natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
The Norwegian authorities also submit that, with the exception of aid granted to Nettbuss Sør AS, the scheme of compensation for public service bus transport would, in case the changes in 2004 or from 2009 must be regarded as altering the classification of the scheme to new aid, in any event complies with the requirements of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69 of the Council [38].
Dodatne informacije v zvezi z obsegom prevozom podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS
Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council [39] (collectively referred to below as ‘the transport regulations’) is said not to be applicable, as the latter Regulation had not yet entered into force in the EEA when these changes were introduced.
Norveški organi so predložili tudi dodatne informacije o obsegu prevozov podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS.
The Norwegian authorities refer to the judgment in case Andersen v Commission, where the General Court held that the Regulation cannot be regarded as having retroactive effect [40].
Po njihovih navedbah se obseg prevozov, o katerem je poročalo podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS, razlikuje od podatkov, ki bi morali biti sporočeni kot obseg prevozov za nadomestilo za javno storitev, ter da obstajajo velike napake v preglednicah prevozov, kot je analizirano v uvodnih izjavah 237 do 246, ki so morda privedle do previsokega nadomestila za podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS v obdobju od leta 2004 naprej.
In particular, the Norwegian authorities argue that there is no violation of the provisions of Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69.
Natančneje, norveški organi so v preglednicah našli več primerov napak v obsegu prevozov podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS v zvezi z nočnimi avtobusnimi prevozi (nattbuss), šolskimi avtobusnimi prevozi (midtskyss) [41], prevozi šolarjev na tečaje plavanja in nazaj (badekjøring), šolskimi leti in „podvojenimi šolskimi leti“, ekspresnimi avtobusnimi prevozi, odpovedjo ali skrajšanjem prog in določenih posebnih prog, ki ne spadajo v okvir pogodbe o javni storitvi.
This is underpinned by the facts, as the parameters of compensation were determined in advance for the whole of the period from 2004 until today and no negotiation could take place after 2009 to adjust the level of compensation.
Norveški organi so predložili spodnjo preglednico, ki prikazuje, da odstopanja v kilometrih, ki jih ne zajema pogodba o javni storitvi po shemi za obdobje med letoma 2004 in 2009, znašajo nekaj več kot 1,7 milijona kilometrov:
Therefore no company, with the exception of Nettbuss Sør AS, has been overcompensated from 2004 until today.
Preglednica 1
The ATP project
Povzetek odstopanj
As regards the ATP project, the Norwegian authorities have stated that the amount paid annually to Nettbuss Sør AS was compensation for an increase in production on the routes Kristiansand-Lillesand and Kristiansand-Arendal.
Vrsta prevoza/odstopanja
Taking into account 253 days a year, the production increase was approximately 100000 kilometres per year.
Ekspresni avtobus
A price per hour of NOK 200 leads to approximately NOK 350000 in additional costs.
Nočni avtobusi
Thus, the combined costs would be approximately NOK 950000.
Midtskyss ali badekjøring [42]
With estimated income of NOK 150000, the net costs would be around NOK 800000.
255 šolskih dni namesto 192
Given that the funds allocated from the ATP project have been used to increase the production under the existing contracts with Aust-Agder, the Norwegian authorities state that this production does not differ from any other production increases under the contract (since the routes were already operated).
Prevozi, odpovedani od 18. avgusta 2008
As a result, the increased production constitutes part of an existing aid scheme.
Vsota odstopanj in/ali kilometrov, ki niso zajeti v pogodbo
Additional information regarding the production of Nettbuss Sør AS
Norveški organi so navedli tudi, da so imele te napake in odstopanja v preglednici prevozov podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS gospodarski učinek do izteka pogodbe 31. decembra 2014.
The Norwegian authorities have further submitted additional information regarding the production of Nettbuss Sør AS.
