natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
It also bought the stadium and the training grounds, which was used only by MVV but was under economic ownership with a third party (the foundation Stichting Stadion Geusselt) based on a transaction involving a long lease, for EUR 1,85 million.
V odločitvi o sprožitvi postopka je Komisija prišla do predhodne ugotovitve, da je občina zagotovila selektivno prednost MVV z uporabo državnih sredstev in zato zagotovila pomoč temu nogometnemu klubu.
This price was based on the basis of an external valuation report.
Komisija je menila, da sta bila ukrepa sprejeta skupaj in da sta med seboj tesno povezana.
The Netherlands did not notify their intention to waive a claim of EUR 1,7 million on MVV and to buy the football stadium and training grounds for EUR 1,85 million to the Commission pursuant to Article 108(3) of the Treaty.
Komisija je tudi sprejela stališče, da ukrepi pomoči profesionalnim nogometnim klubom verjetno izkrivljajo konkurenco in vplivajo na trgovino med državami članicami v smislu člena 107(1) Pogodbe.
Grounds for initiating the procedure
Komisija na podlagi razpoložljivih informacij v zvezi s povračilom dolga občine ni mogla sklepati, da je občina ravnala kot običajni upnik v tržnem gospodarstvu.
In the opening decision the Commission arrived at the preliminary conclusion that the municipality had provided a selective advantage to MVV with the use of state resources and had, hence, provided aid to the football club.
Kar zadeva nakup stadiona in kompleksa za treniranje od tretje osebe, Komisija ob neobstoju verodostojnega poslovnega načrta, pripravljenega pred nakupom, ni mogla ugotoviti, da je občina ravnala kot tipični vlagatelj v tržnem gospodarstvu.
The Commission considered that both measures had been decided together and were closely interlinked.
Poleg tega je Komisija prosila za podrobnejše informacije glede navedb v občinskem svetu, da bi donos iz nakupa stadiona tretja oseba (fundacija stadion De Geusselt) prenesla naprej za kritje privilegiranih terjatev iz dolga MVV, kot so prispevki za pokojnine in davki.
The Commission also took the position that aid measures to professional football clubs are likely to distort competition and to affect trade between Member States within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
Na tej podlagi je Komisija v odločbi o sprožitvi postopka navedla, da je imel MVV finančne težave v času, ko je bila pomoč dodeljena.
As regards the remittance of debt by the municipality, the Commission was unable to conclude on the basis of the available information that the behaviour of the municipality had been that of a typical creditor in a market economy.
Da bi ocenila združljivost pomoči s smernicami iz leta 2004 o državni pomoči za reševanje in prestrukturiranje podjetij v težavah [4] (v nadaljnjem besedilu: smernice), je zahtevala informacije o skladnosti z vsemi zahtevami, določenimi v smernicah.
As regards the purchase of the stadium and the training grounds from the third party, the Commission could not conclude, in the absence of a credible business plan established before the purchase, that the behaviour of the municipality had been that of a typical market economy investor.
Komisija zlasti ni mogla preveriti, ali so bili upoštevani pogoji iz točk 34 od 37 smernic glede narave in uresničevanja načrta za prestrukturiranje.
By March 2010 additional losses amounting to EUR 1,3 million had occurred and the own equity had dropped to minus EUR 5,17 million.
Menila je, da je občina, ki je imela podrejeno terjatev do podjetja, ki je bilo na robu stečaja, ravnala v skladu z načelom upnika v tržnem gospodarstvu, ko je leta 2010 odpisala svojo terjatev.
In April 2010, MVV was no longer able to pay salaries and other current expenditure and was indeed on the brink of bankruptcy.
Navedla je, da bi le uradna vloga ali zahtevek upnika za stečaj uvedel takojšni stečaj.
On this basis, in the opening decision the Commission noted that MVV had been in financial difficulties at the time the aid was awarded.
