natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Third, the Commission referred to the fact that the contractually agreed rent level for 2008 actually corresponded to the average rent in the relevant neighbourhood in 2008 or was only slightly below this [26].
Poleg tega je sodišče ugotovilo, da je dejansko gibanje najemnin v zadevnih mestnih četrtih v prvih 10 letih pogodbe v grobem ustrezalo pogodbeno dogovorjenemu zvišanju.
Despite the fact that all these factors pointed towards the conclusion that the general management contract did conform to normal market conditions, the Commission solicited further information about the actual expectations of participants in the real estate market in 1998 in order to analyse the respective arguments in more depth [27].
Tretjič, sodišče je trdilo, da so se stroški upravljanja in vzdrževanja izračunali v skladu z veljavno zakonodajo in niso pomenili prednosti za družbo BAVARIA [40].
The Commission finally examined the cash-flow analysis submitted by NEUWOGES, ultimately coming to the conclusion that, due to methodological deficiencies, the analysis could not prove an economic advantage in favour of BAVARIA [28].
Glede tveganja za izgubo najemnine v višini […] % je deželno sodišče v Rostocku menilo, da mora pri vsakem zakupu zakupnik nositi tveganje, ali se bo lahko zakupljen predmet uporabljal v skladu z namenom [41].
In conclusion, the Commission decided that, on the basis of the submitted information, it could not prove that BAVARIA had been granted an economic advantage [29].
To ugotovitev je podprlo s trditvijo, da nobena kreditna institucija ne bi sprejela odgovornosti za to, ali se lahko nepremičnina, za katero se je vzelo posojilo, uporablja v skladu z namenom.
However, it indicated its intention to analyse the participants’ arguments in more depth and called upon all interested parties to provide additional useful information [30].
Deželno sodišče v Rostocku je še primerjalo povprečno obrestno mero pri zakupu na podlagi posla prodaje in povratnega zakupa z obrestnimi merami pri običajnih posojilih.
NATIONAL COURT PROCEEDINGS
Trdilo je, da je povprečna letna obrestna mera pri zakupu znašala […] % letno, in menilo, da se to ne more šteti za nesorazmerno z verjetnim gibanjem obrestnih mer za posojila za stavbe, ki bi lahko znašale tudi 10 % letno [42].
On 28 November 2008, Rostock Regional Court issued its judgment in first-instance proceedings between BAVARIA and NEUWOGES.
Nazadnje je deželno sodišče v Rostocku ugotovilo, da družbi BAVARIA ni bila dodeljena prednost, saj bi tudi udeleženec v tržnem gospodarstvu sklenil zadevni pogodbi [43].
BAVARIA had initiated the proceedings as, from October 2006 onwards, NEUWOGES had refused to pay the monthly leasing payment agreed in the general management contract, arguing that the contract was void because it contained illegal state aid.
Družba NEUWOGES se je na to sodbo pritožila, postopek pred višjim deželnim sodiščem v Rostocku pa še poteka.
In its judgment, Rostock Regional Court reasoned that the land-lease and sale contract and the general management contract had to be viewed as a unit and not in isolation, as they both formed part of one and the same sale-and-lease-back transaction [31].
Družba BAVARIA je poleg tega začela postopek pred upravnim sodiščem v Greifswaldu, s čimer je poskušala doseči izdajo odločbe za dostop do vse dokumentacije, ki sta jo imela družba NEUWOGES ali mesto Neubrandenburg v zvezi z zadevnima pogodbama.
With respect to the land-lease and sale contract, Rostock Regional Court first calculated the annual rent for the land over the first 30 years of the contract, arriving at a figure of […]% per year.
Družba BAVARIA je trdila, da je že poskušala pridobiti tak dostop prek uporabe informacij javnega značaja, vendar jo je mesto Neubrandenburg zavrnilo na podlagi trditve, da je že imela dostop do vse ustrezne dokumentacije v okviru postopkov pred deželnim sodiščem v Rostocku, višjim deželnim sodiščem in Evropsko komisijo [44].
