natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
As regards the sixth measure, the RES, Union Health Insurance claims that it could potentially fulfil the conditions of the Altmark case-law for public service compensation or may be compatible with the internal market under Article 106(2) of the Treaty, requiring further investigation into its potential discriminatory approach in favour of the net recipient of the RES, i.e. SZP/VZP.
Po mnenju Slovaške je bil glavni cilj reforme zdravstvenega sektorja, da se določijo natančna pravila za upravljanje finančnih virov, dodeljenih za zdravstvo, pri čemer se je zdelo, da je preoblikovanje vseh obstoječih zavodov za zdravstveno zavarovanje v delniške družbe z jasno določenimi računovodskimi pravili, ki bi bilo izvedeno do 30. septembra 2005, ustrezen način za določitev teh pravil.
HPI, INEKO AND ZZP
Slovaški organi menijo, da so vse zdravstvene zavarovalnice na Slovaškem vključene v upravljanje javnih sredstev, ki so jim bila zaupana v okviru javnega sistema zdravstvenega zavarovanja.
The observations on the opening decision submitted by the other three third parties, i.e. HPI, INEKO and ZZP are mainly supportive of the position of the complainant Dôvera and Union Health Insurance that the activity is of an economic nature and the measures involve State aid by providing SZP/VZP with a selective advantage, showing their conviction that health insurers are operating in a competitive environment (by using different ways to attract clients) and claiming that the State has given preferential treatment to its State-owned health insurance companies.
Po mnenju slovaških organov bi lahko dejstvo, da slovaški sistem obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja zagotavlja določeno stopnjo konkurence na področju kakovosti, obravnavali kot element, ki zdravstvene zavarovalnice spodbuja h gospodarski dejavnosti v skladu z načeli dobrega upravljanja, da bi sistem pravilno deloval, ne pa kot element, ki bi lahko vplival na negospodarsko naravo celotnega sistema zdravstvenega zavarovanja.
COMMENTS ON THE OPENING DECISION AND ADDITIONAL SUBMISSIONS OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Zato imajo vse zdravstvene zavarovalnice nalogo upravljanja javnih sredstev, pobranih od ljudi v skladu z ustreznimi pravnimi predpisi, da bi se uporabila za pokrivanje stroškov zdravstvenega varstva.
The Slovak Republic submitted its observations on the opening decision and provided comments on the third-party observations.
Da bi dodatno podprli svojo trditev, slovaški organi opozarjajo tudi na dejstvo, da je celo po tem, ko je bila leta 2011 odpravljena prepoved razdeljevanja dobička, novela akta št. 250/2011 omogočila zdravstvenim zavarovalnicam, da ustvarjajo dobiček le pod natančno določenimi pogoji, ki so:
In their submissions, the Slovak authorities provided clarifications and additional argumentation to strengthen their position that the system of compulsory health insurance is not subject to competition rules as it does not involve an economic activity.
uvedba davka na dobiček zdravstvenih zavarovalnic;
They allege that Slovak compulsory health insurance cannot be qualified as economic pursuant to settled case-law of the Court of Justice [35] in particular for the following reasons:
obvezno ustvarjanje zavarovalno-tehničnih rezervacij za pokrivanje načrtovanega zdravstvenega varstva zavarovanih oseb na čakalnih seznamih (zato zdravstvene zavarovalnice ne morejo ustvarjati dobička na strošek strank, tako da jih uvrstijo na čakalne sezname, namesto da bi takoj pokrile njihovo zdravstveno varstvo; to je nujno za izpolnjevanje splošno sprejetih računovodskih standardov na področju javnega zdravstvenega zavarovanja).
The system has a social objective.
V zvezi s tem so slovaški organi pojasnili, da je zavarovalnica VZP, ko je naznanila presežek, ustvarila sklad za zdravstveno varstvo, da bi pokrila uporabo zdravstvenega varstva in financirala precej drago zdravstveno varstvo, ki ga zajema javno zdravstveno zavarovanje.
compulsory enrolment for Slovak residents;
Po mnenju slovaških organov torej dobiček, ki so ga ustvarile državne zdravstvene zavarovalnice, nikoli ni bil razdeljen med delničarje.
all the insured are guaranteed the same minimum level of benefits;
V zvezi s tem je Slovaška republika opozorila tudi na dodatno omejitev za zdravstvene zavarovalnice, in sicer, da si lahko sredstva izposojajo le v skladu z aktom št. 523/2004 o proračunskih pravilih javne uprave in po predhodni odobritvi HSA.
