natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
As mentioned before, in order to establish that a measure involves the grant of state aid under Article 61(1) of the EEA Agreement the Authority must establish that the measure confers an economic advantage which the undertaking would not have received in the normal course of business.
Kot je že bilo navedeno, da bi Nadzorni organ ugotovil, ali je pri ukrepu šlo za dodelitev državne pomoči v smislu člena 61(1) Sporazuma EGP, mora proučiti, ali daje ukrep podjetju gospodarsko prednost, ki je med običajnim poslovanjem ne bi dobilo.
To be qualified as state aid, the advantage must be granted by the State or through state resources.
Prednost se šteje kot državna pomoč, če jo dodeli država ali je dodeljena iz državnih sredstev.
The advantage can also be granted though a public undertaking provided there is imputability to the State [92].
Lahko se dodeli tudi prek javnega podjetja, če gre za odgovornost države [92].
The European Court of Justice held in Stardust Marine [93] that: “…“Art.
Sodišče Evropske unije je v zadevi Stardust Marine [93] presodilo, da:
87 (1) EC covers all the financial means by which the public authorities may actually support undertakings, irrespective of whether or not those means are permanent assets of the public sector.
„… člen 87(1) ES zajema vsa denarna sredstva, ki jih lahko javni organi dejansko uporabijo za podporo gospodarskih subjektov, pri čemer ni pomembno, ali ta sredstva trajno spadajo v premoženje navedenih javnih organov.
Therefore, even if the sums corresponding to the measure in question are not permanently held by the Treasury, the fact that they constantly remain under public control, and therefore available to the competent national authorities, is sufficient for them to be categorised as State resources.
Zato, čeprav zneski, ki ustrezajo zadevnemu ukrepu, niso stalno v lasti ministrstva za finance, dejstvo, da ostajajo stalno pod javnim nadzorom in torej na voljo pristojnim nacionalnim organom, zadostuje za to, da se jih opredeli kot državna sredstva.
The State is perfectly capable, by exercising its dominant influence over such undertakings of directing the use of their resources in order, as occasion arise, to finance specific advantages in favour of other undertakings.
Država lahko uveljavlja svoj prevladujoči vpliv nad takimi podjetji, da usmerja rabo njihovih sredstev, da po potrebi financira posebne prednosti v korist drugih podjetij.
[…] the position of a public undertaking cannot be compared with that of a private undertaking.
[…] položaj javnega podjetja se ne more primerjati s položajem zasebnega podjetja.
Through its public undertakings, the State may pursue objectives other than commercial ones, […].“
Država lahko prek javnih podjetij uresničuje druge cilje, ne zgolj poslovne […].“
The Authority refers to its recent decisions regarding long term power contracts entered into by Landsvirkjun, Decision No 391/11/COL and No 392/11/COL, and takes the same approach as regards the imputability of the Power Contract in the case at hand.
Nadzorni organ se sklicuje na nedavne odločbe v zvezi z dolgoročnimi pogodbami o prodaji električne energije, ki jih je sklenila družba Landsvirkjun, tj. odločbi št. 391/11/COL in št. 392/11/COL, in uporablja enak pristop glede odgovornosti v zvezi s pogodbo o prodaji električne energije v obravnavani zadevi.
In addition to the general argument put forward in above mentioned decisions, the Authority notes that in a memorandum prepared by the Ministry of Industry on 23 October 2008, which the Icelandic authorities made available to the Authority in the pre-notification procedure of the case at hand, reference is made to the discussions between Verne and the Icelandic authorities on possible measures, amongst them subsidised power price at the beginning of Verne’s operations.
Nadzorni organ poleg splošnih utemeljitev iz zgoraj navedenih odločb ugotavlja, da so v memorandumu, ki ga je 23. oktobra 2008 pripravilo ministrstvo za industrijo in so ga islandski organi dali na voljo Nadzornemu organu v postopku pred priglasitvijo v obravnavani zadevi, navedene razprave med družbo Verne in islandskimi organi o možnih ukrepih, med katerimi je tudi subvencionirana cena električne energije na začetku poslovanja družbe Verne.
