natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Moreover, the complainant notes that the answers concerning access requirement it has received from the Fund have been inadequate.
Pritožnik navaja tudi, da je člen 12 razpisne dokumentacije določal, da se mora zagotoviti bančno jamstvo za zahtevke v zvezi z odgovornostjo brez dokaza krivde.
According to the complainant this has led to an unacceptable distortion of competition and has given Síminn a significant first mover advantage on the relevant market.
Vendar pa člen 13 Pogodbe ne določa takega jamstva, temveč se nanaša le na odgovornost operaterja Síminn v skladu s splošnimi pravili odškodninskega prava.
According to the complainant, there is nothing standing in the way of Síminn offering roaming access to the UMTS network.
Ta sprememba bi kazala tudi na zniževanje stroškov, ki jih običajno krije podjetje.
There are three general options to offer wholesale access based on GSM and later UMTS/3G network standards, i.e. retail access, wholesale roaming access and virtual network access.
Zato je treba oceniti ugodnosti opustitve bančnega jamstva, tj. stroške zagotovitve takega jamstva jeseni 2008.
The complainant notes that Síminn has not explained how the service will be at risk if the company would provide roaming access to its UMTS/3G networks.
Pritožnik poudarja, da je Pogodba povzročila znatno, stalno in tekoče izkrivljanje konkurence na trgu.
According to the complainant, Síminn does not produce its end equipment, which is made by several producers all over the world and can be used and bought by all players on the market.
Po navedbah pritožnika ukrep ne vpliva le na konkurenco na podeželskih območjih Islandije, temveč vpliva na celoten trg, saj je eno merilo, ki ga stranke upoštevajo pri izbiri telekomunikacijskega podjetja, razširjenost omrežja in storitve.
It does not matter in regard to the quality of the service whether it includes a SIM card from Síminn or Vodafone or any other telecommunication company.
V zvezi s tem bi bilo treba navesti, da je operater Síminn oglaševal svoje podjetje kot podjetje z najbolj razširjenimi omrežnimi povezavami na Islandiji.
According to the complainant, the quality is the same.
Ob upoštevanju prej navedenih pomislekov pritožnik meni, da so izpolnjeni vsi pogoji, da ukrep vključuje državno pomoč v skladu s prvim odstavkom člena 61 Sporazuma EGP.
Vodafone notes that it has submitted several requests to Síminn for access to the UMTS network funded by the Telecommunications Fund.
Poleg tega pritožnik vztraja, da domnevni ukrep pomoči ne izpolnjuje pogojev za kakršne koli ustrezne izjeme in se zato mora šteti za nezdružljivega s Sporazumom EGP.
It was not until September 2010 that Síminn, after several meetings and formal letters, offered Vodafone roaming access to the UMTS network.
PRIPOMBE ZAINTERESIRANIH STRANI
However, the access offered was on such terms that it would have been more viable for Vodafone to build up its own network in the area covered by the programme.
Operater Hringiðan je z dopisom z dne 18. julija 2013 [64] predložil pripombe na odločbo o začetku postopka.
According to the offer Vodafone was offered to pay a yearly fee of ISK 1500000 for each of the transmitters they requested access to.
Prav tako se sklicuje na druge spremembe Pogodbe, kot so podaljšano obdobje za razvoj, razširitev območja razvoja, povečana plačila in indeksacija plačil glede na valuto namesto indeks cen življenjskih potrebščin.
Furthermore, according to the complainant it is not clear whether the additional locations would result in a significant increase in labour costs.
Poleg tega operater Hringiðan vztraja, da operaterju Síminn ni bilo treba zagotoviti bančnega jamstva za zahtevke v zvezi z odgovornostjo, čeprav je v členu 12 razpisne dokumentacije jasno določena obveznost zagotovitve takega jamstva [65].
Justification for the increased payment can, therefore, not be based on the increase in locations alone.