Po mnenju Nizozemske v primeru stečaja družbe MVV občina po vsej verjetnosti tako in tako ne bi izterjala ničesar iz svojega podrejenega dolga.
In order to assess the compatibility of the aid with the 2004 Guidelines on State aid for rescuing and restructuring of firms in difficulty [4] (hereinafter: ‘the Guidelines’), the Commission requested information on the compliance with all requirements set out in the Guidelines.
Terjatev je bila podrejena in tako nižje stopnje kot terjatev v višini približno 3 milijone EUR (privilegirana („preferente“) in nezavarovana („concurrente“) terjatev drugih upnikov)).
The Commission was notably unable to verify whether the conditions in points 34-37 of the Guidelines concerning the nature and fulfilment of a restructuring plan had been respected.
Nizozemska je trdila, da zato ni bilo možnosti za pridobitev nadomestila za znesek posojila ter da so se bili tudi „preferente“ in „concurrente“ upniki pripravljeni odpovedati svojim zahtevkom v okviru splošnega načrta za prestrukturiranje.
The Commission was also unable to verify whether adequate compensatory measures within the meaning of points 38-42 of the Guidelines had been taken.
Hkrati bi MVV, če se občina maja 2010 ne bi odrekla terjatvi in bi sprožila začetek uradnega postopka zaradi insolventnosti, tvegal, da izgubi licenco za profesionalni nogomet po pravilih KNVB.
It furthermore needed to be demonstrated that the aid had been limited to the minimum necessary, that the beneficiary itself had paid an adequate own contribution to its restructuring and that the ‘one time, last time’ principle would be respected.
Te licence ne bi bilo mogoče prenesti na drug klub.
COMMENTS FROM THE NETHERLANDS
Kar zadeva pridobitev stadiona De Geusselt in kompleksa za treniranje, ki ga je uporabljal MVV, je Nizozemska trdila, da je bila pridobitev izvedena po vrednosti, ki jo je ugotovil zunanji strokovnjak, zato je bila v skladu z načelom vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
As regards the measures for MVV, the Netherlands disagreed that these measures constituted State aid.
To vrednotenje je zajemalo vrednotenje pravice do dolgoročnega zakupa in vrednost zgradb na zemljišču.
In the view of the Netherlands, the municipality, having a subordinated claim on a company on the brink of bankruptcy, acted in conformity with the market economy creditor principle by waiving its claim in 2010.
Nizozemska je poudarila tudi strateško lego stadiona v Maastrichtu in interese občine v zvezi z znatnim (ponovnim) urbanističnim razvojem območja De Geusselt, na katerem sta stadion in kompleks za treniranje.
It stated that the mere formal application or request for bankruptcy by a creditor would have triggered immediate bankruptcy.
Namesto tega po navedbah Nizozemske, tudi če bi se štelo, da ukrepi dajejo selektivno prednost MVV, ne bi izkrivljali konkurence in vplivali na trgovino med državami članicami.
According to the Netherlands, in the case of bankruptcy of MVV, the municipality would in all likelihood not have recovered anything of its subordinated loan in any event.
Nizozemska je poudarila šibki položaj MVV v nacionalnem profesionalnem nogometu, zato bi bila njegova udeležba na tekmovanjih na evropski ravni zelo malo verjetna.
The claim was subordinated and hence of lower rank than claims totalling some EUR 3 million (both preferential (‘preferente’) and unsecured (‘concurrente’) claims from other creditors).
Poudarjeno je bilo tudi, da Komisiji ni uspelo dokazati, da bi pomoč MVV izkrivljala konkurenco ali vplivala na trgovino na vseh trgih, navedenih v odločbi o sprožitvi postopka.
The Netherlands alleged that therefore there was no probability to obtain any compensation of the loan amount and that even the ‘preferente’ and ‘concurrente’ creditors had been willing to release their claims in the framework of the overall restructuring plan.
Dodatni argument, ki ga je navedla Nizozemska, je, da so ukrepi, če bi se štelo, da pomenijo državno pomoč, združljivi z notranjim trgom.
