natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The other documents submitted by France include a cover letter dated 15 September 1997 from EDF's finance department to the Senate administration, to which were attached a table quantifying the effects of Article 4 of the draft law, and showing the effects on the balance sheet, a copy of the instruction of 27 July 1993 on the electricity distribution concessions and an internal EDF memo discussing foreign experiences of remunerating shareholders in the electricity sector, dated 27 July 1996.
Francoski organi menijo tudi, da je družba EDF med letoma 1987 in 1996 državi v celoti plačala znesek, ki naj bi bil višji od davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb, ki bi ga plačala družba komercialnega prava, ki ne bi ustvarila rezervacij za prenovo omrežja RAG in ki bi svojemu delničarju po odtegnitvi davka nakazala dividendo v višini 37,5 % čistega poslovnega izida.
This memo explained the key principles applicable to remunerating shareholders, the disparity and return figures for certain undertakings in the sector:
Poleg tega naj bi bilo treba pri prestrukturiranju bilance družbe EDF uporabiti stopnjo davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb iz leta 1996 in ne iz leta 1997.
60-80 % of profits in the US, 40 % for National Power and Power Gen, 78 % for Union Fenosa and 30 % for Endesa, giving the Spanish state a return of 28 % for the period 1991-1996 taking account of dividends and the increase in share price.
Kot je bilo po eni strani navedeno v uvodnih izjavah od 32 in 116, nacionalni računovodski svet meni, da je treba računovodske napake popraviti v obračunskem letu, v katerem so bile ugotovljene.
Despite the two further documents sent by EDF to the Senate with its letter of 15 September 1997, the principles, figures and their application to shareholder remuneration by EDF as set out in the memo of 27 July 1996 were not analysed or included in the Senate report.
Ker so rezervacije za prenovo omrežja RAG po sprejetju zakona št. 97-1026 z dne 10. novembra 1997 postale brezpredmetne, jih je bilo treba vsekakor prerazvrstiti v obračunskem obdobju 1997 in torej obdavčiti po stopnjah davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb, ki so veljale v tem obdobju.
On the contrary, the Senate report, like that of the National Assembly, stated that the planned reduction in the remuneration on the capital contributions paid by EDF to the state as shareholder was:
Po drugi strani so sami francoski organi uporabili stopnjo davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb iz leta 1997 za obdavčeni del rezervacij, kot je navedeno v uvodni izjavi 34.
‘to take account of the increase in capital contributions brought about by this Article’.
To, da družba EDF leta 1997 ni plačala 5882849762 FRF davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb, za to podjetje pomeni gospodarsko prednost.
ASSESSMENT OF THE MEASURES:
Družba EDF je lahko ta znesek uporabila za okrepitev lastnih sredstev brez uporabe zunanjih finančnih virov.
EXISTENCE OF STATE AID
Če je bil dolgovani davek dejansko plačan in so se lastna sredstva povečala s prilivi na podlagi poslovnih izidov podjetja, bi to moralo znižati svoje stroške, povečati prihodke ali opustiti stroške naložb.
Article 107(1) TFEU provides:
S tem ko je imela družba EDF na voljo zneske, ki bi jih morala plačati francoski državi kot davek od dohodkov pravnih oseb, je bila upravičenka ukrepa, ki se je uporabljal samo zanjo in ji omogočal prednost glede na francoska podjetja v podobnem položaju, ki so morala plačevati davek od dohodkov pravnih oseb na prerazvrstitve nedolgovanih rezervacij v skladu s členom 38-2 splošnega davčnega zakonika, ki je veljal leta 1997, kot je pojasnjeno v uvodni izjavi 35.
‘Save as otherwise provided in the Treaties, 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’.
Toda Francija se je v pripombah z dne 11. decembra 2002 sklicevala na uporabo načela preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
The question whether these cumulative tests apply to the tax exemption granted by France to EDF is examined below.
