natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the presence of aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the TFEU
Sodišče se pri presoji merila odgovornosti sklicuje na „sklop[…] kazalcev, ki izvirajo iz okoliščin v postopku v glavni zadevi, in okoliščin, v katerem je bil sprejet ukrep“ [11].
Article 107(1) of the TFEU stipulates that any aid granted by a Member State or using State resources in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings shall, insofar as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the internal market.
Dva javna organa regije Valonija, ki delujeta v njenem imenu, tj. družbi SOGEPA in SPAQUE, sta dodelila ukrepe, naštete v odstavku 2.2 zgoraj.
It emerges from this provision that, to be recognised as State aid, the measures under investigation must (i) have a state origin, i.e. involve state resources and be attributable to the State, (ii) give an economic advantage to their beneficiary, (iii) be selective, and (iv) be likely to distort competition and affect trade between Member States.
Družba SOGEPA, Société Wallonne de Gestion et de Participations, je delniška družba v državni lasti, in sicer v 100-odstotni lasti regije Valonija.
Belgium has not challenged the classification of the rescue aid (Measure 1) as aid.
Zagotavlja izvajanje odločitev valonske vlade v zvezi z intervencijami v gospodarskih družbah in upravljanjem teh intervencij.
The Commission took note of this in its opening decision.
Ustanovljena je bila leta 1999 z združitvijo družb Société Wallonne pour la Sidérurgie (SWS) in Société pour la gestion de participations de la Région wallonne dans des sociétés commerciales (SOWAGEP).
Belgium withdrew its notification of Measure 2 following the initiation of the official investigation procedure.
Družba SOGEPA deluje na zahtevo valonske vlade.
That measure is therefore not analysed in this Decision.
Člen 3(1) njenega statuta določa: „Cilj družbe je opravljanje vseh nalog, ki ji jih dodeli valonska vlada, […].
Belgium contests the classification as aid, however, for Measures 3 to 6, 7 and 8 since these measures offered no economic advantage to their beneficiary or were de minimis.
V okviru tega zagotavlja zlasti izvajanje odločitev valonske vlade o intervencijah v gospodarskih družbah in upravljanje deležev v kapitalu, obveznic, predujmov ali obresti, ki bi jih regija Valonija ali ona sama imeli v teh družbah.“
Presence of state resources
Družba SPAQUE je bila ustanovljena leta 1991 in se ukvarja z dekontaminacijo odlagališč in degradiranih industrijskih območij.
Measures 1, 3, 5 and 6
Odgovorna je za pripravo popisa degradiranih območij v Valoniji.
Measure 1 (the loan of EUR 1 million), Measure 3 (the guarantee of EUR 150000), Measure 5 (the loan of EUR 1,5 million) and Measure 6 (the capital injection of EUR 1,5 million) were granted by Sogepa on behalf of the Walloon Region.
Družba SPAQUE je podružnica družbe Société Régionale d'investissement de la Wallonie (SRIW), ki je v 98,66-odstotni lasti regije Valonija in katere naloga je prispevati k razvoju valonskega gospodarstva s finančno podporo valonskim podjetjem ali podjetjem s sedežem v Valoniji, ki izvajajo industrijske projekte ali storitve, ki ustvarjajo dodano vrednost.
Since Sogepa is an entirely public company, its resources may be considered state resources within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the TFEU [9].
Navedena regija med drugim določi seznam prednostnih območij in posebnih nalog v zvezi z obnovo.
The Commission observes that the agreement granting VSL an exclusive and unlimited right to use the Val Saint-Lambert trade marks and arranging their sale was concluded between VSL and the Walloon Region.
V zvezi z družbo SPAQUE se zdi, da lahko navedena regija prek nanjo prenesenih nalog neposredno vpliva na njene ukrepe.
This measure, along with the conditions for the future sale of trade marks, involves the presence of public resources.
Komisija iz navedenega na tej točki postopka ugotavlja, da obravnavani ukrepi vključujejo državna sredstva in jih je mogoče pripisati državi.