The court expressed the view that this did not constitute inappropriately low remuneration since NEUWOGES received the ground rent for the first 30 years upfront and could invest it, which would not have been the case if the rent had been paid on a yearly basis [32].
Zadeva pred upravnim sodiščem v Griefswaldu prav tako še poteka.
Rostock Regional Court further affirmed that the debt write-off obtained by NEUWOGES under the sale-and-lease-back transaction had to be taken fully into account, as the transaction created the conditions allowing for the debt write-off to be secured [33].
OCENA UKREPA
When the debt write-off is added to the purchase price for the buildings, the resulting figure is only 16 % lower than that determined for the buildings in the 2007 valuation and is thus not disproportionate to the buildings’ value [34].
OBSTOJ DRŽAVNE POMOČI NA PODLAGI ČLENA 107(1) PDEU
The court finally reasoned that NEUWOGES had an interest in a low purchase price, as a lower purchase price reduced BAVARIA’s overall investment volume and the corresponding leasing payment [35].
Člen 107(1) PDEU določa, da „je vsaka pomoč, ki jo dodeli država članica, ali kakršna koli vrsta pomoči iz državnih sredstev, ki izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljala konkurenco z dajanjem prednosti posameznim podjetjem ali proizvodnji posameznega blaga, nezdružljiva s skupnim trgom, kolikor prizadene trgovino med državami članicami“.
Additionally, it held that a lower purchase price was also beneficial since NEUWOGES’ payment obligations towards the inherited debt relief fund depended on the price obtained in the sale [36].
V skladu s tem ukrep pomeni državno pomoč, če so izpolnjeni naslednji štirje kumulativni pogoji:
As regards the general management contract in particular, Rostock Regional Court began by expressing the view that a duration of 30 years was not uncommon in real-estate leasing transactions [37].
ukrep podjetju zagotavlja selektivno gospodarsko prednost;
Second, it considered that the contractually agreed leasing payment of initially EUR […] per m2 was not disproportionate to the average rents for comparable buildings at the relevant time (1997/98) [38].
ukrep je mogoče pripisati državi in je financiran z državnimi sredstvi;
Rostock Regional Court further considered that the yearly increase in the leasing payment by […]% was justified, having regard to average inflation between 1970 and 1998 (i.e. 3,52 % per year) [39].
ukrep izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljal konkurenco;
In addition, the court remarked that the actual development of rents in the relevant neighbourhoods over the first 10 years of the contract roughly corresponded to the contractually agreed increase.
ukrep bi lahko vplival na trgovino med državami članicami.
Third, the court maintained that the costs of administration and maintenance had been calculated according to the applicable legislation and did not indicate an advantage for BAVARIA [40].
Podjetju je dodeljena selektivna prednost: splošna načela
With respect to the risk of loss of rent of […]%, Rostock Regional Court was of the opinion that, under any lease, the lessee has to bear the risk of whether the leased object can be used as intended [41].
V skladu z ustaljeno sodno prakso Sodišča pogoji, ki jih mora ukrep izpolnjevati, da se lahko šteje za „pomoč“ v smislu člena 107 PDEU, niso izpolnjeni, če bi lahko upravičeno podjetje v okoliščinah, ki ustrezajo običajnim razmeram na trgu, pridobilo enako prednost, kot mu je bila dodeljena z državnimi sredstvi.
The court supported this conclusion by arguing that no credit institution would accept responsibility for whether or not the property for which a loan was taken out could be used as intended.
Pri presoji vprašanja, ali bi udeleženec v tržnem gospodarstvu, ki je v položaju, zelo podobnem položaju države, v običajnih tržnih pogojih sprejel isti ukrep, je treba upoštevati le koristi in obveznosti, povezane s položajem države kot delničarke, in ne tistih, ki so povezane z državo kot javno oblastjo [45].