Kot opozarjajo sodišča Unije, zlasti v sodbah, navedenih v uvodnih izjavah 7 in 8, v obravnavanem primeru dodatna kapitalska injekcija družbi EDF, ki ustreza dolgovanemu davku, ne bi pomenila prednosti za podjetje, ki bi to dodelitev prejelo, kar bi mu omogočilo gospodarsko prednost v smislu člena 107(1) PDEU, če je bilo ugotovljeno, da bi morebitni zasebni delničar vložil v družbo EDF enak znesek, pod enakimi pogoji in v podobnem položaju glede na merilo preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE TO AN UNDERTAKING
Sodišče je v točki 99 zgoraj navedene sodbe z dne 5. junija 2012 pojasnilo, da Splošno sodišče z izpodbijano sodbo ni poseglo niti v možnost uporabe v obravnavanem primeru merila preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu niti v morebitno posledico uporabe tega merila.
Since Act No 97-1026 established that EDF was deemed to have been the owner of the high-voltage transmission network (RAG) for which it had been granted the concession, it has to be ascertained whether the Act involved a transfer of ownership of the RAG.
V nadaljevanju je torej treba preučiti možnost uporabe in uporabo navedenega načela glede na dejansko stanje v obravnavanem primeru, pri tem pa je treba upoštevati zlasti merila, ki jih je določilo Sodišče.
According to the information provided by the French authorities, EDF can reasonably be regarded as the owner of the RAG before the entry into force of the Act.
Možnost uporabe načela preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu
This finding is supported by the following considerations:
Za določitev morebitne možnosti uporabe načela preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu je treba v okviru celovite presoje ugotoviti, ali je Francoska republika davek oprostila kot delničarka ali kot javni organ.
the features of the different types of concession contract under French law;
Sodišče je v sodbi z dne 5. junija 2012 pojasnilo več dejavnikov, ki jih je treba upoštevati pri tej celoviti presoji.
the special features of the original concession granted to EDF, which did not include an explicit retrocession clause; the procedure for the acquisition of the assets concerned, for which EDF had to pay a fee similar to compensation under a compulsory purchase procedure; and the conditions for the financing, maintenance and extension of the RAG at EDF's expense.
Ti dejavniki, ki bodo podrobneje preučeni v nadaljevanju glede na okoliščine obravnavanega primera, so:
The ‘clarification’ of the ownership of the RAG provided by Act No 97-1026 does not therefore in itself appear to confer an economic advantage on EDF.
država članica mora v primeru dvoma nedvoumno in na podlagi objektivnih in preverljivih elementov dokazati, da je izvedeni ukrep sprejela kot delničarka [21];
It therefore has to be examined whether Act No 97-1026 addressed all the tax implications of the ‘clarification’ of ownership of the RAG and, if not, whether an economic advantage in the form of a tax concession was granted to EDF.
na podlagi teh dokazov mora biti jasno razvidno, da je zadevna država članica predhodno ali sočasno z dodelitvijo gospodarske prednosti z dejansko izvedenim ukrepom sprejela sklep o naložbi v podjetje pod javnim nadzorom [22], v zvezi s tem bi bili lahko zlasti potrebni dokazi, na podlagi katerih bi bilo razvidno, da ta sklep temelji na ekonomskih ocenah, primerljivih s tistimi, ki bi jih v okoliščinah obravnavane zadeve opravil preudaren zasebni vlagatelj, ki je v zelo podobnem položaju kot država članica, preden bi izvedel navedeno naložbo, da bi lahko opredelil prihodnji donos take naložbe [23];
Waiving the tax owed by EDF constitutes prima facie a selective advantage
Komisija lahko zavrne preučitev dokazov, predloženih po sprejetju sklepa o izvedbi zadevne naložbe [24], v zvezi s tem so lahko upoštevni narava in predmet tega ukrepa, okvir, v katerega se uvršča, želeni cilj ter pravila, ki veljajo za ta ukrep [25],
During the period between 1987 and 1996, EDF created tax-free provisions for the renewal of the RAG, provisions which were identified as irregular by the French Court of Auditors.
v tem primeru bi torej uporaba merila zasebnega vlagatelja omogočala določiti, ali bi zasebni delničar v podobnih pogojih vložil znesek, enak dolgovanemu davku, v podjetje, ki je v primerljivem položaju z družbo EDF [26].