contributions are unrelated to benefits on an individual level, as contributions are fixed by law (no competition on prices);
Za dodatno podporo trditvi, da se za dejavnost obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja ne uporabljajo pravila konkurence, so organi opozorili tudi na preiskavo, ki jo je leta 2009 opravil Protimonopolni urad Republike Slovaške in ki je razkrila, da se dejavnosti zdravstvenih zavarovalnic izvajajo v sistemu, za katerega je značilna visoka stopnja solidarnosti, kjer se zdravstveno varstvo zagotavlja brezplačno, bistvene elemente teh dejavnosti pa ureja država, in da zato dejavnosti, ki jo izvajajo zdravstvene zavarovalnice pri zagotavljanju javnega zdravstvenega zavarovanja, ni mogoče šteti za gospodarsko dejavnost podjetij, ki omejuje konkurenco.
There is a detailed regulatory framework, subject to supervision by the State: status, rights and obligations of all health insurance companies are established by law.
Slovaški organi so tudi pojasnili, da je leta 2011 ustavno sodišče razglasilo, da je bila prepoved razdeljevanja dobička od leta 2007 neustavna, ker je kršila slovaške ustavne lastninske pravice, vendar se ni strinjalo s tem, da je akt o zdravstvenih zavarovalnicah omejeval načela tržnega gospodarstva.
The Slovak Republic rebuts the assumption that, as a result of 2005 legislative changes, the Slovak health system changed into a commercial system and claims that the system never lost its public non-economic nature.
Prav tako poudarjajo dejstvo, da je ustavno sodišče v zvezi s tem ugotovilo tudi, da je zakonodaja o zdravstvenem zavarovanju, ki izključuje ali bistveno omejuje učinek orodij tržnega gospodarstva in tako omejuje konkurenco, ustavno sprejemljiva.
They also draw attention to the fact that the Slovak health insurance system is part of the social security system and point to the competences of Member States under Article 168(7) of the Treaty for the organisation and delivery of healthcare services.
Poleg trditve, da dejavnost obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja na Slovaškem ne sodi na področje uporabe pravil konkurence, slovaški organi trdijo, da ukrepi ne izpolnjujejo drugih elementov državne pomoči v skladu s členom 107(1) Pogodbe.
The Slovak authorities further state that the health insurance reform did not replace public health insurance with private health insurance and did not open the coverage of any risk pertaining to statutory social security to private insurers.
V zvezi s tem trdijo, da kapitalski injekciji leta 2006 in 2009 nista bili pomoč, saj sta upoštevali načelo vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
According to Slovakia, the primary aim of the health sector reform was to set precise rules for dealing with financial resources allocated to health and reorganising, by 30 September 2005, all existing health insurance funds as joint stock companies with clearly defined accounting rules seemed to be an appropriate way of setting those rules.
Poleg tega zanikajo neupravičeno in diskriminacijsko obravnavo Veriteľ v postopku poravnave dolga ter trdijo, da VZP leta 2006 ni bila dodeljena nobena subvencija, ampak je država s tem izvedla normalno plačilo obstoječih nespornih obveznosti.
The Slovak authorities consider that all health insurers in Slovakia are involved in managing public funds entrusted to them within the public health insurance system.
Slovaški organi zagotavljajo dodatne informacije o prenosih portfelja z DZP na VZP in z EZP na SZP in trdijo, da tudi ti prenosi SZP/VZP niso zagotovili selektivne prednosti v skladu s členom 107(1) Pogodbe.
According to the Slovak authorities, the fact that the Slovak compulsory health insurance system allows for a limited degree of competition on quality could be seen as an element that encourages health insurance companies to operate economically in accordance with principles of sound management, in the interests of the proper functioning of the system, but not as an element that could influence the non-economic nature of the health insurance system as a whole.
Zagotavljajo tudi dodatne informacije o izravnalni shemi, in sicer pojasnjujejo predvsem, kako so bili prispevki prerazporejeni (mesečno in letno) v letih od 2006 do 2012, in trdijo, da se tudi ta ukrep ne šteje za državno pomoč, saj izravnava tveganja, ki so prisotna v sistemu zaradi obstoja enotnih stopenj prispevkov za vse skupine zavarovanih oseb z različnimi stopnjami tveganja.
The Slovak authorities also expla in that the funds accumulated and redistributed within the structure of the Slovak public health insurance system via the health insurance companies are the sum of public health insurance contributions which are mandatory under the law, and are thus part of Slovakia's public finances.