Rostock Regional Court finally compared the average leasing rate resulting from the sale-and-lease-back transaction with the interest rates on traditional loans.
Uporaba merila udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu je na koncu odvisna od tega, ali zadevna država članica gospodarsko prednost podjetju dodeli kot gospodarski subjekt in ne kot javna oblast.
Arguing that the average yearly leasing interest rate was at […]% per year, Rostock Regional Court held that this could not be said to have been disproportionate to the likely development of interest rates for building loans, which could be as high as 10 % per year [42].
Iz tega sledi, da mora država članica, če se v upravnem postopku sklicuje na to merilo, v primeru dvoma nedvoumno ter na podlagi objektivnih in preverljivih elementov dokazati, da je izvedeni ukrep sprejela kot gospodarski subjekt.
In conclusion, Rostock Regional Court found that BAVARIA had not been granted an advantage, as a MEO would also have concluded the contracts in question [43].
Na podlagi teh dokazov mora biti jasno razvidno, da je zadevna država članica predhodno ali istočasno z dodelitvijo gospodarske prednosti z dejansko izvedenim ukrepom sprejela odločitev o izvedbi gospodarske dejavnosti v zvezi s podjetjem.
NEUWOGES appealed against this judgment, and proceedings before the Rostock Higher Regional Court are pending.
V zvezi s tem bi bili lahko zlasti potrebni dokazi, na podlagi katerih bi bilo razvidno, da je ta odločitev temeljila na ekonomskih ocenah, primerljivih s tistimi, ki bi jih razumen zasebni subjekt v zelo podobnem položaju kot država članica opravil pred izvedbo naložbe, da bi lahko opredelil prihodnji donos take naložbe.
Additionally, BAVARIA initiated proceedings before Greifswald Administrative Court, seeking to obtain a ruling granting it access to all files held by NEUWOGES or the City of Neubrandenburg in relation to the contracts in question.
Nasprotno, ekonomske 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 istočasno s to dodelitvijo tako odločitev sprejela kot udeleženec v tržnem gospodarstvu [46].
BAVARIA claimed to have previously attempted to obtain such access by means of a freedom of information application, which was, however, rejected by Neubrandenburg on the basis of the argument that BAVARIA already had access to all relevant documents in the context of the proceedings before the Rostock Regional Court and Higher Regional Court and the European Commission [44].
Iz navedenega sledi, da v tej zadevi pri uporabi merila udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu dokumentacije, ki so jo strani predložile po sprejetju ukrepa, ni mogoče upoštevati.
The case before the Greifswald Administrative Court is also still pending.
Iz navedenega sledi tudi, da pri uporabi merila udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu v tej zadevi ni mogoče upoštevati niti učinka zakona o odpisu podedovanega dolga na finančni položaj družbe NEUWOGES.
ASSESSMENT OF THE MEASURE
Dejansko si je zakon o odpisu podedovanega dolga prizadeval za cilj javne politike, do ugodnosti, ki so bile na podlagi tega zakona dodeljene, pa je bila upravičena le omejena kategorija podjetij (oddelek 2 zakona o odpisu podedovanega dolga).
EXISTENCE OF AID UNDER ARTICLE 107(1) TFEU
Ta zakon ne bi veljal za udeleženca v tržnem gospodarstvu, ki bi bil v zelo podobnem položaju kot družba NEUWOGES.
Article 107(1) TFEU provides that ‘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’.
Struktura ocene v zadevnem primeru
Accordingly, a measure constitutes state aid if the following four cumulative conditions are met:
Da bi se ugotovilo, ali je bila z zadevnima pogodbama družbi BAVARIA dodeljena prednost, je treba ugotoviti, ali sta navedeni pogodbi sodili v obseg poslov, ki jih bi sklenil udeleženec v tržnem gospodarstvu v zelo podobnem položaju kot družba NEUWOGES.
The measure confers a selective economic advantage upon an undertaking.
Ocena, ki jo je izvedla Komisija, je sestavljena iz treh korakov.