Article 4 of Act No 97-1026 declaring that EDF was deemed to be the owner of the RAG rendered those provisions superfluous and they therefore had to be reallocated to other items in the balance sheet.
(127) Francoski organi so v pripombah z dne 11. decembra 2002, navedenih v uvodni izjavi 42, trdili, da je bilo presojeno, da je za družbo EDF učinkoviteje in bolj nevtralno neposredno dodeliti dajatve koncedentu v lastna sredstva v njihovem celotnem znesku, brez plačila davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb.
The letter from the Minister for Economic Affairs setting out the tax implications of the restructuring of EDF's balance sheet shows that the unused provisions for renewal of the RAG were subjected by the French authorities to corporation tax at 41,66 %, the rate applicable in 1997.
Vendar v nobenem dokumentu, ki je bil predhoden ali sočasen glede na domnevno odločitev o neodtegnitvi davka in ki sta ga predložili Francija ali družba EDF v utemeljitev svojih pripomb k sklepu o razširitvi postopka, niso neposredno ali posredno navedeni domnevni sklep o naložbi, njene posledice, prednosti in slabosti ali podoben sklep o povečanju zneska kapitalskih injekcij z neodtegnitvijo davka.
On the other hand, the provisions corresponding to renewal operations already carried out, also called grantor rights, were reclassified as capital contributions amounting to FRF 14,119 billion without being subjected to corporation tax.
V dokumentih, ki so jih predložili francoski organi in so navedeni v uvodnih izjavah od 87 do 108, niso navedene in a fortiori analizirane prednosti in slabosti za državo, povezane z odločitvijo, da od dela rezervacij dajatev koncedentu, prerazvrščenih v kapital družbe EDF na podlagi zakona št. 97-1026 z dne 10. novembra 1997, ne odtegne davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb.
The tax authorities acknowledge that this transaction was illegal, as can be seen from the memorandum dated 9 April 2002 addressed by the Directorate-General for Taxation to the Commission and quoted in recital 35.
Francija mora v primeru dvomov glede možnosti uporabe načela preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu, kakršne je navedla Komisija, nedvoumno ter na podlagi objektivnih in preverljivih elementov dokazati, da je izvedeni ukrep sprejela kot delničarka.
In line with the National Accountancy Council opinion, corrections to accounting errors should be posted in the accounts for the financial year in which they are discovered.
Vendar se glede na predložene dokaze zdi, da je treba za sklep o naložbi z neodtegnitvijo davka, ki ga je načeloma dolgovala družba EDF, šteti, da je bil sprejet s tihim dogovorom, brez obrazloženega pravnega akta, ki bi omogočal seznanitev s podrobno vsebino tega sklepa ali ga preveriti, seznanitev z razlogi in pravno podlago, na kateri bi temeljil, niti ni navedeno, kateri pristojni organ ga je sprejel in na kateri dan je bil sprejet.
Moreover, since the unused provisions amounting to FRF 38,5 billion that had been created free of tax were subjected to corporation tax at the rate of 41,66 % in 1997, there is no objective reason why the rest of the provisions created free of tax should not have been taxed at the same rate.
Glede na dejavnike, na katere je opozorilo Sodišče pri preverjanju možnosti uporabe načela preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu, to je zlasti potrebo po objektivnih in preverljivih elementih, dejansko izvedenem ukrepu ali predhodnih ekonomskih ocenah, je treba neobstoj sklicevanj ali materialnih dokazov obravnavati kot prvi znak, da navedenega načela ni mogoče uporabiti.
The grantor rights should have been taxed at the same time and at the same rate as the other accounting provisions created free of tax.