Measure 7
Merilo selektivnosti
According to the information provided by the Belgian authorities, the aid they described as de minimis was also granted by an authority or public company, although Belgium has not specified for each occasion whether it related to the Walloon Region or Sogepa.
Pogoj v zvezi s selektivnostjo je vsekakor izpolnjen.
Whatever the case, these are public resources and, moreover, the Belgian authorities do not contest the state origin of these measures.
Komisija je v sklepu o začetku postopka ugotovila, da so bili vsi obravnavani ukrepi dodeljeni eni sami družbi, to je družbi VSL ali stečajnemu upravitelju družbe CVSL za ukrep št.o3 (poroštvo v višini 150000 EUR).
Measure 8
Obstoj ekonomske ugodnosti
The Commission notes that SPAQuE is a public company, a subsidiary of Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonne (SRIW) and that the funds intended for decontamination of VSL's buildings had already been granted to it by the Walloon government [10].
Zdaj je treba preučiti merilo ekonomske ugodnosti pri pomoči za reševanje pa tudi pri drugih obravnavanih ukrepih glede na pripombe, ki so jih predložili belgijski organi k sklepu o začetku postopka.
SPAQuE's purchase of VSL's plots of land and the provision of some of them free of charge involves the presence of public resources.
Ukrep 1: Pomoč za reševanje v višini 1 milijona EUR
Criterion of imputability
Pomoč za reševanje, dodeljena v obliki posojila v višini 1 milijona EUR po obrestni meri 3,07 %, povečani za 100 bazičnih točk, za plačilo družbi SOGEPA, družbi VSL zagotavlja ekonomsko ugodnost.
In order to judge imputability, the Court of Justice bases itself on ‘a set of indicators arising from the circumstances of the case and the context in which that measure was taken’ [11].
Navedeno posojilo je bilo brez zavarovanja dodeljeno podjetju v težavah, ki je dva meseca pred tem vložilo zahtevo za pravno reorganizacijo (glej odstavek 5.2.1).
Two public bodies of the Walloon Region, acting on its behalf, Sogepa and SPAQuE, granted the measures listed in section 2.2 above.
Kot so priznali belgijski organi, družba VSL kot podjetje v težavah ne bi nikoli mogla pridobiti posojila pri zasebni banki.
Sogepa, the Société Wallonne de Gestion et de Participations, is a company with public share capital, which is wholly owned by the Walloon Region.
Zato je bila s tem ukrepom družbi VSL dodeljena ugodnost v višini 1 milijona EUR (vrednost posojila).
It implements decisions taken by the Walloon Government relating to intervention in commercial companies and managing those interventions.
Ukrep 3 Poroštvo v višini 150000 EUR
It was formed following the merger in 1999 of the Société Wallonne pour la Sidérurgie (SWS) and the Société pour la gestion de participations de la Région wallonne dans des sociétés commerciales (SOWAGEP).
Dvomi Komisije so se nanašali na skladnost te javne intervencije z načelom zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu.
Sogepa acts at the request of the Walloon Government.
Belgijski organi v svojih pripombah niso obravnavali merila ekonomske ugodnosti in niso razpravljali o obstoju ali neobstoju gospodarske kontinuitete med družbama CVSL in VSL.
Article 3(1) of its statutes states that ‘The object of the company is to carry out all tasks entrusted to it by the Walloon Government, ….
Komisija navaja, da so jo belgijski organi obvestili, da zainteresirane strani ob odobritvi garancije niso sklenile in podpisale garancijske pogodbe.
In this context, it implements decisions to intervene in commercial companies taken by the Walloon Government and manages the holdings, obligations, advances or interests that the Walloon Region may have in such companies.’
Zato je edini element, ki ga ima na voljo, dopis družbe SOGEPA z dne 24. septembra 2008, naslovljen na banko ING, v katerem družba SOGEPA potrjuje svoje poroštvo, da bo krila morebitne izgube, izhajajoče iz nadaljevanja dejavnosti, v višini 150000 EUR.
SPAQuE is a subsidiary of the Société Régionale d'investissement de la Wallonie (SRIW), in which the Walloon Region has a 98,66 % shareholding, and its objective is to contribute to the development of the Walloon economy by providing financial support to Walloon undertakings or undertakings established in the Walloon Region which are operating industrial or service projects that create value added.