The measure is imputable to the State and financed through state resources.
Prvič, kot predhodni korak so se proučile finančne posledice posla za družbo NEUWOGES, da bi se ugotovilo, kakšen dobiček je lahko družba pričakovala zaradi posla (oddelek 7.2).
The measure distorts or threatens to distort competition.
Drugič, da bi se ugotovilo, ali bi bila z ekonomskega vidika privlačnejša katera od drugih razpoložljivih možnosti, se je posel prodaje in povratnega zakupa primerjal z drugimi možnostmi, kot je neposredna prodaja (oddelek 7.3).
The measure has the potential to affect trade between Member States.
Tretjič, izvedla se je primerjalna analiza, pri kateri se je zadevni posel primerjal s podobnimi posli prodaje in povratnega zakupa, ki so se sklenili v približno enakem obdobju, analizirali so se rezultati omejenega postopka za zbiranje ponudb, ki ga je izvedla družba NEUWOGES, pogoji posla pa so se primerjali z običajnimi obrestnimi merami pri drugih finančnih poslih, ki so bili na voljo v zadevnem obdobju (konec leta 1997/začetek leta 1998) (oddelek 7.4).
Selective advantage conferred upon an undertaking: general principles
Na podlagi vseh treh ravni analize skupaj je mogoče ugotoviti, ali je družba NEUWOGES ravnala kot udeleženec v tržnem gospodarstvu.
According to the settled case-law of the Court of Justice, the conditions that a measure must meet in order to be regarded as ‘aid’ within the meaning of Article 107 TFEU are not met if the recipient undertaking, in circumstances corresponding to normal market conditions, could have obtained the same advantage as that made available to it through state resources.
FINANČNE POSLEDICE POSLA ZA DRUŽBO NEUWOGES
In order to assess whether the same measure would have been adopted in normal market conditions by a MEO in a situation as close as possible to that of the State, only the benefits and obligations linked to the capacity of the State as shareholder — to the exclusion of those linked to its capacity as a public authority — are to be taken into account [45].
Prvi korak v analizi finančnih posledic zadevnega posla je ugotoviti naravo posla.
The applicability of the MEO test ultimately depends on the Member State concerned having conferred, in its capacity as an economic operator and not in its capacity as public authority, an economic advantage on an undertaking.
V tem primeru je vprašanje zlasti, ali pogodbi, ki sta ju sklenili družbi NEUWOGES in BAVARIA, predstavljata dva dela enega celovitega posla ali pa ju je treba oceniti kot ločena posla (oddelek 7.2.1).
It follows that, if a Member State relies on that principle during the administrative procedure, it must, where there is doubt, establish unequivocally and on the basis of objective and verifiable evidence that it took the measure in its capacity as an economic operator.
Drugič, da se omogoči ustrezna ocena finančnega učinka posla na družbo NEUWOGES, se je proučila posebna narava posla prodaje in povratnega zakupa (oddelek 7.2.2).
That evidence must show clearly that, before or at the same time as conferring the economic advantage, the Member State concerned took the decision to carry out a commercial operation in respect of the undertaking by means of the measure actually implemented.
Po poglobljeni ločeni analizi finančnega učinka pogodbe o dolgoročnem zakupu z možnostjo nakupa (oddelek 7.2.3) ter splošne pogodbe o upravljanju (oddelek 7.2.4) se je opravila splošna ocena donosnosti, ki bi jo družba NEUWOGES lahko pričakovala zaradi posla (oddelek 7.2.5).
In that regard, it may be necessary to produce evidence showing that the decision was based on economic evaluations comparable to those that a rational private operator in a situation as close as possible to that of the Member State would have had carried out before making the investment, in order to determine the future profitability of that investment.
Skupna in ločena ocena zadevnih pogodb
By contrast, for the purposes of showing that, before or at the same time as conferring the advantage, the Member State took that decision as a MEO, it is not enough to rely on economic evaluations made after the advantage was conferred, or on a retrospective finding that the investment made by the Member State concerned was actually profitable, or on subsequent justifications of the course of action actually chosen [46].
