natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The agreements were negotiated independently, related to different services, and were not subject to any linkage that would justify their consideration as a single source of alleged State aid.
zagotavlja selektivno prednost, tj. daje prednost posameznim podjetjem ali posameznemu blagu;
The conclusion of a marketing agreement with AMS is not a condition for the operation of routes by Ryanair to and from an airport.
vpliva na trgovino med državami članicami.
As to the value of marketing, Ryanair claimed that marketing space on Ryanair's website is a scarce resource and demand for that space is high, including from businesses other than airports.
Obstoj pomoči
Ryanair considers that the marketing agreements between VFAB and Ryanair or AMS were compliant with the MEO principle.
Pojem podjetja
Ryanair has also argued that, in any event, the Commission had not demonstrated that Measures 4 and 5 involved the use of state resources or were imputable to the state.
Da bi Komisija ugotovila, ali ukrep spada v področje uporabe člena 107(1) PDEU, mora najprej ugotoviti, ali je upravičenec do ukrepa podjetje v smislu navedenega člena.
COMMENTS FROM AIRPORT MARKETING SERVICES (AMS)
Ustaljena sodna praksa je, da pojem podjetje zajema vsak subjekt, ki opravlja gospodarsko dejavnost, ne glede na njegovo pravno obliko in njegov način financiranja [18]; in da je gospodarska dejavnost vsaka dejavnost, ki na nekem trgu ponuja blago ali storitve [19].
AMS stated that it is a subsidiary of Ryanair with a real commercial purpose of its own, created in order to develop an activity that does not belong to the core business of Ryanair.
Ko je upravljavec letališča udeleženec v gospodarskih dejavnostih, to ne glede na njegov pravni status ali način financiranja pomeni podjetje v smislu člena 107(1) PDEU [21].
AMS submitted further that in principle, AMS's marketing agreements with airports are negotiated and concluded separately from Ryanair's agreements with the same airports.
Komisija opozarja, da kar zadeva čas, ko sta gradnja in upravljanje letališča postala gospodarska dejavnost, ni mogoče določiti natančnega datuma za postopen vstop tržnih sil v letališki sektor.
According to AMS it makes inherent sense for a small regional airport to purchase marketing services from AMS.
Vendar so evropska sodišča priznala razvojno spremembo v naravi letaliških dejavnosti, pri čemer je Splošno sodišče v sodbi v zadevi Flughafen Leipzig/Halle menilo, da od leta 2000 uporabe pravil o državni pomoči za financiranje letališke infrastrukture ni bilo več mogoče izključiti.
AMS asserted that these airports typically have a need to increase their brand recognition and that advertising on an airline website can increase the number of inbound passengers (foreign passengers generate more non-aeronautical revenue than outbound passengers originating from the region where the airport is located).
Zato je treba od datuma sodbe v zadevi Aéroports de Paris (12. decembra 2000) [22] upravljanje in gradnjo letališke strukture obravnavati kot gospodarsko dejavnost, ki spada v področje nadzora državnih pomoči.
The marketing agreements thus bring a real commercial value to VFAB.
Vendar je treba poudariti, da niso vse dejavnosti upravljavca letališča gospodarske narave [23].
AMS further submitted that in concluding the marketing agreements under Measure 5, VFAB acted in line with the MEO principle, as advertising on Ryanair.com is said to represent a high real value for Västerås Airport and that the price charged by AMS was the market price for these services.
Sodišče meni, da dejavnosti, ki običajno spadajo v pristojnost države pri izvajanju uradnih pooblastil kot javne oblasti, niso gospodarske narave in zanje pravila o državni pomoči ne veljajo.
COMMENTS FROM SWEDEN ON THIRD PARTY COMMENTS
Med formalno preiskavo sta Švedska in družba VFAB izpodbijali predhodne ugotovitve Komisije v zvezi z opredelitvijo družbe VFAB kot podjetja, saj naj večina dejavnosti družbe VFAB ne bi bila gospodarske narave.