Komisija je zato glede na navedeno menila, da brez javne intervencije ne bi bilo dodeljeno celotno posojilo.
Under the management contract signed in July 2007 between the Walloon Government and SPAQuE for the 2008-2012 period and renewed in October 2012 for a further 6 months, SPAQuE implements the activities carried out in the context of delegated tasks entrusted to it by the Walloon Region.
Zato ni imela poslovnega interesa za odobritev navedenega brezplačnega poroštva družbi CVSL.
In this context, it acts on instruction from the Region.
Komisija iz navedenega ugotavlja, da je družba CVSL z brezplačno odobritvijo navedenega poroštva pridobila ugodnost.
The Region establishes, in particular, the list of priority sites and specific rehabilitation mandates.
Ta ugodnost ustreza premiji, ki bi jo zahtevalo zasebno podjetje za odobritev poroštva v podobnih okoliščinah, družba SOGEPA pa se ji je odpovedala.
The Region, through its delegated tasks, is capable of directly influencing the actions undertaken by SPAQuE.
Zato znesek pomoči ustreza razliki med obrestno mero za posojilo, ki bi jo stečajni upravitelj družbe CVSL plačal na trgu brez državnega poroštva, in dejansko plačano obrestno mero s poroštvom.
Consequently, the Commission concludes at this stage of the procedure that the measures under investigation involve state resources and are attributable to the State.
Ta pristop je v skladu s točko 4.2 Obvestila Komisije o uporabi členov 87 in 88 Pogodbe ES za državno pomoč v obliki poroštev [12]: „Pri posameznih poroštvih je gotovinski ekvivalent dotacije poroštva enak razliki med tržno ceno poroštva in dejansko plačano ceno.
Criterion of selectivity
Kadar na trgu niso predvidena poroštva za zadevno vrsto transakcije, ni na voljo tržne cene za poroštvo.
The condition with regard to selectivity is easily met.
V tem primeru je treba element pomoči izračunati na enak način kot ekvivalent dotacije ugodnega posojila, in sicer kot razliko med določeno tržno obrestno mero, ki bi veljala za podjetje brez poroštva, ter obrestno mero, pridobljeno z državnim poroštvom, potem ko se upoštevajo morebiti plačane premije.“
The Commission noted in the opening decision that the measures under investigation were all granted in favour of just one company, VSL or CVSL's insolvency administrators for Measure 3 (the guarantee of EUR 150000).
Ta znesek je treba izračunati po naslednji formuli:
Presence of an economic advantage
Znesek pomoči = (14,59 % – 10,75 %) × 300000 × 343/365 = 10825,64 EUR
It is now necessary to examine the criterion of economic advantage, both for the rescue aid and for the other measures under investigation, in the light of the comments made by the Belgian authorities in relation to the opening decision.
14,59 % je izračunanih tako: 4,59 % (izhodiščna obrestna mera za Belgijo avgusta 2008 [13]), ki ji je treba prišteti 1000 bazičnih točk zaradi položaja družbe CVSL (podjetje, ki ima bonitetno oceno CCC in nizko stopnjo zavarovanja [14]).
Measure 1: Rescue aid of EUR 1 million
10,75 % je obrestna mera za posojilo banke ING, 343 dni pa je obdobje, za katero je bilo posojilo dodeljeno do njegovega poplačila.
The rescue aid granted in the form of a EUR 1 million loan at an interest rate of 3,07 % plus 100 basis points, by way of remuneration for Sogepa, gives VSL an economic advantage.
Ukrep 4: Prenos in uporaba znamk družbe Val Saint-Lambert
The loan was granted without any collateral to an undertaking in difficulty, which 2 months earlier had submitted a request for judicial reorganisation (cf. section 5.2.1).
Dvomi Komisije so se nanašali na skladnost z načelom zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu pogojev v zvezi s prodajo in plačilom pogojev za uporabo znamk s strani družbe VSL (plačilo ustreza 1,5 % EBITDA v prvih petih proračunskih letih in 5 % od šestega proračunskega leta) [15].