Najprej je treba poudariti, da je bilo v sklepu Komisije o začetku postopka in sodbi deželnega sodišča v Rostocku ugotovljeno, da je treba zadevni pogodbi analizirati skupaj [47].
It follows from the foregoing, first, that the documents presented by the parties that post-date the adoption of the measure cannot be taken into account as such for the application of the MEO test in this case.
S formalno preiskavo je bila ta ugotovitev potrjena iz naslednjih razlogov:
It follows from the above, second, that the effect of the Inherited Debt Support Law on the financial situation of NEUWOGES cannot be taken into account either for the application of the MEO test in this case.
pogodbi sta dela enega posla prodaje in povratnega zakupa, ki se vzajemno dopolnjujeta.
Indeed, the Inherited Debt Support Law pursued a public policy purpose, and only a limited category of companies (Section 2 of the Inherited Debt Support Law) was eligible for the benefits awarded by it.
Iz zloženke družbe BAVARIA, v kateri je oglaševala svoj posebni model prodaje in povratnega zakupa, je bilo razvidno, da bi se posel sklenil prek dveh pogodb, in sicer bi ena urejala prodajo, druga pa povratni zakup [48].
This law would not have been applicable to a MEO in a situation as close as possible to NEUWOGES.
Pogodbi sta se nato vedno navajali kot paketni posel.
Structure of the assessment in the present case
Pogodbi sta bili sklenjeni istega dne (21. januarja 1998) in se sklicujeta druga na drugo [49], kar kaže na njuno tesno povezavo in dejstvo, da ene pogodbe ne bi bilo mogoče skleniti brez druge.
In order to determine whether the contracts at issue have granted an advantage to BAVARIA, it must be determined whether those contracts fell within the range of transactions a MEO in a situation as close as possible to NEUWOGES’ would have engaged in.
Pogoji pogodb so med seboj neločljivo povezani, kar dokazuje tudi prvotni izračun družbe BAVARIA, ki ga je predložila družba NEUWOGES [50].
The Commission’s assessment comprises three steps.
Znesek vnaprejšnjega gotovinskega plačila je bil odvisen od mesečnega obroka zakupnine, ki ga bo plačevala družba NEUWOGES, in naložb družbe BAVARIA v posodobitev stavb.
First, as a preliminary step, the financial implications of the transaction for NEUWOGES are analysed to determine what profits it could expect to obtain from the transaction (section 7.2).
Dejansko je v poslu prodaje in povratnega zakupa obrok zakupnine namenjen poplačilu prvotne naložbe zakupodajalca.
Second, in order to determine whether any available alternative would have been economically more attractive, the sale-and-lease-back transaction is compared to other options, such as a direct sale (section 7.3).
To pomeni, da bi bile v primeru drugačnih določb splošne pogodbe o upravljanju drugačne tudi številke v zakupni in prodajni pogodbi ter obratno [51].
Third, a benchmarking exercise is carried out by comparing the transaction in question with similar sale-and-lease-back transactions concluded around the same time, by analysing the results of a limited bidding process carried out by NEUWOGES, and by comparing the terms of the transaction with the standard interest rates of other financing transactions available at the relevant time (late 1997/early 1998) (section 7.4).
Iz zapisnika sej nadzornega odbora družbe NEUWOGES je razvidno, da je družba NEUWOGES za obe pogodbi vedno štela, da sta en sam posel [52].
Taken together, these three levels of analysis enable a conclusion to be drawn concerning whether NEUWOGES behaved like a MEO.
V predložitvah na sejah nadzornega odbora z dne 30. oktobra 1997 in 16. decembra 1997 je na primer navedeno, da nakupna cena, ki jo financira kupec, temelji na modelu zakupa, kar kaže, da se je družba NEUWOGES dobro zavedala povezave med pogodbo o dolgoročnem zakupu z možnostjo nakupa ter splošno pogodbo o upravljanju.
THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE TRANSACTION FOR NEUWOGES
Podobno je na seji dne 16. decembra 1997 uprava družbe NEUWOGES nadzornemu odboru pojasnila, da je bilo plačilo, dogovorjeno z družbo BAVARIA, cena, ki jo je bilo mogoče doseči za ta „paket“, in da so bila pri „paketu“ prisotna nekatera tveganja za družbo, vendar so bila sprejemljiva.
The first step in the analysis of the financial implications of the transaction under scrutiny is to determine the nature of the transaction.
Navedba „paketa“ in prisotnega tveganja prav tako dokazuje, da sta se obe pogodbi šteli za en posel.
In this case, the question revolves mainly around whether the two contracts concluded between NEUWOGES and BAVARIA constitute two parts of an integrated, single transaction or whether they must be assessed as separate transactions (section 7.2.1).
Trditve družbe NEUWOGES glede tega, da ena od zadevnih pogodb ni bila notarsko overjena, niso prepričljive.
Second, in order to facilitate a proper assessment of the financial impact of the transaction on NEUWOGES, the particular nature of a sale-and-lease-back operation is examined (section 7.2.2).
Glavna trditev družbe NEUWOGES je, da to dokazuje namen strank, da skleneta dve ločeni, medsebojno neodvisni pogodbi.
After the financial impact of the land-lease and sale contract (section 7.2.3) and the general management contract (section 7.2.4) has been separately analysed in depth, a global assessment of the profitability to be expected from the transaction for NEUWOGES is undertaken (section 7.2.5).
Komisija poudarja, da so državni posegi različnih oblik in jih je treba oceniti glede na njihov učinek, vendar ni mogoče izključiti, da je treba več zaporednih posegov države za namene člena 107(1) PDEU šteti za en sam poseg.
Joint versus separate assessment of the contracts in question
To se lahko zgodi zlasti, če med zaporednimi posegi z vidika njihovega časovnega zaporedja, namena in položaja podjetja ob teh posegih obstaja tako tesna povezava, da jih ni mogoče ločiti [53].
It should first be pointed out that both the Commission’s Opening Decision and Rostock Regional Court’s judgment concluded that the two contracts in question had to be analysed in conjunction with one another [47].
Pojem enega posla za namene državne pomoči EU je zato širši od pojma enega posla na podlagi nemškega pogodbenega prava.
The formal investigation confirmed that finding, for the following reasons:
Premisleki iz uvodne izjave 105 kažejo, da je treba zadevni pogodbi za namene zakonodaje EU o državni pomoči zaradi časovnega zaporedja, namena in položaja podjetja ob sklenitvi navedenih pogodb šteti za en posel.
The two contracts constitute mutually complementary parts of a single sale-and-lease-back transaction.
Ozadje: kako deluje posel prodaje in povratnega zakupa
The leaflet produced by BAVARIA, advertising its particular sale-and-lease-back model, indicated that the transaction would be implemented via two contracts, one regulating the sale and one the lease-back [48].
Posel med družbama BAVARIA in NEUWOGES temelji na nepremičninskem modelu zakupa (Leasingmodell Immobilien) družbe BAVARIA.
The two contracts were then always referred to as one package transaction.
Osnovna formula, na kateri temelji ta model, je, da kupec (družba BAVARIA) financira svojo prvotno naložbo tako, da prodajalec (NEUWOGES) zakupi prodane stavbe.
The contracts were concluded on the same day (21 January 1998) and refer to one another [49], indicating their close connection and the fact that neither of the contracts would have been concluded without the other.
Da bi se določili obseg naložbe in ustrezni obroki zakupnine, se pri modelu zakupa uporablja preprosta formula, s katero se obseg naložbe izračuna tako, da se nominalni letni obrok zakupnine deli z obrestno mero pri zakupu (izraženo v %):