Sweden did not comment on the third party comments.
V zvezi s tem sta Švedska in VFAB trdili, da naslednji uporabniki letališča niso bili podjetja, temveč so izvajali negospodarske dejavnosti:
ASSESSMENT
Hässlögymnasiet (v skladu s trditvami opravlja negospodarske dejavnosti, saj je del nacionalnega šolskega sistema),
By virtue of Article 107(1) TFEU ‘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’.
usposabljanje pilotov na skandinavski letalski akademiji,
The criteria provided for in Article 107(1) TFEU are cumulative.
dejavnosti neprofitnega letalskega kluba „Hässlö flygförening“, ki je lahko brezplačno uporabljal letališče.
Therefore, in order to determine whether a measure constitutes Stat aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU all of the following conditions need to be fulfilled, namely that the financial support should:
Po navedbah Švedske so te domnevne negospodarske dejavnosti skupaj pomenile veliko večino uporabe zmogljivosti letališča.
provide a selective advantage, i.e. favour certain undertakings or certain goods;
Stališče Švedske glede tega v bistvu zajema trditev, da če je dejavnost uporabnika storitev negospodarska, tudi zagotavljanje letaliških storitev temu uporabniku samo po sebi ni gospodarska dejavnost.
distort or threaten to distort competition;
Komisija se s tem stališčem ne more strinjati.
affect trade between Member States.
Kot je bilo že pojasnjeno, je dobro ustaljena praksa, da se ponudba blaga ali storitev na danem trgu v zameno za plačilo obravnava kot gospodarska dejavnost.
Existence of aid
Letališče lahko poleg ozko določenih letaliških storitev (tj. storitev, zagotovljenih letalskim prevoznikom [26]), opravlja tudi druge oblike storitev na komercialni podlagi, kot je na primer uporaba letališke infrastrukture za druge letalske dejavnosti, ki jih npr. opravljajo šole letenja, v zameno za plačilo.
Notion of undertaking (different margins)
Pri opredelitvi letališča kot podjetja ni pomembno, ali so kupci teh storitev, npr. šole letenja, tudi sami podjetja, saj obstaja trg za zadevne storitve.
In order to determine whether a measure falls within the scope of Article 107(1) TFEU, the Commission must first establish whether the beneficiary of the measure is an undertaking within the meaning of that article.
Po navedbah Švedske same sta tako akademija Hässlögymnasiet kot skandinavska letalska akademija za uporabo letališča plačali nadomestilo.
It is settled case-law that the concept of an undertaking covers any entity engaged in an economic activity, regardless of its legal status and the way in which it is financed [18], and that any activity consisting in offering goods and services on a given market is an economic activity [19].
Zagotavljanje teh storitev s strani upravljavca je torej gospodarska dejavnost ne glede na naravo dejavnosti šol.
In its judgement in the Leipzig-Halle airport case, the General Court confirmed that the operation of a civil airport is an economic activity, of which the construction of airport infrastructure is an inseparable part [20].
Po navedbah Švedske in družbe VFAB je letalski klub lahko uporabljal letališče brez plačila nadomestila.
Once an airport operator engages in economic activities, regardless of its legal status or the way in which it is financed, it constitutes an undertaking within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU [21].
Vendar dejstvo, da letalski klub ne plača za storitve, ki jih opravlja letališče, samo po sebi še ne pomeni, da te storitve niso gospodarske.
Regarding the moment in time from which on the construction and operation of an airport became an economic activity, the Commission recalls that the gradual development of market forces in the airport sector does not allow for a precise date to be determined.
Švedska in družba VFAB sta sicer priznali, da v svojih računovodskih izkazih nista ločili stroškov, nastalih zaradi uporabe letališča s strani letalskega kluba, in stroškov šol letenja, zato ni konkretnega podatka, ki bi ga bilo mogoče nedvomno pripisati tej domnevno negospodarski dejavnosti.