Landsvirkjun was a party to the first draft Memorandum of Understanding, dated 15 December 2008, in preparation for the later cancelled Investment Agreement between the Icelandic authorities and Verne, which was also made available to the Authority during the pre-notification procedure.
Družba Landsvirkjun je bila pogodbenica prvega osnutka memoranduma o soglasju z dne 15. decembra 2008 v okviru priprave pozneje odpovedane investicijske pogodbe med islandskimi organi in družbo Verne; tudi ta je bil Nadzornemu na voljo med postopkom pred priglasitvijo.
The following clause was included in the draft Memorandum of Understanding as regard a previous power contract between Landsvirkjun and Verne [94]:
V osnutek memoranduma o soglasju je bila vključena naslednja določba glede prejšnje pogodbe o prodaji električne energije med družbama Landsvirkjun in Verne [94]:
“The first […] of power to Verne for a 20 year term will be sold at whatever rate it takes to land Verne’s initial customer.”
„Prvih […] električne energije bo družbi Verne za dvajset let prodano po takšni ceni, da bo lahko družba Verne pridobila prvo stranko“.
The above demonstrates in the Authority’s view that the State was involved in the decisions of Landsvirkjun in the case at hand.
Iz navedenega po mnenju Nadzornega organa izhaja, da je v obravnavani zadevi država sodelovala pri odločitvah družbe Landsvirkjun.
Not only is Landsvirkjun fully owned and controlled by the Icelandic state, it has evidently been used by the State in its efforts to attract the data centre industry to Iceland. [95]
Ta družba ni le v celoti v lasti in pod nadzorom Islandije, ampak jo je država očitno uporabljala, ko si je prizadevala pritegniti industrijo podatkovnih centrov na Islandijo [95].
Overall, the Authority therefore, in light of the legal status of Landsvirkjun, the past evident use of Landsvirkjun as a tool to attract foreign investment and the general circumstances of the case concludes that the Power Contract is imputable to the State, and that it entails State resources if and to the extent it confers an advantage on Verne.
Nadzorni organ zato glede na pravni status družbe Landsvirkjun, očitno uporabo te družbe v preteklosti kot sredstva za pritegnitev tujih naložb in splošne okoliščine zadeve ugotavlja, da se pogodba o prodaji električne energije lahko pripiše državi ter da pomeni državna sredstva, če in kolikor daje prednost družbi Verne.
Advantage in the Power Contract
Prednost, ki izhaja iz pogodbe o prodaji električne energije
When governments make financial transactions and investments, the European Court of Justice has stated that in order to confirm whether a state measure constitutes aid, it is necessary to establish whether the recipient undertaking receives an economic advantage, which it would not have obtained under normal conditions [96].
Sodišče Evropske unije je določilo, da je treba v primerih finančnih transakcij ali naložb, ki jih izvedejo vlade, za potrditev, ali državni ukrep pomeni pomoč, ugotoviti, ali ima upravičeno podjetje gospodarsko prednost, ki je v običajnih tržnih razmerah ne bi imelo [96].
In doing so, the Authority has to apply the market economy investor test [97], which in essence provides that state aid is granted whenever a state makes funds available to an undertaking which in the normal course of events would not be provided by a private investor applying ordinary commercial criteria and disregarding other considerations of a social, political or philanthropic nature [98].
Nadzorni organ mora pri tem uporabiti preskus načela vlagatelja v tržnem gospodarstvu [97], ki določa, da je državna pomoč dodeljena, kadar koli da država podjetju na voljo sredstva, ki jih v običajnih razmerah zasebni vlagatelj, ki bi uporabljal običajna gospodarska merila in ne bi upošteval drugih socialnih, političnih ali človekoljubnih pomislekov, ne bi zagotovil [98].