Ker niso bili predloženi dokumenti, ki bi dokazovali domnevni sklep, je treba opisati morebitni ukrep naložbe, ki naj bi ga izvedla francoska država.
This means that the FRF 14,119 billion in grantor rights should have been added to the FRF 38,5 billion in unused provisions and taxed at the rate of 41,66 % applied to the restructuring of EDF's balance sheet.
Sodišče je v obravnavanem primeru menilo, da mora merilo preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu omogočati določiti, ali bi zasebni delničar v podobnih pogojih vložil 5,88 milijarde FRF v podjetje, ki je v primerljivem položaju z družbo EDF.
By not paying all the corporation tax due when it restructured its balance sheet, EDF made tax savings of FRF 5882849762.
Naložba Francije naj bi vključevala neodtegnitev navedenega zneska v zameno za dobiček, ki je večji od prvotno uporabljenih sredstev.
The tax measure was advantageous to EDF in 1997, as the amount of FRF 5,88 billion exempted from tax and included in the amount of FRF 14,119 billion was recorded in EDF's balance sheet as grantor rights reclassified by the state when it implemented Act No 97-1026 with retroactive effect from 1 January 1997.
Analizo je torej treba opraviti glede na znesek dolgovanega davka od dohodkov pravnih oseb.
The tax implications of the Act are set out in the letter from the Minister for Economic Affairs with effect from the same date of 1 January 1997.
V zvezi s tem neobstoj posebnih študij, sklicevanj ali analiz dobičkonosnosti naložbe v znesku oproščenega davka otežuje ugotavljanje učinkov naložbe, zatrjevane v informacijah, ki sta jih predložili Francija ali družba EDF.
The French authorities claim that, even if EDF had not set aside provisions for the renewal of the RAG, it would still not have been liable for payment of corporation tax between 1987 and 1996 because of the tax loss carry-forward.
Ta težava ni nerešljiva, če se – za potrebe analize večine upoštevnih dejavnikov, da bi se preverili možnost uporabe in uporaba načela preudarnega zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu – šteje, da je povečan vložek v kapital družbe EDF v znesku neodtegnjenega davka pomenil donos na dajatve, povezane z vsemi dotacijami.
That argument misses the point.
Če so torej dodelitve zagotovile donos po določeni stopnji, je bilo treba to stopnjo uporabiti in je bila dejansko uporabljena za znesek neodtegnjenega davka.
The tax advantage dates from 1997, not from the preceding years.
Če pa se šteje, da gre za postranski ali dodatni učinek, na podlagi informacij, ki sta jih predložili Francija ali EDF, na prvi pogled ni razviden učinek, da se je znesek dodelitev povečal za ustrezni znesek neodtegnjenega davka.
Moreover the irregular provisions were in part responsible for the tax loss carry-forward.
Neodtegnitev davka je učinkovala tako, da se je povečala kapitalska injekcija družbe EDF, s čimer so se povečala njena lastna sredstva za dodatnih 5,88 milijarde FRF, v skupnem znesku 14,119 milijarde FRF prerazvrščenih rezervacij.
The carry-forwards would have been gradually absorbed between 1987 and 1996 and the amount of tax payable by EDF would have been significantly higher, even without taking account of the non-payment of tax for the reclassification of the grantor rights.
Te rezervacije, ki niso ustrezale predhodnemu prilivu svežih sredstev države delničarke, so bile prerazvrščene v kapitalske injekcije, tako da so prešle v postavko, ki ustreza vrhu bilance družbe EDF, med drugimi vrstami lastnih sredstev (kapital, dodelitve itd., preglednica 2).
The French authorities also take the view that, even if the creation of provisions for the renewal of the RAG resulted in an advantage, that advantage should be regarded as cancelled out by the increase in corporation tax paid in 1997.
Lastna sredstva družbe EDF, ki bi morala leta 1997 znašati 79,8 milijarde FRF, bi brez oprostitve davka v skladu s tedaj preučenimi dokumenti (uvodna izjava 100, preglednica 2) znašala 72,1 milijarde FRF.