However, the European Courts have recognised the evolution in the nature of airport activities and in Leipzig/Halle Airport, the General Court held that from 2000 onward the application of State aid rules to the financing of airport infrastructure could no longer be excluded.
Zato storitve, opravljene za letalski klub, ne vplivajo na ugotovitev Komisije, da je VFAB podjetje.
Consequently, from the date of the judgment in Aéroports de Paris (12 December 2000) [22] the operation and construction of airport infrastructure must be considered as an economic activity falling within the ambit of State aid control.
Komisija pri tem primeru ugotavlja, da se letališče Västerås upravlja na komercialni podlagi.
However, it should be noted that not all the activities of an airport operator necessarily are of an economic nature [23].
Upravljavec letališča uporabnikom zaračunava uporabo letališke infrastrukture in svoje storitve na letališču.
The Court of Justice has held that activities that normally fall under State responsibility in the exercise of its official powers as a public authority are not of an economic nature and do not fall within the scope of the rules on State aid.
Družba VFAB je torej podjetje v smislu člena 107(1) PDEU.
Such activities include security, air traffic control, police, customs, etc.
Državna sredstva in pripisljivost državi
[24].
Da bi zadevni ukrepi pomenili državno pomoč, morajo biti financirani iz državnih sredstev, odločitev o dodelitvi ukrepa pa mora biti pripisljiva državi.
The financing of such non-economic activities has to be strictly limited to compensation of the costs to which they give rise and may not be used instead to fund other economic activities [25].
Pojem državne pomoči se uporablja za vsako prednost, ki jo iz državnih sredstev dodeli država sama ali kateri koli posredniški organ, ki deluje v skladu s pooblastili [27].
In the course of the formal investigation, Sweden and VFAB have contested the Commission's preliminary findings as regards VFAB's qualification as an undertaking, arguing that the majority of VFAB's activities are either not economic.
Sredstva lokalnih organov so za uporabo člena 107 PDEU državna sredstva [28].
In this respect Sweden and VFAB have argued that the following users of the airport were not undertakings but performed non-economic activities:
V obravnavanem primeru so vložke delničarjev določili in zagotovili lastniki družbe VFAB, tj. mesto Västerås, in za nekatere ukrepe SCAA prek hčerinske družbe LFV Holding.
Hässlögymnasiet (argued to be non-economic by being part of the national school system),
Kar zadeva mesto Västerås, je vložke delničarjev določil izvoljeni mestni svet („kommunfullmäktige“), plačani pa so bili neposredno iz mestnega proračuna.
the pilot training at the Scandinavian Aviation Academy,
Komisija v zvezi z družbo LFV Holding ugotavlja, da je bila v celoti v lasti SCAA, ki je javni organ.
the activities of the not-for-profit aero club ‘Hässlö flygförening’, which was allowed to use the airfield free of charge.
Družba LFV Holding v skladu s svojimi notranjimi predpisi brez dovoljenja švedske vlade ne more ustanoviti novih hčerinskih družb ali prevzeti delnic.
According to Sweden these allegedly non-economic activities jointly accounted for the vast majority of the use of the capacity of the airport.
Poslanci švedskega parlamenta imajo pravico do udeležbe na sestankih upravnega odbora.
Sweden has also argued that the commercial flights at the airport (defined as flights operated by airlines) were operationally profitable, that therefore all losses of VFAB were imputable to the non-economic activity and that consequently any public support to compensate for these losses would fall outside the scope of State aid rules.
Komisija, ki ugotavlja, da niti Švedska niti katera koli tretja stran nista izpodbijali predhodnih ugotovitev sklepa o začetku postopka v zvezi s tem, zato meni, da se ukrep 1 financira iz državnih sredstev in se lahko pripiše državi.