The measure at hand – a power contract, with a publicly owned company as a seller – could thus entail an element of state aid if its terms are such that they would not have been acceptable to a private market investor and that the sale of electricity could not have been expected to be sufficiently profitable for a private operator.
Obravnavani ukrep – pogodba o prodaji električne energije z družbo v javni lasti kot prodajalcem – bi lahko torej pomenil element državne pomoči, če so pogoji te pogodbe taki, da se zasebnemu vlagatelju v tržnem gospodarstvu ne bi zdeli sprejemljivi in da se prodaja električne energije zasebnemu udeležencu ne bi zdela dovolj donosna.
The Authority observes that the issue is to examine whether a private investor operating in a market economy would have chosen to enter into a long term bilateral contract for the same price and on the same terms as in the agreement under assessment.
Nadzorni organ meni, da je treba proučiti, ali bi se zasebni vlagatelj, ki deluje v tržnem gospodarstvu, odločil za sklenitev dolgoročne dvostranske pogodbe po isti ceni in pod enakimi pogoji, kot so določeni v pogodbi, ki se ocenjuje [99].
However, in making that assessment the Authority cannot replace the seller’s judgment with its own, which implies that the seller of electricity must enjoy a wide margin of judgment.
Toda pri tem Nadzorni organ presoje prodajalca ne more zamenjati s svojo lastno, kar pomeni, da mora imeti prodajalec električne energije široko diskrecijo pri presoji.
Whilst the Authority fully recognises the right for public companies such as Landsvirkjun to operate on the market on commercial terms, it nevertheless must consider carefully whether similar agreements would have been concluded by a private market investor. [100]
Čeprav se Nadzorni organ v celoti zaveda, da imajo javne družbe, kot je Landsvirkjun, pravico do poslovanja na trgu pod tržnimi pogoji, mora vseeno natančno proučiti, ali bi zasebni vlagatelj na trgu sklenil podobne pogodbe [100].
Moreover, the Authority must base its assessment of the price and terms of the contracts between Landsvirkjun and Verne on the information available at the time of the conclusion of the contract.
Poleg tega mora Nadzorni organ svojo oceno cene in pogojev pogodbe med družbama Landsvirkjun in Verne utemeljiti na informacijah, ki so bile na voljo ob sklepanju pogodbe.
The Authority observes that Landsvirkjun decided in 2010 to reduce its dependency of adjusting price of electricity to power intensive uses with the price of aluminium and this seems to decrease the risk for the company as regards agreements entered into with the aluminium industry, which is the main buyer of electricity in the power intensive industry in Iceland.
Nadzorni organ navaja, da se je družba Landsvirkjun leta 2010 odločila, da bo zmanjšala svojo odvisnost, kar zadeva prilagajanje cen električne energije za uporabo v energetsko intenzivni industriji glede na ceno aluminija, in zdi se, da je to zmanjšalo tveganje za družbo v zvezi s pogodbami, sklenjenimi z industrijo aluminija, ki je najpomembnejši kupec električne energije v energetsko intenzivni industriji na Islandiji.
The Authority notes that the contract at hand is entered into before the new pricing policy was introduced by Landsvirkjun.
Nadzorni organ ugotavlja, da je bila zadevna pogodba sklenjena, preden je družba Landsvirkjun uvedla novo politiko določanja cen.
As described above, Verne will be buying power from facilities owned by the state controlled Landsvirkjun.
Kot je navedeno, bo družba Verne električno energijo kupovala od obratov v lasti družbe Landsvirkjun, ki je pod nadzorom države.
The electricity will be provided by the existing facilities of Landsvirkjun.
Električno energijo bodo torej zagotavljali obstoječi obrati družbe Landsvirkjun.
Landsvirkjun has explained that there is a certain flexibility built into the power supply committed for by Landsvirkjun.