Po navedbah operaterja Hringiðan banke po upadu gospodarske rasti na Islandiji niso mogle zagotoviti zadostnih bančnih jamstev zasebnim podjetjem, ki bi lahko izpolnjevala razpisna merila, ki jih je določil Državni trgovinski center.
In this respect, it must also be considered that the changes to the agreement stipulated a longer roll-out period, i.e. from 12 to 18 months.
Zato se po navedbah operaterja Hringiðan zdi, da operater Síminn ni mogel zagotoviti zavezujočega bančnega jamstva med postopkom oddaje javnega naročila, zagotovljeno jamstvo pa posledično ni bilo zavezujoče za banko, ki ga je izdala.
The changes in the roll-out period would in themselves entail an opportunity to rationalise the use of personnel in the project which in turn would, according to the complainant, decrease labour costs.
Po navedbah operaterja Hringiðan vse prej navedene spremembe koristijo operaterju Síminn, Pogodba pa je zato državna pomoč, ki je nezdružljiva z delovanjem Sporazuma EGP.
Moreover, the complainant maintains that the changes in the penalties provisions suggest the mitigation of charges normally borne by an undertaking.
Operater Nova je z dopisom z dne 18. decembra 2013 predložil pripombe Nadzornemu organu [66].
The complainant also notes that Article 12 of the tender documents stipulated the provision of a bank guarantee for liability claims without proof of fault.
Po navedbah operaterja Nova zadevni ukrep ne izpolnjuje preskusa izravnave, saj ne določa jasne in učinkovite obveznosti zagotavljanja veleprodajnega dostopa z jasno opredeljenimi načeli oblikovanja cen.
This change would also suggest a mitigation of charges normally borne by an undertaking.
Operater Nova poudarja, da je upravljanje učinkovitega veleprodajnega dostopa tretjih oseb do subvencionirane širokopasovne infrastrukture nujen sestavni del vsakega državnega ukrepa, s katerim se financira izgradnja nove širokopasovne infrastrukture.
Thus, the benefits of foregoing a bank guarantee must be assessed, i.e. the cost of the provision of such a guarantee in the fall of 2008.
Za preprečevanje izkrivljanja konkurence na telekomunikacijskih trgih, kadar je vključena državna pomoč, bi bilo treba tretjim osebam, ki so operaterji, odobriti učinkovit veleprodajni dostop na tehnološko nevtralni način, ki je smiselno prilagojen njihovim potrebam po dostopu.
The complainant emphasises that the Agreement has resulted in a significant, continuous and ongoing distortion of competition on the market.
Po navedbah operaterja Nove so bili pogoji Pogodbe spremenjeni glede na razpisno dokumentacijo in operater Síminn je moral zagotoviti le omejen veleprodajni dostop do omrežja ADSL, dostop do omrežja UMTS/3G pa je bil omejen le na dostop za preprodajo.
According to the complainant, the measure affects not only the competition in rural areas of Iceland, it has effect on the whole market since one of the criterion customers use when choosing a telecommunication company is how widespread the network and service is.
Operater Nova navaja, da islandski organi in operater Síminn niso pojasnili, zakaj je iz tehničnih razlogov potrebno, da ima operater Síminn popoln dostop do omrežja UMTS in nadzor nad njim za zagotavljanje določene ravni kakovosti in storitev, ter da se zato lahko zagotavlja le dostop za preprodajo.
In this regard it should be noted that Síminn has advertised the company as the company with the most widespread network connections available in Iceland.
Po mnenju operaterja Nova pomanjkanje jasne obveznosti zagotavljanja učinkovitega veleprodajnega dostopa pomeni konkurenčno prednost operaterja Síminn v zvezi z delom omrežja 3G, ki je bilo vzpostavljeno v skladu s Pogodbo.
In light of the above considerations, the complainant submits that all the conditions for the measure to involve State aid under the first paragraph of Article 61 of the EEA Agreement are fulfilled.