PRIPOMBE ZAINTERESIRANIH STRANI
According to the Norwegian authorities, the production reported by Nettbuss Sør AS appears to deviate from what should have been reported as production for public service compensation, and there are significant errors in the production spreadsheets, as analysed below in recitals 237 to 246, that might have led to too-high compensation for Nettbuss Sør AS over the period 2004 onwards.
Pritožnik – Konkurrenten.no
Specifically, the Norwegian authorities have identified in the spreadsheets numerous instances of errors for the Nettbuss Sør AS production regarding: late night buses (nattbuss), school bus services (midtskyss) [41], transportation of schoolchildren to and from swimming lessons ( badekjøring), school years and ‘duplication school years’, express bus activities, cancellation or reduction of routes and certain specific routes that are not part of the public service contract.
Pritožnik, podjetje Konkurrenten.no, vztraja, da je podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS prejelo znatno čezmerno nadomestilo za svoje storitve ter da okrožje Aust-Agder koncesij ni dodelilo na podlagi konkurenčnega postopka [43].
The Norwegian authorities have submitted the table below showing that the deviations in kilometres not covered by the public service contract under the scheme for the period 2004 to 2009 amount to a bit more than 1,7 million kilometres:
Pritožnik navaja, da vsa pomoč, ki jo je okrožje dodelilo v obliki nezakonitih koncesij ali v povezavi s takimi koncesijami, pomeni državno pomoč v skladu s členom 61(1) Sporazuma EGP, ki je po trditvah pritožnika nezdružljiva s členom 49 Sporazuma EGP v povezavi z uredbama (EGS) št. 1191/69 in (ES) št. 1370/2007.
Table 1
Nadalje pritožnik izraža dvom o povezavi med upravo okrožja Aust-Agder in podjetjem Nettbuss Sør AS, v primerjavi s strogo poslovnimi odnosi, ki so običajni med profesionalnim izvajalcem in profesionalnim naročnikom v okviru večjih pogodb za javni prevoz.
Summary of deviations
Nettbuss Sør AS
Type of production/deviation
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS izjavlja, da sta uvedba novega sistema financiranja leta 2004 z metodo ALFA in njena poznejša indeksacija zgolj manjši upravni spremembi sheme.
Express bus
Po njegovem mnenju novi način izračuna ne spreminja pravne podlage, po kateri podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS prejema nadomestilo, zato tudi ne pomeni nove pomoči.
Late night buses
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS v zvezi s projektom ATP navaja, da je ta del veljavne sheme pomoči, vzpostavljene v okrožju Aust-Agder, saj nove pogodbe niso bile podpisane, temveč je okrožje Aust-Agder izkoristilo obstoječe klavzule v pogodbi, ki se nanašajo na spremembe v obsegu prevozov v pogodbenem obdobju.
Midtskyss or badekjøring [42]
Četudi bi se metoda ALFA in njena poznejša indeksacija obravnavali kot nova ukrepa pomoči, podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS glede prisotnosti državne pomoči navaja, da nadomestilo, ki mu ga izplača okrožje Aust-Agder, krije le stroške in kvečjemu še marginalni dobiček.
255 schooldays instead of 192
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS se v zvezi s prvim in četrtim pogojem iz sodbe Altmark strinja s pripombami norveških organov, kot je navedeno zgoraj.
Production cancelled as from 18 August 2008
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS v zvezi z drugim pogojem iz sodbe Altmark poudarja dejstvo, da so podpisane pogodbe „neto pogodbe“, kar pomeni, da krijejo stroške izvajanja obveznosti javne storitve po odbitku vseh prihodkov, povezanih s to obveznostjo, ob upoštevanju tudi marginalnega dobička.
Sum deviations/kilometres not covered by the contract
Poleg tega podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS navaja, da je dejansko nadomestilo, ki ga je prejelo za obdobje 2004–2008 na podlagi prilagoditev po pogajanjih, nižje od okvirnega izračuna po metodi ALFA, ter da po letu 2009 končni znesek nadomestila ni bil predmet pogajanj, temveč je bil indeksiran na podlagi javno dostopnih virov.