As recognised by the Belgian authorities, VSL — being an undertaking in difficulty — would never have been able to obtain a loan from a private bank.
Pogodba z dne 29. januarja 2009 med družbama Compagnie financière du Val, ki je v lasti regije Valonija, in VSL določa podelitev izključne licence za uporabo znamk in pogoje odkupa znamk s strani družbe VSL (glej uvodno izjavo 19 in naslednje).
Consequently, this measure conferred an advantage on VSL of EUR 1 million (value of the loan).
Komisija ugotavlja, da za navedeno izključno licenco za uporabo znamk veljajo pogoji, ki jih zasebni tržni udeleženec ne bi zahteval.
Measure 3: Guarantee of EUR 150000
Navedeni pogoji so vplivali na plačilo licence in ceno prihodnje prodaje znamk.
The Commission's doubts concerned whether or not this public intervention complied with the market-economy investor principle.
Po mnenju Komisije sta se iz političnih razlogov (ohranjanje dejavnosti v Seraingu in določena raven zaposlenosti) znižala plačilo za uporabo licence in prodajna cena.
The guarantee was for EUR 150000, without remuneration.
Znesek pomoči, ki izhaja iz uporabe znamk, ustreza razliki med plačilom, ki bi ga predlagal zasebni vlagatelj brez političnih pogojev, ki jih je naložila regija Valonija, in dejansko izvedenim plačilom.
The loan was intended to enable CVSL to continue its activity until the company's eventual recovery.
Belgijski organi bodo morali v okviru postopka izterjave imenovati neodvisnega izvedenca, usposobljenega za izvedbo tovrstne ocene, izbranega po odprtem in preglednem postopku in imenovanega s soglasjem Komisije.
The Commission notes that the Belgian authorities informed it that no guarantee agreement was drawn up or signed by the interested parties at the time it was granted.
Ta izvedenec bo pripravil študijo, na podlagi katere bo mogoče določiti plačilo, skladno s splošno uporabljenimi metodami, sprejetimi za upravljanje sredstev intelektualne lastnine.
Consequently, the only evidence it has is a letter from Sogepa dated 24 September 2008 and sent to ING in which Sogepa confirms its guarantee to cover any eventual losses resulting from the continuation of activities, up to a maximum of EUR 150000.
Ukrep v zvezi s prenosom ni bil nikoli izveden zaradi stečaja družbe VSL.
The Commission therefore notes that Sogepa granted an unremunerated guarantee to the insolvency administrators of a bankrupt company.
Prenos znamk ni bil izveden in regija Valonija je še vedno njihova lastnica.
Moreover, the Belgian authorities stated that ING made the granting of the loan conditional on obtaining the guarantee.
Komisija zato meni, da ni treba naložiti vračila navedenega ukrepa, ker nikoli ni bil izveden.
Consequently, in the light of these factors, the Commission takes the view that, without public intervention, the loan as a whole would not have been granted.
Ukrep 5: posojilo v višini 1,5 milijona EUR
Moreover, the Commission notes that the Walloon Region had no direct legal or commercial link with CVSL.
Dvomi Komisije so se nanašali na vrednost, določeno za zavarovanje posojila in za obrestno mero.
The Region was not a shareholder in CVSL, either directly or indirectly through Sogepa.
Komisija je namreč menila, da je bila lahko dejanska vrednost zemljišč, ki služijo kot zavarovanje, manjša ali celo negativna, ker je bilo treba navedena zemljišča ali del teh dekontaminirati.
Consequently, the Region had no commercial interest in granting this unremunerated guarantee to CVSL.
Komisija namreč ugotavlja, da je iz dokumentov, ki so ji bili predloženi, razvidno, da je bil pod hipoteko del nepremičnin družbe VSL, ki jih je bilo treba obnoviti in dekontaminirati, če bi se prodale.
The Commission concludes that the granting of this unremunerated guarantee conferred an advantage on CVSL.
Belgijski organi so odgovorili, da na datum priprave izvedenskega poročila za lastnika zadevnih nepremičnin ni veljala nobena zakonska obveznost.