Poleg tega operaterju Síminn dodeljuje konkurenčno prednost na maloprodajnem trgu kot celoti zaradi splošne večje pokritosti mobilnih omrežij operaterja Síminn.
Furthermore, the complainant maintains that the alleged aid measure does not qualify for any of the relevant exemptions and therefore must be considered as being incompatible with the EEA Agreement.
To mu omogoča, da vzpostavi krog strank, ki so končni uporabniki, in poveča tržne deleže brez učinkovite konkurence tretjih oseb, ki so operaterji.
COMMENTS FROM INTERESTED PARTIES
Tudi če bi operater Nova pridobil dostop za preprodajo do omrežja UMTS/3G, ne bi mogel razlikovati svojih maloprodajnih storitev v smislu cene ali lastnosti storitve od storitev, ki jih zagotavlja operater Síminn.
Hringiðan provided comment on the opening decision by letter dated 18 July 2013 [64].
Operater Nova navaja, da je večkrat neuspešno zahteval veleprodajni dostop do omrežja 3G operaterja Síminn.
In its comments, Hringiðan emphasises the changes that were made in the Agreement between Síminn and the Fund from the tender documents published by the STC in February 2008.
Po njegovem mnenju mu operater Síminn nikoli ni bil pripravljen zagotoviti razumnega dostopa do omrežja.
For example, Hringiðan notes that in the tender documents the speed access was defined as 2 Mb/s or more, but in the Agreement there was no definition of what constituted high-speed access.
Poleg tega operater Nova navaja, da med pogovori z operaterjem Síminn nikoli ni bila omenjena možnost, da bi bil veleprodajni dostop do omrežja tehnično otežen ali nemogoč.
Hringiðan also cites other changes to the Agreement, such as the increased build-up period, the expansion of the roll-out area, the payment increase and the currency indexation of the payments, instead of the consumer price index.
Po njegovem mnenju to kaže, da ni mogoče racionalizirati prej navedene tehnične potrebe po tem, da ima operater Síminn popoln dostop do omrežja UMTS in nadzor nad njim za zagotavljanje določene ravni kakovosti in storitev.
Furthermore, Hringiðan maintains that Síminn was not obliged to provide a bank guarantee for liability claims, despite a clear obligation to do so in Article 12 of the tender documents [65].
Ob upoštevanju prej navedenih pomislekov operater Nova vztraja, da je bila operaterju Síminn dodeljena nepoštena prednost, ki izkrivlja konkurenco in je v nasprotju s členom 61(1) Sporazuma EGP.
According to Hringiðan, following the economic downturn in Iceland no banks were able to provide sufficient bank guarantees to private companies which could have met the tender criteria imposed by the STC.
ODGOVORI ISLANDSKIH ORGANOV NA PRIPOMBE PRITOŽNIKA IN ZAINTERESIRANIH STRANI
Therefore, according to Hringiðan, it appears that Síminn was unable to provide a binding bank guarantee during the course of the tender procedure and that the guarantee it did provide was consequently not binding upon the bank that issued it.
Odgovor na pripombe pritožnika (operaterja Vodafone)
According to Hringiðan, the aforementioned changes are all favourable to Síminn and consequently the Agreement constitutes State aid which is incompatible with the functioning of the EEA Agreement.
Islandski organi so z dopisom z dne 28. februarja 2014 predložili svoje pripombe in opažanja na pripombe pritožnika in zainteresiranih strani [67].
Nova submitted comments to the Authority by letter dated 18 December 2013 [66].
Islandski organi menijo, da ni zelo verjetno, da bi na podlagi razširitve obsega operater Vodafone ali druga konkurenčna podjetja predložili nižje ponudbe.
According to Nova, the measure in question fails the balancing test in that there is a lack of a clear and effective wholesale access obligation with clearly defined pricing principles.