The Norwegian authorities also submitted that such errors and deviations in the production spreadsheets of Nettbuss Sør AS had economic impacts until the contract with the company expired on 31 December 2014.
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS v zvezi z uporabo tretjega pogoja iz sodbe Altmark navaja, da je težko oceniti potrebno raven nadomestila, ne da bi se upoštevala dejanska storilnost izvajalca storitve po pogodbi, na podlagi katere je bila stopnja dobička v obdobju 2009–2011 negativna ali marginalna.
COMMENTS BY INTERESTED PARTIES
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS nadalje navaja, da je treba pri ugotavljanju razumnega dobička upoštevati delitev tveganja v pogodbah, zlasti v obdobju 2009–2011, ter tudi različne vrste sklenjenih pogodb, tj. neto pogodbe in bruto pogodbe, velikost in različne dejavnosti prevoznikov.
The complainant — Konkurrenten.no
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS navaja, da je dobiček v višini med 3 in 5 %, ki ga navajajo norveški organi, precej majhen in ne upošteva posameznih tržnih segmentov za avtobusne prevoze.
The complainant, Konkurrenten.no maintains its contention that Nettbuss Sør AS has received substantial overcompensation for its services and that the County of Aust-Agder has not awarded the concessions on the basis of a competitive procedure [43].
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS navaja, da je razumna donosnost v tržnem segmentu, v katerem podjetje posluje, bližje [7–13 %].
The complainant claims that all aid granted by the County in the form of unlawful concessions, or in conjunction to such concessions, constitutes State aid pursuant to Article 61(1) of the EEA Agreement which the complainant claims to be incompatible with Article 49 of the EEA Agreement in conjunction with Regulations (EEC) No 1191/69 and (EC) No 1370/2007.
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS v zvezi z združljivostjo zadeve navaja, da bi, če bi Nadzorni organ sklenil, da je podjetje prek letnega nadomestila ali projekta ATP prejelo gospodarsko prednost v skladu s členom 61(1) Sporazuma EGP, bilo to združljivo s členom 49 Sporazuma EGP in veljavno Uredbo (EGS) št. 1191/69.
Further, the complainant questions the link between the administration of the County of Aust-Agder and Nettbuss Sør AS, as compared to arms-length relations that normally exist between a professional supplier and a professional purchaser of major public transport contracts.
Po mnenju podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS Uredbe (ES) št. 1370/2007 ni mogoče uporabiti, saj so bile spremembe, uvedene z metodo ALFA in indeksacijo v letih 2004 in 2009, izvedene v času, ko Uredba še ni veljala.
Nettbuss Sør AS
V zvezi z dodatnimi informacijami norveških organov glede odstopanj v obsegu prevozov podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS podjetje navaja, da so predstavljena dejstva do neke mere napačna in zavajajoča ter ne upoštevajo dejstva, da je končno nadomestilo temeljilo na pogajanjih med podjetjem in okrožjem Aust Agder, metoda ALFA pa je bila zgolj orodje za okrožje Aust-Agder.
Nettbuss Sør AS contends that the introduction in 2004 of a new financing system through the ALFA-method and its later indexation are only minor administrative changes of the scheme.
Ta pogajanja so vključevala tudi prilagoditve dejanskega letnega obsega prevozov skozi vse leto (tj. število prevoženih kilometrov), ki je bil odvisen od proračuna okrožja in potrebe po prevozih.
In its view, the new calculation method does not alter the legal basis under which Nettbuss Sør AS receives compensation, and as such it would thus not constitute new aid.
Okrožje Aust-Agder je lahko med letom odpovedalo, skrajšalo ali dodalo nove proge, to pa je pomenilo nova pogajanja med strankama o ravni dodeljenega nadomestila.
As regards the ATP project, Nettbuss Sør AS argues that this is part of the existing aid scheme put in place in Aust-Agder, given that no new contracts were signed, but Aust-Agder instead has taken advantage of existing clauses in the contract referring to amendments in the production during the contract period.