The advantage corresponds to the premium that a private company would have required to grant the guarantee under similar circumstances, and which Sogepa waived.
Zato naj pri vrednosti navedenih nepremičnin ne bi bilo treba upoštevati morebitnih stroškov dekontaminacije.
The Belgian authorities pointed out that the loan of EUR 300000 was fully repaid on 28 July 2009 by the insolvency administrators out of available funds and by calling in the guarantee to the tune of EUR 150000.
Poleg tega je v poročilu uprave upravnega sveta, priloženem letnim finančnim poročilom za proračunsko leto, zaključeno 31. decembra 2009, navedeno, da je v poročilu o študiji pisarne Marengo, katerega namen je oceniti nepremičninska sredstva družbe VSL v letu 2009, navedeno, da so določene vrednosti pravilne samo, če so zemljišča in objekti dekontaminirani, kar še niso.
Consequently, the amount of aid corresponds to the difference between the interest rate on the loan that CVSL's insolvency administrators would have paid on the market in the absence of the public guarantee and the interest rate actually paid with the guarantee.
Komisija zato meni, da je mogoče na podlagi ocene neodvisnega izvedenca in ponudbe za nakup navedena zavarovanja opredeliti kot visoka.
This approach satisfies point 4.2 of the Commission's Notice on the application of Articles 87 and 88 of the EC Treaty to State aid in the form of guarantees [12]: ‘For an individual guarantee the cash grant equivalent of a guarantee should be calculated as the difference between the market price of the guarantee and the price actually paid.
Na ta datum je družba VSL izkazovala primanjkljaj v višini 2 milijona EUR, pri čemer je bil začetni osnovni kapital družbe 2 milijona EUR.
Where the market does not provide guarantees for the type of transaction concerned, no market price for the guarantee is available.
Navedeno podjetje je imelo tudi veliko rezervo v višini 3 milijonov EUR in 5,759 milijona EUR dolgov.
Amount of aid = (14,59 % – 10,75 %) × 300000 × 343/365 = EUR 10825,64
Sporočilo o referenčni obrestni meri določa prištetje 400 bazičnih točk po obrestni meri 1,77 % [17], veljavni za Belgijo ob dodelitvi posojila za podjetje, katerega bonitetno oceno bi bilo mogoče opredeliti kot CCC in ki zagotavlja visoko zavarovanje, to je obrestno mero 5,77 % (1,77 % + 400 bazičnih točk).
Measure 4: Sale and use of the Val Saint-Lambert trade marks
Ukrep 6: Povečanje kapitala za 1,5 milijona EUR
The agreement of 29 January 2009 between Compagnie financière du Val, owned by the Walloon Region, and VSL provides for the granting of an exclusive licence to use the trade marks and lays down the conditions for VSL to buy back the trade marks (cf. recitals 19 et seq.).
Belgijski organi v svojih pripombah navajajo, da se Komisija pri opredelitvi ukrepa kot državne pomoči ne more opreti na naknadni donos naložbe.
In fact, the Walloon Region required the following quid pro quo from VSL: ‘This licence for use may be cancelled at any moment, automatically and without notice by the Walloon Region, should VSL (or its successors) be unable to demonstrate production on the Val Saint-Lambert site at Seraing of high added-value crystal products now in activity at a minimum 60 % of the full-time equivalent employment, excluding temporary lay-offs, existing on the day of CVSL's bankruptcy …’.
Toda Komisija ugotavlja, da regija Valonija prispeva sveži kapital, družba CFC pa prinaša terjatev, ki jo ima do svoje podružnice.
The Commission notes that, in return for granting the exclusive licence, the Region imposed on VSL an obligation to retain production at the Seraing site and to maintain a previously determined level of employment.
Navedena regija 17. marca 2011 v nasprotju s trditvami belgijskih organov ni intervenirala hkrati z delničarsko družbo CFC.
These conditions had an impact on the remuneration of the licence and on the price of the future sale of the trade marks.
Regija Valonija pred navedenim ukrepom ni bila delničarka družbe VSL.