Kot je navedeno v uvodni izjavi 18, je operater Vodafone predložil dve ponudbi za zagotovitev povezave 1118 objektom, ki so bili sprva opredeljeni v razpisni dokumentaciji.
According to Nova, this gives Síminn a disproportionate advantage that causes distortions of competition.
Prva ponudba operaterja Vodafone je znašala približno 2,2 milijarde ISK, druga ponudba pa približno 1,8 milijarde ISK.
Nova emphasises that mandating effective third-party wholesale access to a subsidised broadband infrastructure is a necessary component of any state measure funding the construction of a new broadband infrastructure.
Prvotna ponudba operaterja Síminn je znašala 379 milijonov ISK, na njeni osnovi pa je prilagojena cena za končni obseg in 1788 objektov, vključno s 670 dodatnimi objekti, znašala približno 606 milijonov ISK.
To avoid distortion of competition in telecom markets where State aid is involved, third party operators should be granted effective wholesale access in a technology-neutral manner and reasonably adapted to their access needs.
Po navedbah islandskih organov se lahko razumno predpostavlja, da bi bila prilagojena ponudba operaterja Vodafone bistveno višja od prvotne ponudbe, saj so se obseg in stroški opreme povečali.
According to Nova, the terms of the Agreement were altered from the tender documents and Síminn was only obliged to provide limited wholesale access to the ADSL network, and the access mandated to the UMTS/3G network was confined only to resale access.
Po navedbah islandskih organov je trditev pritožnikov, da dodatne lokacije ne pomenijo nujno dodatnih višjih stroškov, neutemeljena.
According to Nova, no explanations have been provided by the Icelandic authorities or Síminn as to why it is technically necessary for Síminn to have full access and control of the UMTS network in order to provide the prescribed quality and service levels and thus only to provide resale access.
Operater Síminn je islandskim organom potrdil, da so dodatne lokacije povečale strošek projekta.
In Nova's view, the lack of a clear obligation to provide effective wholesale access, gives Síminn a competitive advantage with respect to the part of the 3G network that was built in accordance with the Agreement.
Stroški so se povečali zato, ker so se dodatne lokacije geografsko razlikovale od prvotnih lokacij in so bile razpršene po obširnih območjih Islandije.
It also gives Síminn a competitive advantage in the retail market as a whole due to the general increased coverage of Síminn's mobile networks.
Islandski organi ponovno navajajo, da načrtovani namen zadevnega projekta ni bil zagotavljanje mobilnih podatkovnih storitev ali mobilnih glasovnih storitev, npr. storitev „gostovanja 3G“, ki nikoli niso bile načrtovane kot del projekta.
This allows Síminn to build up a customer base of end users and to increase market shares without effective competition from third party operators.
Na podlagi prej navedenega je treba poudariti, da razpisna dokumentacija ni zahtevala nobene oblike dostopa za gostovanje kot del zagotovljene rešitve.
Moreover, even if Nova were to gain resale access to the UMTS/3G network, Nova would not be able to differentiate its retail level services in terms of price or service features from that which Síminn provides.
Pogodba z operaterjem Síminn tega na noben način ni spremenila.
According to Nova, it repeatedly requested wholesale access to Síminn's 3G network without progress.
Tehnične težave, povezane z zagotavljanjem dostopa za gostovanje, tako niso pomembne za ta projekt, saj dostop za mobilno gostovanje nikoli ni bil del projekta.
There was therefore, according to Nova, never any will on behalf of Síminn to provide Nova with reasonable access to the network.
Islandski organi poudarjajo, da „izrecno merilo veleprodajnega dostopa iz razpisa“ ni bilo odstranjeno in da se izraža v Pogodbi z operaterjem Síminn.
Furthermore, Nova notes that nothing in its talks with Síminn suggested that wholesale access to the network would be technically difficult or impossible.