Slovaški organi so v pripombah v zvezi s sklepom o začetku postopka zagovarjali svoje stališče, da SZP/VZP nista podjetji, ker ne izvajata gospodarske dejavnosti, in da ukrepi upoštevajo načelo vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu in SZP/VZP ne dajejo prednosti, zato ne vključujejo pomoči.
All health insurance companies are therefore tasked with the management of public funds collected from the public in accordance with relevant legal regulations with a view to their use in the coverage of healthcare.
Zato se jim ni zdelo potrebno predložiti argumentov o združljivosti domnevnih ukrepov pomoči.
To further support their claim, the Slovak authorities also recall the fact that even after the ban on profit distribution was abolished in 2011, the amending Act No 250/2011 allowed health insurance companies to make a profit only under precisely defined conditions, i.e.:
OCENA UKREPOV
the introduction of a tax on the profits of health insurance companies;
Člen 107(1) PDEU določa, da „[…] je vsaka pomoč, ki jo dodeli država članica, ali kakršnakoli 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“.
the mandatory use of profits to create a reserve fund of up to 20 % of the paid-up registered capital of the insurance company (the reserve fund may be used only to cover losses of that insurance company);
Na podlagi te določbe se pravila o državni pomoči uporabljajo le, če je upravičenec ukrepa „podjetje“.
the mandatory creation of technical provisions to cover the planned healthcare of insured persons on waiting lists (consequently, health insurance companies cannot make a profit at the expense of their clients by placing them on waiting lists instead of promptly covering their healthcare; this is essential for compliance with generally accepted accounting standards in public health insurance).
Sodna praksa Sodišča opredeljuje podjetje za namen člena 107(1) Pogodbe kot subjekt, ki opravlja gospodarsko dejavnost, ne glede na njegovo pravno obliko in njegov način financiranja [37].
In this respect, the Slovak authorities explained that, when VZP reported a surplus, it created a healthcare fund to cover the use of healthcare and to finance particularly costly healthcare covered by public health insurance.
Zato je uvrstitev določenega subjekta med podjetja v celoti odvisna od gospodarske ali negospodarske narave njegovih dejavnosti.
In addition, in the years in which they reported a surplus, part of the profits of VZP was also allocated to the statutory reserve fund which was subsequently used to reduce accumulated losses.
Kot je pojasnjeno v sklepu o začetku postopka, je zato vprašanje, ali se ukrepi, dodeljeni v korist SZP/VZP, štejejo za državno pomoč, v prvi vrsti odvisno od tega, ali in v kolikšnem obsegu SZP/VZP pri opravljanju dejavnosti v okviru slovaškega sistema obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja delujeta kot podjetji, ker bi se lahko štelo, da opravljata gospodarsko dejavnost v skladu s sodno prakso.
Therefore, according to the Slovak authorities, no profit made by a State-owned health insurance company was ever disbursed to shareholders.
Po mnenju Sodišča je gospodarska dejavnost vsaka dejavnost ponujanja blaga in/ali storitev na nekem trgu [38].
In this context, the Slovak Republic also point to a further restriction on health insurance companies in that they can only borrow funds in accordance with the Act 523/2004 on public administration budgetary rules, subject to prior approval from the HSA.
V tem okviru je lahko vprašanje, ali obstaja trg za določene storitve, odvisno od posebnega načina organizacije in izvajanja teh storitev v zadevni državi članici [39].
To further support their claim that the activity of compulsory health insurance does not fall under competition rules, the authorities also draw attention to a 2009 investigation by the Slovak Antimonopoly Office which revealed that the activities by health insurance companies are performed within a system characterised by a high degree of solidarity where healthcare is provided free of charge and the essential elements of such activities are regulated by the State and that, therefore, the activities carried out by health insurance companies in the provision of public health insurance cannot be regarded as an economic activity by undertakings which restricts competition.
Pravila o državni pomoči se uporabljajo le, kadar se določena dejavnost opravlja v tržnem okolju.
Hence, according to the Antimonopoly Office, the Slovak Competition Act does not apply to the activities of health insurance companies carried out in the provision of public health insurance [36].
Zato se lahko gospodarska narava iste vrste storitev med državami članicami razlikuje.
The Slovak authorities also explain that in 2011, the Constitutional Court declared the ban on profit distribution as from 2007 unconstitutional because it violated Slovak constitutional rights of ownership, but that it did not share the view that the Health Insurance Companies Act restricted the principles of a market economy.
Poleg tega se lahko zaradi političnih odločitev ali gospodarskega razvoja razvrstitev zadevne storitve sčasoma spremeni.