Izvedene so bile tudi spremembe obsega prevozov in stroškov, na podlagi storilnosti podjetja po pogodbi.
Even if the ALFA-method and its subsequent indexation are to be considered as new aid measures, Nettbuss Sør AS states, as regards the presence of State aid that the compensation granted to it from Aust-Agder only covers the cost, including, at the most, a marginal profit.
Po navedbah podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS je zato obseg prevozov, sporočen okrožju s prevoženimi kilometri za namene izračuna stroškov, mogoče obravnavati kot izhodiščno točko za pogajanja med strankama, ne pa kot dejansko osnovo za nadomestilo, izplačano konec leta [44].
Concerning the first and fourth Altmark conditions, Nettbuss Sør AS supports the comments submitted by the Norwegian authorities, as above mentioned.
V zvezi s prihodki, ustvarjenimi s komercialnimi dejavnostmi podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS, in z dejstvom, da je bil del prihodkov resnično vključen v izračune prihodka po pogodbi o javni storitvi (kot je ugotovil Nadzorni organ), podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS navaja, da to ni privedlo do višjega nadomestila od tistega, ki bi bil izračunan z metodo ALFA.
With reference to the second Altmark condition, Nettbuss Sør AS stresses the fact that the contracts signed are ‘net contracts’, meaning that they cover the cost of discharging the public service obligation after deducting all revenues associated with such obligations, taking into account also a marginal profit.
Nasprotno, ker se ves prihodek (tj. prihodek iz javnih in tudi komercialnih dejavnosti) pri izračunu nadomestila odšteje, je podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS posledično dobilo nižje nadomestilo, ne glede na to, da so bile nekatere komercialne proge vključene v obseg prevozov za nadomestilo za javno storitev.
In addition, Nettbuss Sør AS claims that the actual compensation that it received for the period 2004-2008 as a result of adjustments following the negotiations is lower than what the ALFA-method calculations estimated, and that in any case, as from 2009, the final amount of the compensation was not negotiated, but it was indexed based on publicly available sources.
Podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS priznava, da določenih prevozov (npr. ekspresnih prevozov, prevozov šolarjev na tečaje plavanja in nazaj ter proge Karjolen) ne bi smelo sporočati kot prevoze za nadomestilo za javno storitev.
Concerning the application of the third Altmark condition, Nettbuss Sør AS argues that it is difficult to assess the necessary compensation level without looking at the actual performance of the service provider under the contract, on the basis of which the profit margin for the period 2009-2011 has been negative or marginal.
Kljub vključitvi teh prevozov pa je okrožje dejansko imelo korist, saj je to pomenilo nižje nadomestilo za podjetje.
It further submits that, in determining the reasonable profit, the risk sharing in the contracts must be taken into account, particularly in the period 2009-2011, as well as the different kinds of contracts involved i.e. net contracts versus gross contracts, the size and the different activities of the operators.
V zvezi s številom šolskih dni pa podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS navaja, da so podatki okrožja Aust-Agder, in sicer da je podjetje dobilo nadomestilo za 51 namesto za 38,4 tednov, kolikor jih ima eno šolsko leto, napačni.
Nettbuss Sør AS argues that a profit in the range of 3-5 %, as reported by the Norwegian authorities, is fairly low and does not take into account the individual market segments for bus operations.
Drugi prevozniki
Nettbuss Sør AS submits that a reasonable rate of return in the market segment where the company operates should rather be closer to [7-13 %].
Podjetje Setesdal Bilruter L/L se strinja z navedbami norveških organov.
According to Nettbuss Sør AS, Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 cannot be applied as the changes introduced with the ALFA-method and the indexation in 2004 and 2009 respectively, took place at a time when that Regulation was not yet in force.
Če bi Nadzorni organ sklenil, da je nadomestilo državna pomoč, podjetje meni, da bi bila pomoč v celoti dodeljena na podlagi sistema veljavne pomoči ter da bi bila združljiva s Sporazumom EGP na podlagi njegovega člena 49 in Uredbe (EGS) št. 1191/69.