Družba Landsvirkjun je pojasnila, da je v oskrbo z električno energijo, za katero je obveznosti prevzela ta družba, vključena določena stopnja prilagodljivosti.
During the first five years of the contract period Verne has the possibility to grow to […].
V prvih petih letih veljavnosti pogodbe ima družba Verne možnost rasti do […].
If after the first five years the growth has not reached […] Verne is obligated to pay for […] during the remainder of the contract period (take-or-pay obligation).
Če po prvih petih letih rast ne doseže […], mora družba Verne plačati za […] v preostalem času veljavnosti pogodbe („obveznost vzemi ali plačaj“).
The Authority must verify whether the price - and other terms - of the part of the power already available and Landsvirkjun will provide Verne with, reflects market price.
Nadzorni organ mora preveriti, ali cena in drugi pogoji dela električne energije, ki je družbi Verne že na voljo in ji jo bo družba Landsvirkjun zagotovila, odražajo tržno ceno.
The Icelandic authorities have submitted that the isolation of the Icelandic power market from the rest of the European interconnected power market has characterized the market for electricity to industries in Iceland.
Islandski organi trdijo, da je za trg oskrbe z električno energijo na Islandiji značilna izoliranost od preostalega dela evropskega medsebojno povezanega trga električne energije.
In the case at hand, however, a market price for electricity to power intensive industry in Icelandis not readily available.
Vendar v obravnavani zadevi tržna cena električne energije za energetsko intenzivno industrijo na Islandiji ni dostopna.
In this respect it should be noted that there is no alternative outlet in the general Icelandic market for supply of electricity of the magnitude as in the case at hand.
V zvezi s tem je treba navesti, da ni nobenega drugega trga na splošnem islandskem trgu za dobavo električne energije take razsežnosti, kot je v obravnavani zadevi.
The isolated and limited size of the Icelandic market for general consumption of electricity would not be able to absorb the production generated by Landsvirkjun.
Islandski trg za splošno porabo električne energije zaradi svoje izoliranosti in omejenosti ne bi mogel porabiti proizvodnje, ki jo ustvarja družba Landsvirkjun.
The only outlet would be, as in the current case, large industrial consumers located in Iceland.
Edini trg bi bili veliki industrijski odjemalci s sedežem na Islandiji, kot v obravnavani zadevi.
The isolation of the market also means that the benchmark cannot be established as being the price in Europe.
Zaradi izoliranosti trga tudi ni mogoče določiti referenčnih vrednosti, kot je cena po Evropi.
In the absence of a relevant benchmark the Authority must rely on the information provided by the Icelandic authorities on the average price paid to Landsvirkjun in the past under the contracts with other power intensive businesses.
Ker ni primernih referenčnih vrednosti, se mora Nadzorni organ zanesti na informacije, ki so mu jih poslali islandski organi o povprečni ceni, plačani družbi Landsvirkjun v preteklosti v skladu s pogodbami z drugimi energetsko intenzivnimi podjetji.
The Icelandic authorities have provided the following information on Landsvirkjun’s average power price to power intensive industry in Icelandin the past.
Islandski organi so predložili naslednje informacije o povprečni ceni električne energije, ki jo je družba Landsvirkjun v preteklosti zaračunavala energetsko intenzivni industriji na Islandiji.
The Authority understands that transmission costs are included in the figures.
Nadzorni organ predpostavlja, da so stroški prenosa vključeni v te podatke.
Landsvirkjun has further explained the pricing mechanism of the Power Contract.
Družba Landsvirkjun je nadalje pojasnila mehanizem določanja cen v pogodbi o prodaji električne energije.
The power is priced in two steps.
Cena električne energije se določi v dveh fazah.
[…] to start their data center activities in Iceland.
[…] za začetek dejavnosti podatkovnega centra na Islandiji.
This initial power price is in steps during the first half of the contract period ([…]).[…].
V prvi polovici časa veljavnosti pogodbe znaša ta začetna cena električne energije v fazah ([…]).[…].