They also point to the fact that the Constitutional Court further observed, in this regard, that legislation on health insurance excluding or significantly restricting the impact of market-economy tools and hence restricting competition is constitutionally acceptable.
Današnje netržne dejavnosti lahko v prihodnosti postanejo tržne in obratno [40].
In addition to their claim that the activity of compulsory health insurance in Slovakia falls outside the scope of competition rules, the Slovak authorities claim that the measures do not fulfil the other State aid elements under Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
V zvezi z zagotavljanjem zdravstvenega varstva je vprašanje, ali sheme zdravstvenega varstva vključujejo gospodarsko dejavnost, odvisno od njihovih političnih in gospodarskih značilnosti ter od posebnega načina njihove organizacije in strukture v zadevni državi članici.
In this context, they claim that the 2006 and 2009 capital injections were not aid as they respected the market economy investor principle.
V bistvu sodna praksa Sodišča razlikuje med shemami, ki temeljijo na načelu solidarnosti, in gospodarskimi shemami [41].
They further deny that there was unjustified discriminatory treatment in the debt-discharging process by Veriteľ and maintain that no subsidy was granted to VZP in 2006, but rather that this operation involved a normal payment of existing undisputed liabilities by the State.
Sodišče v sodni praksi uporablja vrsto meril za določitev, ali shema socialne varnosti temelji na solidarnosti in zato ne vključuje gospodarske dejavnosti.
The Slovak authorities provide further details on the transfers of portfolios from DZP to VZP and of EZP to SZP and claim that also those transfers did not provide SZP/VZP with a selective advantage under Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
V tem pogledu je lahko pomembnih več dejavnikov, in sicer: (i) ali je udeležba v shemi obvezna [42]; (ii) ali ima shema izključno socialni namen [43]; (iii) ali je shema nepridobitna [44]; (iv) ali je izplačana podpora neodvisna od prispevkov [45]; (v) ali izplačana podpora ni nujno sorazmerna s prihodki zavarovanca [46] ter (vi) ali shemo nadzoruje država [47].
Finally, they also provide further information on the RES, clarifying in particular how the contributions were redistributed (monthly and annually) in the years 2006 to 2012, and argue that this measure does not qualify as State aid either, as it equalises the risks included in the system due to the existence of uniform contribution rates for all groups of insured persons with varying degrees of risk.
V nasprotju s shemami, ki temeljijo na solidarnosti, je za gospodarske sheme pogosto značilno: (i) neobvezno članstvo [48]; (ii) načelo kapitalizacije (upravičenost do izplačila je odvisna od vplačanih prispevkov in finančnih rezultatov sheme) [49]; (iii) pridobitni namen [50] ter (iv) zagotovitev upravičenosti do dodatnih izplačil, ki niso vključena v osnovno shemo [51].
The Slovak authorities devoted their comments to the opening decision on defending their position that SZP/VZP, due to the absence of economic activity, are not undertakings and that the measures are compliant with the market economy investor principle and do not provide SZP/VZP with an advantage and, hence, do not involve aid.
Nekatere sheme združujejo značilnosti obeh kategorij (shem, ki temeljijo na solidarnosti, in gospodarskih shem) [52], zato mora Komisija, da bi določila, ali je določena shema gospodarske ali negospodarske narave, preveriti prisotnost vsake značilnosti iz prejšnjih dveh uvodnih izjav in pretehtati njihovo pomembnost v določeni shemi [53].
Therefore, they did not consider it necessary to present any arguments about the compatibility of the alleged aid measures.
Končna določitev, ali je zagotavljanje storitev obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja v Slovaški republiki negospodarska ali gospodarska dejavnost, bo torej odvisna od natančne analize posebne oblike organizacije in izvajanja te dejavnosti v zadevni državi članici ter bo veljala le za sistem obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja v zadevni državi članici.
ASSESSMENT OF THE MEASURES
Na podlagi teh splošnih ugotovitev bo Komisija ocenila, ali se sporni ukrepi, ki so bili domnevno dodeljeni SZP/VZP, štejejo za državo pomoč, ki je bila „podjetju“ dodeljena v smislu člena 107(1) Pogodbe.
Article 107, paragraph 1 of the 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.’
Veliko kazalnikov kaže negospodarsko naravo slovaškega sistema zdravstvenega zavarovanja, zlasti kar zadeva njegove socialne značilnosti in cilje, ki se kažejo zlasti v delovanju tega sistema, in da sistem temelji predvsem na načelu solidarnosti.
On the basis of that provision, the State aid rules only apply where the beneficiary of the measure is an ‘undertaking’.