At the same time, if the municipality had not waived its claim in May 2010 and had thereby provoked the opening of an official insolvency procedure, MVV was at risk of losing its licence to play professional football according to the rules of the KNVB.
Ti argumenti so temeljili, prvič, na smernicah, in drugič, na oceni združljivosti neposredno na podlagi člena 107(3)(c) ali (d) Pogodbe.
There would be no possibility to have this license transferred to another club.
OCENA UKREPA
As regards the acquisition of the stadium De Geusselt and the training facilities used by MVV, the Netherlands argued that this acquisition had taken place at the value established by external expertise and therefore was in conformity with the market economy investor principle.
Obstoj državne pomoči v skladu s členom 107(1) Pogodbe
This evaluation consisted of a valuation of the right to a long lease and value of the buildings on the land.
V skladu s členom 107(1) Pogodbe je državna pomoč pomoč, ki jo dodeli država članica, ali katera koli druga vrsta pomoči iz državnih sredstev, ki izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljala konkurenco z dajanjem prednosti posameznim podjetjem ali proizvodnji posameznega blaga, če prizadene trgovino med državami članicami.
The Netherlands also emphasised the strategic location of the stadium in Maastricht and the interests of the municipality in relation to the sizeable (re)development by the municipality of the zone of De Geusselt, in which the stadium and the training grounds are embedded.
Pogoji, določeni v členu 107(1) Pogodbe, so torej kumulativni, zato morajo biti za to, da bi bil ukrep opredeljen kot državna pomoč, izpolnjeni vsi pogoji.
Alternatively, the Netherlands argued that even if the measures were to be considered as having provided a selective advantage to MVV, they would not distort competition or affect trade between Member States.
Komisija v skladu z relevantno sodno prakso [5] meni, da sta ukrepa nujno in neločljivo povezana.
The Netherlands emphasised the weak position of MVV in national professional football, which made participation in competitions at European level a very unlikely event.
Za tak sklep Komisija upošteva kronologijo zadevnih ukrepov, njihov namen in položaj MVV v času, ko je občina sprejela odločitev, da bo podprla ta klub [6].
It was also stated that the Commission had failed to demonstrate that aid to MVV would distort competition or affect trade in any of the markets mentioned in the opening decision.
Komisija zato ugotavlja, da sta ukrepa tesno povezana glede na njun namen in položaj kluba MVV v takratnem času, to je zagotoviti sanacijo MVV ob upoštevanju njegovega očitnega negotovega finančnega položaja.
As a subsidiary argument, the Netherlands stated that if the measures were to be considered to constitute State aid, they would be compatible with the internal market.
Občina je odločila o obeh ukrepih in ta sta imela finančne posledice zanjo (v višini 3,55 milijona EUR).
These arguments were, firstly, based on the Guidelines and, secondly, by making a compatibility assessment directly on the basis of Article 107(3)(c) and (d) of the Treaty.
Tako ukrepa vključujeta uporabo državnih sredstev, sklep, ki ga Nizozemska ni izpodbijala.
ASSESSMENT OF THE MEASURES
Prenos državnih sredstev ima lahko različne oblike, kot so neposredna nepovratna sredstva, posojila, jamstva, neposredne naložbe v kapital podjetja in prejemki v naravi.
Presence of State aid according to Article 107(1) of the Treaty
Odstop od terjatev s strani države in naložbe, neskladne s tržnimi pogoji, se prav tako štejejo za prenos državnih sredstev.
On the basis of the opening decision, the Commission has assessed the decision of the municipality of 25 May 2010 to waive a subordinated claim of EUR 1,7 million on MVV and to buy the stadium De Geusselt and MVV's training facilities for a sum of EUR 1,85 million.
Kadar se finančni položaj podjetja izboljša zaradi posredovanja države, obstaja prednost.
The Netherlands argue that both measures respect the market economy operator principle (MEOP), so they should not be qualified as entailing State aid.