On the additional information submitted by the Norwegian authorities as regards deviations in Nettbuss Sør AS's production, the company submits that the facts presented are to some extent wrong and misleading, and do not take into account the fact that the final compensation was based on negotiations between the company and Aust-Agder, and that the ALFA-method was merely a tool for the County of Aust-Agder.
Podjetje zlasti poudarja, da uvedba metode ALFA ni povzročila bistvene spremembe sistema nadomestil.
These negotiations also included adjustments throughout the year in the actual annual production (i.e. number of kilometres produced) which depended on Aust-Agder's available budget and demand for transport.
Nadalje podjetje poudarja, da ni res, da je nadomestilo, določeno na podlagi indeksacije, temeljilo na pogajanjih, saj so okrožje in avtobusni prevozniki vsako leto do leta 2009 preverili spremembe letnega obsega prevozov, da so lahko nato v metodo ALFA vključili točne podatke.
That said, Aust-Agder could cancel, reduce or add new routes during the production year that required new negotiations between the parties about the level of compensation granted.
Ker so bile spremembe vsako leto minimalne, so bile minimalne tudi spremembe nadomestil.
Subsequent amendments of the production and costs were also made, based on the performance of the company under the contract.
Podjetje Setesdal Bilruter L/L navaja, da metoda ALFA zagotavlja, da ni čezmernega nadomestila za avtobusne prevoze in da stroški komercialnih dejavnosti niso vključeni v metodo ALFA.
Therefore, according to Nettbuss Sør AS, the production reported to the County with the kilometres driven for the purposes of calculating the costs, can be seen as a point of departure for the negotiations between the parties, and not as the actual base for the compensation paid at the end of the year [44].
S tem so se strinjala tudi podjetja Birkeland Busser AS, Frolandsruta Frode Oland in Telemark Bilruter AS.
Nettbuss Sør AS, further, makes references to the particular settlements and negotiations between the company and the County that resulted in the latter setting off payments against Nettbuss Sør AS's compensation for the 2010 production.
PRIPOMBE NORVEŠKIH ORGANOV NA PRIPOMBE ZAINTERESIRANIH STRANI
In particular, the company argues that the compensation paid for the 2010 production was NOK 3,55 million less, given that this amount was used to set off following changes in the production schedule (new transport schedule for RTB) and to take account of efficiency gains stemming from the merger with RTB.
Norveški organi se sklicujejo na trditev pritožnika, da je treba „vso novo pomoč“, dodeljeno podjetju Nettbuss Sør AS, obravnavati kot nezdružljivo s Sporazumom EGP in jo izterjati, ter navajajo, da pritožnik ni obravnaval vprašanja nove ali obstoječe pomoči in prav tako ni navedel, kako naj se v tem primeru razvrsti morebitna pomoč (npr. uvedba metode ALFA leta 2004).
As regards the income generated by the commercial activities of Nettbuss Sør AS and the fact that parts of that income have been identified by the Authority indeed to have been included in the income calculations under the public contract, Nettbuss Sør AS's view is that this has not led to a higher degree of compensation than what the ALFA-method would have provided for.
Norveški organi ponavljajo, da z uvedbo metode ALFA ni prišlo do bistvene spremembe veljavne sheme pomoči ter da, razen v primeru podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS, ni bilo ugotovljeno nobeno čezmerno nadomestilo.
On the contrary, as all the income (i.e. income derived from public as well as commercial activities) is deducted when calculating the compensation to be granted, the result has led to a lower compensation for Nettbuss Sør AS, irrespective of the fact that certain commercial routes were included as part of production for public service compensation.
V zvezi s pripombo podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS o tem, kakšen naj bi bil razumni dobiček v sektorju avtobusnih prevozov, norveški organi poudarjajo, da navedba 3- do 5-odstotnega običajnega dobička v sektorju ne pomeni, da bi višja stopnja dobička (npr. 7- do 13-odstotni dobiček, ki ga navaja podjetje Nettbuss Sør AS) pomenila čezmerno nadomestilo.