The Commission considers that the political conditions (retaining activity at Seraing and maintaining a certain level of employment) reduced the remuneration for the use of the licence and the sale price.
Komisija zato meni, da povečanja kapitala ni mogoče obravnavati kot enakovreden ukrep.
Consequently, the remuneration of 1,5 % of Ebitda over the first 5 financial years and 5 % as from the sixth financial year cannot be considered as remuneration in line with a market price.
To, da je regija Valonija dodelila posojilo dve leti pred tem, ne zadostuje za utemeljitev preudarnosti povečanja kapitala.
Nor can the price of EUR [700000-1000000] proposed by the buyers in October 2008 in the context of the takeover process be considered to be a market price due to the presence of the above conditions, which a market-economy investor would not have imposed and which may have discouraged some investors from making a bid.
Poleg tega z okoliščino, da ima regija Valonija po eni strani terjatev v začetnem znesku 280000 EUR, vendar nedvomno nižjem ob povečanju kapitala, saj je družba VSL to terjatev po navedbah belgijskih organov od 5. oktobra 2008 poplačevala v znesku 35000 EUR na leto, in da je po drugi strani leta 2009 dodelila posojilo v višini 1,5 milijona EUR, ni mogoče utemeljiti preudarnosti dodatne naložbe v višini 1,5 milijona EUR v družbo, katere finančni položaj se je še naprej slabšal (glej odstavek 5.2.1).
The amount of aid resulting from the use of the trade marks corresponds to the difference between the remuneration that a private investor would have proposed without the political conditions imposed by the Walloon Region and the remuneration actually granted.
Komisija poleg tega trdi, da odločitev o povečanju kapitala ni bila sprejeta na podlagi poslovnega načrta, temveč samo na podlagi eno stran finančne napovedi, dolge eno stran.
In the context of the recovery procedure, the Belgian authorities must appoint an independent expert, qualified to make this kind of assessment, selected by means of an open and transparent process and appointed in agreement with the Commission.
V tej napovedi ni nikjer pojasnjeno, kako si namerava navedeno podjetje opomoči, niti kaj naj bi zagotovilo v zameno ponudniku kapitala, to je regiji Valonija.
The expert will produce a study enabling the remuneration to be determined in accordance with generally used and accepted methods of managing intellectual property assets.
Vendar je bilo že v proračunskem letu od 2008 do 2009 očitno, da je bilo navedeno podjetje v težavnem ekonomskem in finančnem položaju (glej ukrep 4).
The measure relating to the sale was never implemented due to VSL's bankruptcy.
S samim povečanjem prometa ni mogoče utemeljiti povečanja kapitala za 1,5 milijona EUR brez upoštevanja drugih meril, kot sta EBITDA ali stopnja zadolženosti podjetja.
The sale of the trade marks did not take place and the Walloon Region still owns them.
Zato povečanja kapitala ni mogoče izenačiti z ravnanjem zasebnega vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu, temveč ga je mogoče obravnavati kot pomoč v višini 1,5 milijona EUR, ki ustreza celotnemu povečanju kapitala.
Measure 5: Loan of EUR 1,5 million
Komisija meni, da je za te treba šteti, da ne izpolnjujejo vseh pogojev iz člena 107(1) Pogodbe in da torej ne pomenijo pomoči, po začetku veljavnosti Uredbe (EU) št. 1407/2013 [18].
The Commissions' doubts related to the value of the loan's collateral and the interest rate.
Člen 7 navedene uredbe določa, da se uporablja za pomoč, dodeljeno pred začetkom njene veljavnosti, če pomoč izpolnjuje vse pogoje iz navedene uredbe.
The Commission considered that, since the actual value of the plots of land was used as collateral, the value could be lower or even negative as the plots of land or some of them had to be decontaminated.
Upravičenec ni podjetje, katerega področje dejavnosti spada med izjeme, naštete v členu 1 navedenega predpisa.
The Commission notes from documents provided to it that the mortgage related in part to VSL buildings that needed to be rehabilitated and decontaminated if they were to be sold.
Komisija iz navedenega sklepa, da obravnavani ukrepi izpolnjujejo pogoje iz navedene uredbe.