Za presojo, ali je ta prednost neupravičena, je treba finančno stanje podjetja po ukrepu primerjati z njegovim finančnim stanjem, če ukrep ne bi bil odobren.
In order to reach this conclusion, the Commission has taken into account the chronology of the measures in question, their purpose, and MVV's situation at the time the decision to support MVV was made by the municipality [6].
Odpis podrejenega posojila/terjatev
The Commission notes, firstly, that both measures were presented together and were decided in the same meeting of the municipal council on 25 May 2010.
Ukrepi, ki so jih sprejeli občina in drugi pomembni upniki, so omogočili MVV, da očisti svojo bilanco stanja.
The purpose of both measures was to ensure the rescue of MVV in the immediate future and both were discussed — in one proposal — as part of the position of the municipality regarding the rescue plan being formed by the ‘Initiatiefgroep MVV Maastricht’.
Komisija ugotavlja, da so drugi pomembni upniki MVV, in sicer tisti z zahtevki nad 150000 EUR, odpisali terjatve, medtem ko so manjši upniki terjatve delno odpisali.
The Commission therefore comes to the view that the measures are closely linked as regards their purpose and the situation of MVV at the time, namely to ensure the rescue of MVV given its evident precarious financial situation.
Ti ukrepi, ki so pripeljali do odpisa terjatev zasebnih strani v višini 2,25 milijona EUR, in tudi ukrepi občine niso bili izvedeni v smislu formalnega odloga plačilnega postopka.
Both measures were decided by the municipality and they have financial consequences for this municipality (amounting to EUR 3,55 million).
Neobstoj formalnega okvira pojasnjuje, zakaj na koncu manjšina upnikov, ki imajo skupaj terjatve v višini 145347 EUR, ni sodelovala pri odpisu, čeprav so nekateri med njimi obljubili, da bodo to storili.
They thus involve the use of state resources, a conclusion not disputed by the Netherlands.
Komisija tudi ugotavlja, da druge odpisane terjatve niso bile podrejene narave, kot je bila terjatev občine.
The transfer of state resources may take many forms, such as direct grants, loans, guarantees, direct investment in the capital of enterprises and benefits in kind.
Po mnenju Nizozemske neobstoj formalnega postopka ni pomenil bistvene razlike, v smislu, da je bil rezultat rešitve dolga za občino enak tistemu, ki bi se zgodil v formalnem odlogu plačilnega postopka na podlagi nacionalnega prava o stečaju, to je da bi bilo mogoče druge upnike prisiliti k pridružitvi dogovoru upnikov, kar bi v primeru občine v vsakem primeru pomenilo izgubo celotnega zneska (podrejenega) posojila.
Waiving claims of the state and investing at other than market conditions also constitutes a transfer of state resources.
Kot je že bilo navedeno v odločitvi o sprožitvi postopka, pa Komisija ugotavlja, da se trije upniki niso popolnoma odpisali svojih terjatev, temveč so terjatve spremenili v terjatev za mogoča prihodnja plačila za prestope, ki bi se plačali MVV za igralce ob njihovem odhodu.
Next, the Netherlands and the municipality claim that the municipality acted in compliance with the market economy creditor principle regarding the waiver of a claim and in compliance with the market economy investor principle regarding the acquisition of the stadium and the training facilities and, hence, did not provide an undue economic advantage to MVV.
Komisija meni, da čeprav občina posojila ni dala pod enakimi pogoji, zasebni vlagatelj ne bi v celoti odpisal terjatve ali bi si vsaj zavaroval – ali bi si prizadeval zagotoviti – neko vrsto (morebitnega) zavarovanja s premoženjem ob odpisu tako velikega posojila, tudi če bi bile možnosti za poplačilo slabe.
The Commission does not agree with this view for the following reasons.
Poleg tega Komisija ugotavlja, da bi občina lahko pridobila korist od drugih upnikov, tudi če bi bil načrt za reševanje res odvisen od njenega sodelovanja.