In essence, Sweden's position on this point consists in arguing that if the activity of a user of airport services is non-economic, then the provision of the airport services to that user is in itself not an economic activity.
Gospodarska prednost
The Commission cannot agree with this view.
Domnevna storitev splošnega gospodarskega pomena
As explained above, it is well-established that the offering of goods or services on a given market against remuneration constitutes an economic activity.
Družba VFAB trdi, da bi zagotavljanje letaliških storitev šolam letenja in letalskim klubom iz uvodne izjave 90 vsekakor pomenilo storitve splošnega gospodarskega pomena (v nadaljnjem besedilu: SSGP) in da javna podpora, dodeljena družbi VFAB, ne bi pomenila državne pomoči, saj bi bila nadomestilo za izgube, ki se lahko pripišejo izključno izvajanju navedenih SSGP.
An airport may, besides airport services narrowly defined (i.e. services provided to airlines [26]), also provide other forms of services on a commercial basis, such as for instance the use of the airport infrastructure for other aeronautical activities against remuneration, e.g. by flight schools.
Javni organi lahko dejansko opredelijo nekatere gospodarske dejavnosti, ki jih izvajajo letališča ali letalski prevozniki kot SSGP v smislu člena 106(2) PDEU, in zagotovijo nadomestilo za take storitve.
Whether the buyers of these services, such as flight schools, are themselves undertakings is not relevant for the qualification of the airport as an undertaking since there is a market for the services in question.
V skladu s sodbo v zadevi Altmark [29] nadomestilo za zagotavljanje SSGP ne pomeni selektivne prednosti v smislu člena 107(1) PDEU, če so izpolnjeni naslednji štirje pogoji:
By Sweden's own admission, both Hässlögymnasiet and the Scandinavian Aviation Academy paid a consideration for the use of the airport.
upravičenec do mehanizma državnega financiranja za SSGP mora biti uradno pooblaščen za opravljanje SSGP, te obveznosti pa morajo biti jasno opredeljene;
The provision of these services by the airport operator is therefore an economic activity irrespective of the nature of the school's own activity.
merila za izračun nadomestila morajo biti določena vnaprej ter objektivno in pregledno;
The aero club was, according to Sweden and VFAB, allowed to use the airport without paying a consideration.
če upravičenec ni izbran s postopkom oddaje javnega naročila, ki omogoča najmanjše stroške zagotavljanja storitve skupnosti, se mora raven odobrenega nadomestila določiti na podlagi analize stroškov, ki bi jih povprečno, dobro vodeno podjetje, imelo pri izpolnjevanju teh obveznosti ob upoštevanju realiziranih prejemkov in razumnega dobička.
However, the fact that the aero club does not pay for the services provided by the airport does not necessarily mean that these services are not economic.
Pogoji iz sodbe Altmark so kumulativni, kar pomeni, da morajo biti izpolnjeni vsi štirje pogoji, da se javna podpora ne šteje za državno pomoč na tej podlagi.
In any case, Sweden and VFAB have admitted that they did not, in their accounting, separate the costs generated by the aero club's use of the airport from that of the flight schools and thus there is no specific figure that can be safely imputed to this allegedly non-economic activity.
Komisija v sedanjem primeru ugotavlja, da Švedska in družba VFAB nista predložili dokazov, da so bile domnevne obveznosti javne službe dejansko in jasno opredeljene ter formalno zaupane družbi VFAB.
Consequently, the services provided to the aero club do not affect the Commission's finding that VFAB is an undertaking.
Družba VFAB v zvezi s tem dejansko navaja le svoje notranje predpise, v katerih je poslanstvo podjetja na začetku opisano kot „izpolnjevanje potrebe regije po zračnem prevozu“ [30] [„tillgodose regionens behov av flygtransporter“], pozneje pa kot „izvajanje storitev civilnega letalstva na letališču Västerås“ [31] [„betjäna den civila luftfarten vid Västerås Flygplats“].