However, as the French authorities themselves acknowledged in their memorandum dated 9 April 2002 and quoted in recital 35, although the unused replacement provisions were correctly taxed, the grantor rights were reclassified as capital contributions without being subjected to corporation tax.
Državne kapitalske injekcije v družbo EDF bi bile 44,8 milijarde FRF namesto 50,7 milijarde FRF.
The tax paid by EDF in 1997 is therefore lower than the tax normally due.
Domnevni sklep o naložbi:
The French authorities also claim that, over the period from 1987 to 1996, EDF paid more to the state overall than the corporation tax that would have been paid by a commercial company which did not create provisions for the renewal of the RAG and which paid its shareholder a dividend equal to 37,5 % of its net income after tax.
elementi analize
Moreover, the rate of corporation tax that should have been applied when EDF's balance sheet was restructured was the 1996 rate and not the 1997 rate.
Prvič, kot poudarjajo francoski organi, se je s prištetjem zneska neplačanega davka povečala osnova od dodelitev in je bil donos na to osnovo določen po stalni obrestni meri (3 %), zato naj bi se absolutna vrednost donosa za državo povečala z oprostitvijo ali neodtegnitvijo davka (uvodna izjava 83).
First, as stated in recitals 32 and 116, the National Accountancy Council takes the view that corrections to accounting errors should be posted in the accounts for the financial year in which they are discovered.
Vendar se donos za državo s povečanjem kapitalske injekcije, ki je ustrezala oprostitvi davka, ni sorazmerno povečal.
Since the provisions for renewal of the RAG became superfluous following Act No 97-1026 of 10 November 1997, they should have been reclassified in the accounts for the 1997 financial year and therefore taxed at the rate of corporation tax applicable to that year.
V zvezi s tem ni sporno, da je donos na dodelitve države v kapital družbe EDF določen od uredbe št. 56-1360 z dne 30. decembra 1956 (uvodni izjavi 18 in 103).
Second, the French authorities themselves applied the 1997 rate of corporation tax to the share of the provisions that was taxed, as set out in recital 34.
Donosi, ki so sicer različni, so bili tako določeni v podjemnih pogodbah, ki so bile sklenjene pred pogodbo, veljavno za obdobje od 1997 do 2000, in po njej, kot je razvidno iz uvodnih izjav 93 in 102.
The non-payment by EDF, in 1997, of FRF 5882849762 in corporation tax constitutes an economic advantage for the undertaking.
Načelo donosa je obstajalo pred domnevnim sklepom in se je ohranilo tudi po njenem sprejetju.
EDF was able to use this amount to increase its own funds without having to raise outside finance.
Poleg tega je iz preučitve dejstev razvidno, da je lahko zadevna oprostitev davka učinkovala tako, da se je donosnost naložbe države zmanjšala.
If the tax had in fact been paid and the increase in own funds financed by the undertaking's operating profit, it would have had to cut costs, increase profit or refrain from investment expenditure.
Glede na poročilo, ki ga je pripravila nacionalna skupščina septembra 1997, je nedvoumno, da se je s povečanjem skupnega zneska dodelitve zmanjšal donos nanjo, da se „za družbo EDF“ ne bi „povečala dajatev“ (uvodna izjava 103).
By having at its disposal amounts that should have been paid to the French state by way of corporation tax, EDF benefited from a selective measure which placed it at an advantage over French undertakings in a similar situation, and which had to pay corporation tax on the reclassification of irregular provisions under Article 38-2 of the General Tax Code in force in 1997, as set out in recital 35.
Poročilo senata podkrepi to zmanjšanje, ki so ga želeli javni organi (uvodna izjava 108).
However, in its comments of 11 December 2002, France called for application of the principle of the prudent private investor in a market economy.
