment clause agreed between the parties took the nature of the long term contract and the quality of wood to be sold into account and already would have led to prices below the average price in the Land Brandenburg.
Kot je bilo navedeno v uvodni izjavi 65, uspešna ponovna pogajanja dežele Brandenburg o sporazumu samo potrjujejo, da formula ni izražala resničnih namenov pogodbenic (kot je bilo dogovorjeno s klavzulo o prilagoditvi cene).
There is nothing to indicate that a private actor on the market would have agreed to even lower prices than those.
Iz tega je razvidno tudi, da podjetje HoKaWe ni moglo zavrniti izločitve formule.
This is furthermore confirmed by the submissions from Germany, which explicitly stated that the price adjustment clause represented the true intentions of the parties.
Zato je imelo podjetje HoKaWe korist od gospodarske prednosti v obdobju od datuma začetka veljavnosti sporazuma (1. junij 2006) do spremembe sporazuma (30. junij 2011).
Moreover, in 2011 the Land Brandenburg negotiated the amendment to the agreement which discarded the flawed formula, as a reaction to the two legal opinions from 2010 referred to above in recital (16) which had raised State aid concerns due to the application of the formula.
Izpolnjena so tudi vsa druga merila iz člena 107(1) PDEU.
Thus, the Land Brandenburg negotiated the amendment to the agreement without the formula specifically in order to implement the true intentions of the parties and to put an end to those State aid concerns.
Prednost je bila selektivna, ker je sporazum koristil določenemu podjetju.
It follows that the way the agreement was implemented, more specifically the price adjustments on the basis of the formula, fails the private vendor test and is not market-conform.
Prednost so podjetju dodelili organi države članice, tj. dežela Brandenburg.
Germany argued that the regional government of the Land Brandenburg only became aware of the fact that the prices actually paid by HoKaWe did not follow the price development as intended by the price adjustment clause and led to significantly lower prices than the prices for which wood was delivered to other companies in the course of a reorganisation of the forest administration in 2009 and that the Land Brandenburg subsequently acted in a market-conform manner by ordering the two expert opinions mentioned in recital (16) and then by renegotiating the agreement, leading to the amendment of that agreement in 2011.
Povprečna količina lesa, ki je bila podjetju HoKaWe prodana v skladu s sporazumom je bila precejšnja; dobava lesa po ugodnih pogojih je izboljšala položaj prejemnika v primerjavi z njegovimi konkurenti in je torej izkrivljala konkurenco.
These arguments, however, do not appear plausible.
Trg za les je odprt za konkurenco iz drugih držav članic.
First, as explained in recitals (55) to (55), the effects of the formula were foreseeable at the time of the signing of the agreement.
Tudi ob upoštevanju, da je v sporazumu o dobavi zajet samo les iz gozdov, ki so od kraja Eberswalde oddaljeni največ 70 km, Komisija ugotavlja, da je kraj Eberswalde zelo blizu meje s Poljsko (samo 30 km).
Secondly, a private market vendor seeking to ensure the implementation of the agreed solution found in the price adjustment clause and therefore closely monitoring the price adjustments would have reacted immediately by requesting a renegotiation of the price.
Zato pomoč vpliva tudi na trgovino med državami članicami.
As indicated in recital (65), the successful renegotiation of the agreement by the Land Brandenburg rather confirms that the formula did not reflect the true intentions of the parties (as agreed in the price adjustment clause).
Na podlagi tega je mogoče skleniti, da je izvajanje sporazuma, na podlagi katerega so bile izračunane cene s pomočjo formule, pomenilo državno pomoč.
It also shows that HoKaWe could not refuse to discard the formula.
Spremembo sporazuma, ki je začela veljati 1. julija 2011, je treba upoštevati kot ukrep, s katerim je bila državna pomoč zaključena.
Consequently, HoKaWe benefitted from an economic advantage in the period from the date of coming into effect of the agreement (1 June 2006) until the amendment of the agreement (30 June 2011).
Na podlagi te spremembe so morale biti od 1. julija 2011 cene prilagojene v skladu s klavzulo o prilagoditvi cene, s čimer so bili ponovno potrjeni in pravilno izvedeni prvotni nameni pogodbenic.
Furthermore, all other criteria of Article 107(1) TFEU are fulfilled.
Ker je sporazum v tej obliki v skladu s tržnimi razmerami, Komisija meni, da po 30. juniju 2011 podjetje HoKaWe ni več imelo gospodarske prednosti zaradi plačil v skladu s sporazumom.