In the case at hand, the Commission finds that Västerås Airport is operated on a commercial basis.
Nobena od teh opredelitev ne navaja treh domnevnih obveznosti javnih storitev, poleg tega jih nikakor ni mogoče šteti za jasne in dejanske obveznosti SSGP (zdi se, da gre bolj za splošni opis cilja podjetja).
The airport operator charges users for the use of the airport infrastructure and for the services it provides at the airport.
Zgolj iz tega razloga za javno podporo družbi VFAB ni mogoče šteti, da ne spada v področje uporabe pravil o državni pomoči v skladu s sodno prakso v sodbi Altmark.
VFAB is thus an undertaking in the sense of Article 107(1) TFEU.
Komisija poleg tega ugotavlja, da dozdevno nista bili izpolnjeni še najmanj dve drugi merili iz sodbe Altmark:
In order to constitute State aid, the measures in question have to be financed from state resources and the decision to grant the measure must be imputable to the state.
Trditev družbe VFAB, da javna podpora družbi VFAB ne spada v področje uporabe pravil o državni pomoči, ker naj bi bila nadomestilo za izpolnjevanje obveznosti javne službe, se torej ni mogla sprejeti.
The concept of State aid applies to any advantage granted through state resources by the state itself or by any intermediary body acting by virtue of powers conferred on it [27].
Načelo udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu
Resources of local authorities are, for the application of Article 107 of the TFEU, state resources [28].
Prednost v smislu člena 107(1) PDEU je katera koli gospodarska korist, ki je podjetje ne bi pridobilo pod običajnimi tržnimi pogoji, tj. v odsotnosti posredovanja države.
In the present case, the shareholders' contributions have been decided on and provided by the owners of VFAB, i.e. by the City of Västerås and, for certain measures, by SCAA via its daughter company LFV Holding.
Pomemben je le učinek ukrepa na podjetje, ne pa vzrok ali cilj posredovanja države.
As regards the City of Västerås, the shareholder contributions were decided by the elected City Council (kommunfullmäktige) and paid directly from the city budget.
Za prednost gre takrat, kadar se finančni položaj podjetja izboljša zaradi posredovanja države.
As regards LFV Holding, the Commission notes that the firm was fully owned by the SCAA, a public authority.
Komisija nadalje opozarja, da „kapitala, ki ga da država neposredno ali posredno na razpolago podjetju, v okoliščinah, ki ustrezajo običajnim tržnim razmeram, ni mogoče šteti za državno pomoč“.
Under its by-laws, LFV Holding cannot without the permission of the Swedish government form new subsidiaries or acquire shares.
Da bi v sedanjem primeru Komisija ugotovila, ali vložki delničarjev za družbo VFAB pomenijo prednost, ki je ta ne bi prejela pod običajnimi tržnimi pogoji, mora primerjati ravnanje javnih organov, ki zagotavljajo kapitalske injekcije, z ravnanjem udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu, ki se ravna po možnostih dolgoročnega donosa.
Members of the Swedish Parliament have the right to participate in Board meetings.
Ocena ne sme upoštevati nobenih pozitivnih učinkov na gospodarstvo regije, v kateri je letališče, saj je Sodišče pojasnilo, da je ustrezno vprašanje za uporabo načela udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu, ali „bi se v podobnih okoliščinah zasebni investitor na podlagi predvidljivih možnosti donosa, ne glede na vse dejavnike socialne narave oziroma regionalno ali sektorsko politiko, odločil za tak prispevek“.
The Commission, which notes that neither Sweden nor any third party has contested the preliminary findings of the opening decision on this point, therefore considers that Measure 1 is financed through state resources and is imputable to the state.