The Authority recalls the actual price negotiated in the case at hand (transmission costs not included):
Nadzorni organ opozarja, da je dejanska cena, dogovorjena v obravnavani zadevi (brez stroškov prenosa):
until end of contract period
do konca obdobja veljavnosti pogodbe
Thus, the prices set out in the Power Contract are […] to all power intensive customers of Landsvirkjun (taking into account the transmission costs which are added in the case of Verne) except for the period until […], when the prices Verne pays […].
Torej so cene, določene v pogodbi o prodaji električne energije, […] za vse energetsko intenzivne odjemalce družbe Landsvirkjun (pri čemer se upoštevajo stroški prenosa, ki se v primeru družbe Verne dodajo), razen za obdobje do […], ko družba Verne plača […].
Moreover, the price for the volume between […] (see Decision 392/11/COL).
Poleg tega je cena za količino med […] (glej Odločbo 392/11/COL).
Furthermore, the Take or Pay Obligation ensures a constant sale of a considerable share of the electricity provided.
„Obveznost vzemi ali plačaj“ zagotavlja stalno prodajo precejšnjega deleža zagotovljene električne energije.
For the above mentioned reasons, the Authority concludes that the terms of the Power Contract must fall within the margin of discretion that public companies enjoy in running their business.
Iz zgoraj navedenih razlogov Nadzorni organ ugotavlja, da morajo pogoji iz pogodbe o prodaji električne energije spadati v okvir diskrecijske pravice, ki jo imajo javne družbe pri svojem poslovanju.
On the basis of the information provided by the Icelandic authorities, the Authority concludes that the Power Contract does not entail an advantage for Verne.
Na podlagi informacij, ki so jih zagotovili islandski organi, Nadzorni organ ugotavlja, da pogodba o prodaji električne energije ne daje prednosti družbi Verne.
LEGALITY OF THE MEASURES
ZAKONITOST UKREPOV
Pursuant to Article 1(3) of Part I of Protocol 3, “the EFTA Surveillance Authority shall be informed, in sufficient time to enable it to submit its comments, of any plans to grant or alter aid (…). The State concerned shall not put its proposed measures into effect until the procedure has resulted in a final decision”.
V skladu s členom 1(3) dela I Protokola 3 se: „mora biti Nadzorni organ Efte o vseh načrtih za dodelitev ali spremembo pomoči obveščen dovolj zgodaj, da lahko predloži pripombe […]. Zadevna država ne sme izvajati svojih predlaganih ukrepov, dokler v tem postopku ni sprejeta dokončna odločitev“.
The Icelandic authorities did not notify the aid identified above prior to taking effect thus not allowing the Authority to take its final decision before the aid was granted.
Islandski organi niso priglasili zgoraj navedene pomoči pred njeno izvedbo, s čimer Nadzornemu organu niso omogočili, da bi sprejel končno odločitev pred dodelitvijo pomoči.
Therefore, the aid is unlawful.
Zato je pomoč nezakonita.
Support measures caught by Article 61(1) of the EEA Agreement are generally incompatible with the functioning of the EEA Agreement, unless they qualify for derogation under Article 61(2) or (3) of the EEA Agreement.
Podporni ukrepi iz člena 61(1) Sporazuma EGP so na splošno nezdružljivi z delovanjem Sporazuma EGP, razen če izpolnjujejo pogoje za odstopanje iz člena 61(2) ali (3) Sporazuma EGP.
Under the Regional Aid Guidelines, measures may qualify as compatible aid under Article 61(3)(c) if aimed to “assist the development of the most disadvantaged regions by supporting investment and job creation”.
V skladu s smernicami o regionalni pomoči lahko ukrepi pomenijo združljivo pomoč po členu 61(3)(c), če so: „namenjen[i] pomoči pri razvoju najbolj prikrajšanih regij s podpiranjem naložb in ustvarjanjem delovnih mest“.