Whenever the financial situation of an undertaking improves as a result of state intervention, an advantage is present.
Zato Komisija meni, da popoln odpis posojila občine brez pogojev ali zavarovanja ni v skladu z načelom upnika v tržnem gospodarstvu.
To assess whether this advantage is undue, the financial situation of the undertaking following the measure should be compared with its financial situation had the measure not been granted.
Kar zadeva odločitev o sodelovanju v dogovoru upnikov zunaj formalnega odloga plačilnega postopka, je Nizozemska poudarila, da bi KNVB v primeru formalnega odloga plačil klubu MVV odvzela licenco za profesionalni nogomet.
It is undisputed that MVV's financial situation improved markedly through the measures under investigation.
Zato formalni odlog plačil ne bi bil v interesu občine niti v interesu večine drugih upnikov.
Waiver of the subordinated loan/claim
To torej ne pomeni, da se položaj občine razlikuje od položaja drugih upnikov.
The measures adopted by the municipality and by other important creditors allowed MVV to clean its balance sheet.
V zvezi s tem se nizozemski organi sklicujejo na tisti del odločitve o sprožitvi postopka, v katerem je Komisija sklenila, da ukrep občine Arnhem v korist nogometnega kluba Vitesse ne pomeni državne pomoči: načelo enakega obravnavanja določa, da mora Komisija razmere oceniti enako, kot je storila za občino Arnhem, to je da je skladna s členom 107(1) Pogodbe, saj bi bile tako odločitve občine skladne z načelom zasebnega upnika.
The Commission notes that the other important creditors of MVV, i.e. those with claims exceeding EUR 150000, waived their claims as well, whereas smaller creditors waived part of their claims.
V zvezi s tem Komisija ugotavlja, da je treba vsak primer presojati na podlagi njegove posamezne vsebine.
These actions, leading to a waiver of EUR 2,25 million of claims by private parties, as well as the actions by the municipality, did not take place in the context of a formal suspension of payments procedure.
V primeru Arnhem/Vitesse so pogoji v dogovorih upnikov pomenili, da so bili različni položaji občine in drugih upnikov v celoti izenačeni (vsak bi prejel 12 % svojih neporavnanih terjatev), kar pa ne velja v primeru Maastricht/MVV: drugi (prednostni) upniki bi v zameno za odpis svoje terjatve lahko imeli korist od morebitnega prihodka od prestopov igralcev, kar pa ni veljalo v primeru Maastricht.
The absence of a formal framework explains why in the end a minority of creditors, holding claims amounting to EUR 145347, did not participate in the waiver, even though some of them had promised to do so.
Drugih razlogov, ki jih je navedla Nizozemska v zvezi z družbenogospodarskimi posledicami stečaja MVV, ni mogoče upoštevati pri oceni načela vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
However, as already mentioned in the opening decision, the Commission notes that three creditors had not completely waived their claims, but had transformed these into a claim on possible future transfer payments paid to MVV for players leaving the club.
Zato odpis posojila – v času, ko je bil storjen – ni bil, ali pa je bil samo delno povezan z zasebnimi poslovnimi interesi občine kot lastnika zemljišča ali podjetja.
In this regard, the Netherlands pointed out that those three creditors had preferential and secured claims amounting to EUR 1,135 million.
Če so poslovni interesi obstajali, Nizozemska ni zagotovila nikakršnih pojasnil, kaj naj bi ti predstavljali.
They would therefore have stood a better chance of recovering at least some part of their claims in the case of a formal bankruptcy procedure than other creditors with unsecured claims, let alone the municipality with its subordinate claim.
Drugič, opozoriti je treba, da samo odpis posojila ne bi preprečil stečaja MVV: potrebnih je bilo več podpornih ukrepov, kot sta nakup stadiona in kompleksa za treniranje, za katera Komisija meni, da nista bila v skladu z načelom vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
The Commission considers that although the loan by the municipality was not provided under the same conditions, a private investor would not have completely waived the claim or at least would have secured — or endeavoured to secure — some kind of (possible) collateral for the waiver of such a substantial loan amount, even if the chances of repayment were weak.