V sodbi Stardust Marine je Sodišče navedlo, da je „[…] za preveritev vprašanja, ali je država ravnala kot preudaren vlagatelj, ki deluje pod pogoji tržnega gospodarstva, potrebna umestitev v obdobje, v katerem so bili sprejeti ukrepi finančne podpore, da se oceni gospodarska racionalnost ravnanja države in s tem prepreči kakršna koli ocena na podlagi poznejših razmer“.
Economic advantage
Poleg tega je Sodišče v zadevi EDF razsodilo, da „[…] gospodarske ocene, izvedene po dodelitvi take prednosti, naknadna ugotovitev dejanskega donosa naložbe, ki jo izvede zadevna država članica, ali naknadne utemeljitve dejansko uporabljenega postopka ne morejo zadostovati za dokaz, da je ta država članica predhodno ali sočasno s to dodelitvijo tako odločitev sprejela kot delničarka“ [32].
Alleged SGEI
Da bi se lahko uporabilo načelo udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu, je Komisija morala upoštevati čas, ko so se sprejeli posamezni sklepi o zagotavljanju javnih sredstev družbi VFAB.
VFAB has argued that the provision of airport services to the flight schools and aero club mentioned in recital 90 would in any event constitute services of general economic interest (‘SGEI’) and that the public support granted to VFAB would not constitute State aid as they would be compensation for losses which are exclusively attributable to the performance these SGEIs.
Komisija mora svojo oceno utemeljiti tudi na informacijah in predpostavkah, ki so bile na voljo ustreznim lokalnim organom v času, ko se je sprejel sklep v zvezi s finančnimi ureditvami zadevnih infrastrukturnih ukrepov.
Public authorities may indeed define certain economic activities carried out by airports or airlines as SGEI within the meaning of Article 106(2) TFEU and provide compensation for such services.
Komisija je v sklepu o začetku postopka navedla svojo predhodno analizo glede tega, zakaj vložki delničarjev za družbo VFAB pomenijo prednost za družbo in zlasti zakaj načelo udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu ne bi bilo izpolnjeno.
According to the Altmark [29] case law, compensation for the provision of an SGEI does not entail a selective advantage within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the TFEU if the following four conditions are met:
Komisija je najprej ugotovila, da je družba VFAB več kot 10 let ustvarjala znatne izgube.
the beneficiary of the compensation must be formally entrusted with the provision and discharge of an SGEI, the obligations of which must be clearly defined;
Dejansko je družba VFAB že v času prvega vložka delničarjev leta 2003 že najmanj (v skladu z informacijami, ki jih je imela Komisija) pet let ustvarjala nenehne izgube.
the parameters for calculating the compensation must be established beforehand in an objective and transparent manner;
Te izgube so bile stalne v celotnem obdobju, ki ga je zajela preiskava, tako da je bila družba VFAB v času posameznih vložkov delničarjev še vedno v izgubi.
the compensation cannot exceed what is necessary to cover all or part of the costs incurred in the discharge of the SGEI, taking into account the relevant receipts and a reasonable profit for discharging those obligations;
Komisija v takih okoliščinah meni, da je zelo malo verjetno, da bo zasebni vlagatelj za pokritje takih izgub pripravljen prispevati kapitalske injekcije v skupni višini 194 milijonov SEK (približno 21,4 milijona EUR).
where the beneficiary is not chosen pursuant to a public procurement procedure that allows for the provision of the service at the least cost to the community, the level of compensation granted must be determined on the basis of an analysis of the costs which a typical undertaking, well run, would have incurred in discharging those obligations, taking into account the relevant receipts and a reasonable profit.
Ker je bila družba VFAB v celoti v lasti države v celotnem zadevnem obdobju, ni zasebnih lastnikov, s katerimi bi se lahko naredila primerjava.
The conditions of the Altmark criteria are cumulative, meaning that all four must be met in order for public support not to qualify as State aid on these grounds.
Skladnost z načelom udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu bi se v takih okoliščinah pokazala le na podlagi velikih možnosti dolgoročne dobičkonosnosti družbe VFAB.