Družba EDF je med letoma 1991 in 1996 državi zagotovila večji donos na nižjo osnovo od kapitalskih injekcij v primerjavi z donosom na višjo osnovo, načrtovanim za obdobje od 1997 do 2000.
As pointed out by the EU courts in their judgments referred to in recitals 7 and 8 in this case, a further capital contribution to EDF of an amount equal to the tax owed could not be regarded as conferring an economic advantage on the undertaking within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU, if it was established that a hypothetical private shareholder would have invested an equivalent amount in EDF, on similar terms and in similar circumstances, in accordance with the prudent private investor in a market economy test.
Povprečen letni donos v absolutni vrednosti 3,41 milijarde FRF za obdobje od 1991 do 1996, ko so dodelitve znašale 36,6 milijarde FRF, je bil vsekakor večji od donosa 2,35 milijarde FRF, ki je bil določen za osnovo, povečano na 50,7 milijarde FRF v obdobju od 1997 do 2000 (uvodne izjave 92 in od 102 do 103, preglednica 3).
In paragraph 99 of its judgment of 5 June 2012, the Court of Justice stated that, by the judgment under appeal, the General Court had not prejudged the applicability of that test to the present case or the outcome of applying that test.
Iz navedenega izhaja, da je bilo mogoče dodatni dobiček, ki je izhajal iz povečanja zneska kapitalske injekcije v višini 5,88 milijarde FRF in ki ga je država delničarka pričakovala za obdobje od 1997 do 2000, obravnavati kot negativen glede na obdobje od 1991 do 1996.
The applicability and application of that test to the facts of the case must therefore now be examined in the light of the criteria set out by the Court of Justice.
Francoski organi so namreč storili tako, da se je absolutno in relativno izplačilo francoski državi na podlagi kapitalske injekcije po absolutni in relativni vrednosti zmanjševalo za toliko, za kolikor se je povečevala osnova od dodelitve, kot je nedvomno razvidno iz poročil, ki sta jih predložila nacionalna skupščina in senat.
Applicability of the principle of the prudent private investor in a market economy
Glede na navedeno se odločitev o oprostitvi davka ne zdi kot sestavni del naložbe, saj je bil s povečanjem zneska celotne dodelitve donos manjši kot donos na dodelitev pred zakonom št. 97-1026.
To determine whether the principle of the prudent private investor in a market economy is applicable, an overall assessment must be made of whether the French Republic granted the tax exemption in its capacity as shareholder or in its capacity as public authority.
Drugič, preudaren zasebni vlagatelj v tržnem gospodarstvu ne bi uporabil navedenega načina za predvidevanje in določanje donosa na povečanje kapitalskih injekcij.
In its judgment of 5 June 2012, the Court of Justice set out a number of factors that should be taken into account in this overall assessment.
Kot je namreč razvidno iz sklicevanj v dopisih resornih ministrov in parlamentarnih poročilih, navedenih v uvodnih izjavah 97, 103 in 106, so francoski organi leta 1997 pri preučitvi donosa za francosko državo po prestrukturiranju bilance družbe EDF upoštevali donos na kapitalske injekcije, pripadajoč državi kot delničarki v strogem pomenu, in hkrati pričakovani znesek davka, ki naj bi ga država odtegovala od leta 1997 po več letih prenosov davčnih izgub in ki ga je bilo treba plačevati državi, ki je ob odtegnitvi davka delovala kot javni organ.
These factors, examined in more detail below in relation to the circumstances of the case, are:
Od donosa na dodelitve pa je bilo mogoče, kot je prikazano v uvodni izjavi 93, z odstopanjem od splošnega prava odbiti davek od dohodkov pravnih oseb.
the Member State must, where there is doubt, establish unequivocally and on the basis of objective and verifiable evidence that the measure implemented falls to be ascribed to the state acting as shareholder [21];
Ideja, ki so jo preučili in potrdili francoski organi leta 1997 je bila torej ta, da se družbi EDF naloži skupna dajatev, in sicer tako, da se davek in izplačilo delničarju seštejeta.