Indeed, Nettbuss Sør AS admits that certain production (e.g. express bus, transportation of schoolchildren to and from swimming lessons and the Karjolen route) should not have been reported as production for public service compensation.
Namen sklicevanja na ta javno dostopen podatek je bil pokazati, da ni mogoče ugotoviti čezmernega nadomestila.
Nevertheless, by having these routes included, the County has been favoured, as this has actually meant a lower compensation for the company.
V zvezi s pripombami podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS glede dodatnih informacij norveških organov o odstopanjih v obsegu prevozov podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS norveški organi navajajo, da pomena metode ALFA pri izračunu nadomestila ni mogoče zmanjšati z dejstvom, da je končno nadomestilo temeljilo na pogajanjih in da so bile izvedene naknadne spremembe obsega prevozov in stroškov.
Finally, as regards the number of school days, Nettbuss Sør AS submits that the figures provided by Aust-Agder in reference to the company being compensated for 51 instead of 38,4 weeks in a normal school year are incorrect.
Ocene stroškov, izvedene z metodo ALFA, so bile pomembne, dodeljeno nadomestilo pa nikoli ni bistveno odstopalo od rezultatov metode ALFA.
Other transport operators
Poleg tega so vse spremembe, izvedene med letom, običajna praksa v prometnem sektorju, ta možnost pa je bila predvidena v določbah pogodb, sklenjenih s prevozniki.
Setesdal Bilruter L/L concurs with the views of the Norwegian authorities.
V vsakem primeru bi take spremembe morale voditi do povišanja dodeljenega nadomestila v primeru dodatnih prevozov in znižanja dodeljenega nadomestila v primeru zmanjšanega obsega prevozov.
It holds that the compensation does not constitute State aid as the four Altmark conditions are met.
Nikoli pa jih ni mogoče obravnavati ločeno in odpisati od nepovezanih stroškov, ki so bili upoštevani v oceni nadomestila z metodo ALFA.
If the Authority were to find that the compensation constitutes State aid, the company argues that it would in its entirety have been granted on the basis of a system of existing aid, and that the aid would be compatible with the functioning of the EEA Agreement on the basis of its Article 49 and Regulation (EEC) No 1191/69.
Norveški organi navajajo, da ima sporočanje netočnih podatkov o prevozih neposreden učinek na točnost izračuna nadomestila, zaradi česar se je okrožje med pogajanji opiralo na netočne predpostavke.
The company specifically emphasises that the introduction of the ALFA-method did not cause any substantial change in the compensation system.
Navedeno je bilo tudi, da bi se moralo, ker dodeljeno nadomestilo temelji na obsegu prevozov v prejšnjem letu, vsako zmanjšanje, ki ga je podjetje izvedlo po avgustu 2008, kazati v nadomestilu, dodeljenem za leto 2009, kar pa se ni zgodilo.
Furthermore, the company stresses that it is not correct that the compensation determined on the basis of indexation was based on negotiations, given that each year up until 2009 the County and the bus operators went through the changes in the annual production in order to feed the correct data into the ALFA-method.
Kar zadeva poravnave in prilagoditve, izvedene v povezavi s pogodbama podjetij Nettbuss Sør AS in RTB – glede tekočega postopka združitve teh podjetij – za pripravo novega voznega reda podjetja RTB, norveški organi menijo, da so poravnave in prilagoditve posledica enostranske odločitve podjetja Nettbuss Sør AS, ki je privedla do prekomernega poročanja o številu prevoženih kilometrov z namenom pridobiti višje nadomestilo od tistega, ki je že bilo izračunano in sporočeno z metodo ALFA.
As the changes from year to year were marginal, so were the changes in compensation.
Pogodbi bi bilo treba spremeniti po spremembah v podjetjih, da bi se lahko upoštevale vse te prilagoditve.