Kot je navedeno zgoraj, je treba ukrepe presojati skupaj.
Furthermore, the Commission notes that the municipality could possibly have secured a benefit from the other creditors, if indeed the rescue plan also hinged on the participation of the municipality.
Zaradi tega je Komisija prišla do sklepa, da občina maja 2010 pri odločanju, da odpiše terjatev v višini 1,7 milijona EUR, ni ravnala kot udeleženec v tržnem gospodarstvu.
Hence, the Commission considers that the full waiver of the loan by the municipality without any condition or collateral is not in line with the market economy creditor principle.
Ta sklep temelji tudi na dejstvu, da je treba ta odpis posojila presojati skupaj z nakupom stadiona in kompleksa za treniranje, za katerega je Komisija ocenila, da ni v skladu z načelom vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu, kot bo pojasnjeno v nadaljevanju.
As regards the decision to participate in a creditors' agreement outside a formal suspension of payments procedure, the Netherlands pointed out that KNVB would have withdrawn MVV's licence to play professional football in the case of a formal suspension of payments.
Nakup kompleksa za treniranje in stadiona
A formal suspension of payments was therefore not considered in the interest of the municipality and equally for the large majority of other creditors.
Občina se ni le odpovedala podrejeni terjatvi do kluba MVV, kupila je tudi stadion De Geusselt in kompleks za treniranje Klein Geusselt, saj je bil ta nakup prav tako del celotnega načrta za reševanje in prestrukturiranje MVV.
Hence, this aspect in itself does not make the position of the municipality distinct from that of the other creditors.
Nizozemska trdi, da ta nakup ne pomeni državne pomoči, saj je potekal pod tržnimi pogoji.
In this context the Dutch authorities refer to the part in the opening decision in which the Commission concluded that the measures of the municipality of Arnhem in favour of the football club Vitesse did not constitute State aid: the principle of equality of treatment requires to appreciate the situation in the same way as to that of the municipality of Arnhem, i.e. as being in compliance with Article 107(1) of the Treaty as the decisions of the municipality would have been in respect of a private creditor principle.
Trditev temelji na sporočilu Komisije o elementih državne pomoči pri prodaji zemljišč in objektov s strani javnih oblasti [7] (v nadaljnjem besedilu: sporočilo o prodaji zemljišč) in na načelu vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu, v skladu s katerim finančnih poslov javnih organov glede podjetja, da bi bili ti posli sprejemljivi tudi za druge gospodarske subjekte pod enakimi pogoji, ni mogoče šteti za pridobitev prednosti za podjetje v smislu člena 107(1) Pogodbe.
In this regard the Commission notes that each case has to be assessed based on its individual merits.
Glede sporočila o prodaji zemljišč Nizozemska priznava, da to obravnava prodajo zemljišča in ne nakupa nepremičnin, vendar meni, da se lahko uporablja po analogiji.
In the case of Arnhem/Vitesse, the conditions attached to the creditors agreement meant that the respective positions of the municipality and other creditors were fully equated (each would receive 12 % of their outstanding claims), which is not so in the case of Maastricht/MVV: the other (preferential) creditors, in return for waiving their claim, could benefit from possible income from transfers of players, which was not the case for Maastricht.
Komisija ugotavlja, da je bila nakupna cena v višini 1,85 milijona EUR določena na podlagi mnenja zunanjega izvedenca, ki je bilo predloženo Komisiji (poročilo revizorjev Van der Horst Taxateurs, junij 2010).
The other reasons advanced by the Netherlands in relation to the socioeconomic consequences of the bankruptcy of MVV cannot be taken into account in the framework of assessing the market economy investor principle.
Komisija ugotavlja tudi, da je občina že lastnik zemljišča, na katerem je bil zgrajen stadion.