The Authority notes that the data centre will be located in Reykjanesbær, which is an area eligible for regional investment aid based on the Authority’s Decision No 378/06/COL on the regional aid map of assisted areas for Iceland.
Nadzorni organ navaja, da bo podatkovni center postavljen v občini Reykjanesbær, ki je območje, upravičeno do regionalne pomoči za naložbe na podlagi Odločbe Nadzornega organa št. 378/06/COL o karti regionalnih pomoči za območja, ki prejemajo pomoč na Islandiji.
In the later withdrawn notification, one of the measures dealt with in this decisions was notified; the municipal property tax.
V naknadno umaknjeni priglasitvi je bil priglašen eden od ukrepov, ki jih obravnava ta odločba, tj. občinski davek od premoženja.
The notification was withdrawn after opening of the formal investigation.
Priglasitev je bila umaknjena po začetku formalnega postopka preiskave.
However, the Municipality had already put into effect the measures contained in the Agreement on Licensing and Charges and the measures had not been abolished.
Vendar je občina Reykjanesbær že izvedla ukrepe iz pogodbe o izdaji licenc in pristojbinah in ukrepi niso bili ukinjeni.
The Icelandic authorities argued, in the later withdrawn notification and in their comments to the opening decision, that the derogations from municipal property tax on an annual basis was compatible with the functioning of the EEA Agreement under the Regional Aid Guidelines, as a part of different tax measures.
Islandski organi so v naknadno umaknjeni priglasitvi in v svojih pripombah k odločbi o začetku postopka trdili, da so izjeme od obveznosti plačila občinskih davkov od premoženja na letni osnovi kot del različnih davčnih ukrepov združljive z delovanjem Sporazuma EGP po smernicah o regionalni pomoči.
The Icelandic authorities notified the municipal property tax derogations as a part of the overall tax derogations provided for in the Investment Agreement in 2009 for the construction of the Data Centre initially planned.
Islandski organi so priglasili izjeme od obveznosti plačila davkov od premoženja na občinski ravni kot del splošnih izjem od obveznosti plačila davkov, določenih leta 2009 v investicijski pogodbi za gradnjo prvotno načrtovanega podatkovnega centra.
Later, the Investment Agreement as such has been abandoned, yet the municipality property tax measure as part of the Agreement on Licensing and Charges entered into between Verne and the Municipality is an independent measure.
Pozneje je bila investicijska pogodba razveljavljena, vendar je ukrep v zvezi z občinskim davkom od premoženja kot del pogodbe o izdaji licenc in pristojbinah, sklenjene med družbo Verne in občino Reykjanesbær, neodvisen ukrep [101].
Moreover, it was, according to the Icelandic authorities, put into effect already in early 2009 and is granted on an annual basis.
Poleg tega je po navedbah islandskih organov začel veljati že v začetku leta 2009 in je odobren na letni osnovi.
The derogations from the municipal property tax in the Agreement on Licensing and Charges are not linked to a specific investment.
Izjeme od obveznosti plačila občinskih davkov od premoženja v pogodbi o izdaji licenc in pristojbinah niso vezane na posebno naložbo.
Moreover, the Icelandic authorities explained in their comments to the opening decision that the measures entailed in the later cancelled Investment Agreement were not made conditional upon completing all phases of the Data Centre, as planned at the time. [102]
Islandski organi so v pripombah k odločbi o začetku postopka prav tako pojasnili, da potrebni ukrepi v pozneje odpovedani investicijski pogodbi niso bili pogojeni z dokončanjem vseh faz podatkovnega centra, kakor je bilo tedaj načrtovano [102].
It follows from the Regional Aid Guidelines that regional investment aid must be made conditional upon a specific and defined investment project, see Chapter 4 of the guidelines.
Iz smernic o regionalni pomoči sledi, da mora biti regionalna pomoči za naložbe odvisna od posebnega in opredeljenega naložbenega projekta; glej poglavje 4 smernic.