Prvič, vključitev v program javnega zdravstvenega zavarovanja je zakonsko obvezna za večino prebivalstva Slovaške republike, zdravstvene storitve, zajete v obvezno zdravstveno zavarovanje, pa se zagotavljajo ne glede na prispevke, ki jih plača zavarovana oseba.
The case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘CJEU’) defines an undertaking for the purposes of Article 107(1) of the Treaty as any entity engaged in an economic activity, regardless of its legal status or the way in which it is financed [37].
Zavarovana oseba lahko sama izbere zdravstveno zavarovalnico, zato izbrana zdravstvena zavarovalnica v skladu z obveznostjo odprtega vpisa tej osebi ne sme zavrniti zavarovanja na podlagi njene starosti, zdravstvenega stanja ali tveganja bolezni [54].
The classification of a particular entity as an undertaking thus depends entirely on the economic or non-economic nature of its activities.
Drugič, slovaško obvezno zdravstveno zavarovanje temelji na prispevkih, ki so po zakonu sorazmerni z dohodki zavarovane osebe in ne temeljijo na zavarovanem tveganju (starost, zdravstveno stanje, tveganja bolezni zavarovane osebe).
As explained in the opening decision, the question whether the measures granted in favour of SZP/VZP constitute State aid therefore depends in the first instance on whether and to what extent SZP/VZP, when they operate within the Slovak compulsory health insurance system, act as undertakings because they could be considered to be engaged in an economic activity as defined by the case-law.
Poleg tega ni neposredne povezave med zneskom prispevkov, ki jih posameznik vplača v shemo, in vrednostjo prejemkov, ki jih ta posameznik prejme v okviru sheme.
According to the CJEU, an economic activity is any activity consisting in offering goods and/or services on a given market [38].
Zato zavarovalnice nimajo nobene možnosti, da bi vplivale na znesek prispevkov ali minimalno stopnjo kritja, do katere so zavarovane osebe upravičene, saj je vse to določeno z nacionalno zakonodajo.
In this context, the question whether a market exists for certain services may depend on the specific way those services are organised and carried out in the Member State concerned [39].
Tretjič, zakon zagotavlja, da vse zavarovane osebe prejmejo enako osnovno raven prejemkov, ki je dejansko zelo visoka, saj pokriva skoraj vse zdravstvene posege, ki se zagotavljajo v Slovaški republiki, kar pomeni, da shema obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja zagotavlja skoraj popolno zdravstveno varstvo [55].
The State aid rules only apply where a certain activity is provided in a market environment.
Slovaška izravnalna shema zagotavlja delitev zavarovalnih tveganj in tako dodatno krepi solidarnost.
The economic nature of the same kind of services can therefore differ from one Member State to another.
Poleg tega slovaški sistem upošteva načelo enotnega ocenjevanja, kar pomeni, da zavarovalnice ne smejo obračunavati premij glede na zavarovalno tveganje, izravnava tveganja pa zavarovalnicam z bolj tveganim demografskim profilom portfelja zagotavlja delno nadomestilo s prerazporeditvijo denarja z zavarovalnic, ki zavarovanim osebam plačujejo prejemke v obsegu, manjšem od povprečja, na zavarovalnice, ki zavarovanim osebam plačujejo prejemke v obsegu, višjem od povprečja [56].
Moreover, due to political choices or economic developments, the classification of a given service can change over time.
Poleg vseh zgoraj navedenih socialnih in solidarnostnih značilnosti Komisija opozarja, da se slovaško obvezno zdravstveno zavarovanje organizira in izvaja v okviru trdnega regulativnega okvira: status, pravice in obveznosti vseh zdravstvenih zavarovalnic so določeni z zakoni, ki opredeljujejo natančne pogoje, zdravstvene zavarovalnice pa delujejo pod strogim nadzorom države [57].
What is not a market activity today may turn into one in the future, and vice versa [40].
Komisija na podlagi teh značilnosti ugotavlja, da je slovaški sistem obveznega zdravstvenega zavarovanja negospodarske narave, zato SZP/VZP ni mogoče šteti za „podjetje“ v smislu člena 107(1) Pogodbe [58].
In relation to the provision of healthcare, the qualification of healthcare schemes as involving an economic activity depends on their political and economic specificities and on the particular way in which such schemes are set up and structured in the Member State concerned.
Kljub temu Komisija meni, da prisotnost teh značilnosti ne postavlja pod vprašaj njene ugotovitve, da je obvezno zdravstveno zavarovanje na Slovaškem negospodarska dejavnost.