Vendar se za izvajanje veleprodajnega dostopa uporabljajo različne metode, ki so odvisne od tehnologije, ki se je uporabila pri projektu, tj. ADSL ali UMTS/3G.
In Nova's view this seems to indicate that the abovementioned technical necessity for Síminn having full access and control of the UMTS network in order to provide the prescribed quality and service levels cannot be rationalised.
Zato islandski organi menijo, da se na splošno zdi, da vprašanje v zvezi z veleprodajnim dostopom temelji na osnovnem nesporazumu, da je bil dostop za gostovanje del projekta.
In light of the above considerations, Nova maintains that Síminn has been provided with an unfair advantage which distorts competition and is contrary to Article 61(1) of the EEA Agreement.
V zvezi z metodologijo izračuna povprečne cene na enoto islandski organi navajajo, da temelji na poglavju 2.3.4 razpisne dokumentacije z naslovom „Nove povezave in obveznost povezovanja“.
RESPONSES BY THE ICELANDIC AUTHORITIES TO THE COMMENTS FROM THE COMPLAINANT AND FROM INTERESTED PARTIES
V tem poglavju je posebej določena uporaba metode izračuna povprečne cene pri vrednotenju stroškov za nove lokacije, ki se dodajo projektu.
Response to comments received from the complainant (Vodafone)
Po navedbah islandskih organov je ta pristop skladen tudi s priznano prakso v islandskem pogodbenem pravu.
The Icelandic authorities submitted their comments and observations to the comments from the complainant and from interested parties by letter dated 28 February 2014 [67].
Islandski organi navajajo, da je Sklad prejel v celoti veljavno bančno jamstvo banke New Kaupþing Bank (zdaj Arion bank hf.) z dne 17. februarja 2009, ki je priložena kot priloga h končni pogodbi.
The Icelandic authorities consider it highly improbable that the increase in scope would have resulted in a lower bid from Vodafone, or other competing undertakings for that matter.
Odgovor na pripombe operaterja Hringiðan ehf.
As shown in recital 18 above, Vodafone submitted two bids for connecting the 1118 buildings originally identified in the tender documents.
Islandski organi zavračajo trditve operaterja Hringiðan glede obstoja državne pomoči in trditev, da je domnevna državna pomoč nezdružljiva z delovanjem Sporazuma EGP.
The first bid from Vodafone amounted to around ISK 2,2 billion and the second bid amount to around ISK 1,8 billion.
Islandski organi so v pripombah operaterja odkrili tudi več napak, povezanih z dejstvi, za katere menijo, da jih je treba obravnavati.
The original bid from Síminn however amounted to ISK 379 million, which resulted in around ISK 606 million adjusted price for the final scope of 1788 sites, i.e. including the 670 additional buildings.
V zvezi z bančnimi jamstvi islandski organi menijo, da izjava, ki jim jo je banka Glitnir bank predložila v imenu operaterja Hringiðan, ni zadostovala, saj je bilo v njej navedeno, da je banka Glitnir bank „pripravljena proučiti možnost zagotovitve jamstva“, izbrani ponudnik Síminn pa je pridobil veljavno jamstvo banke New Kaupþing bank.
According to the Icelandic authorities, its only logical to assume that an adjusted bid from Vodafone would have been substantially higher than the original bid, given the increase in scope and equipment cost.
V jamstvu, ki ga je zagotovil operater Síminn, je bilo navedeno, da je banka New Kaupþing Bank dejansko pripravljena „zagotoviti bančno jamstvo za projekt“.
According to the Icelandic authorities, the complainants' claim that the additional locations do not necessarily entail a corollary increase in costs is unfounded.
Islandski organi prav tako navajajo, da je bil dokument, ki ga je zagotovil operater Hringiðan, predložen dolgo po izteku podaljšanega roka.
Síminn has confirmed to the Icelandic authorities that the additional locations did increase the cost of the project.
Islandski organi poudarjajo, da je bila ponudba operaterja Hringiðan za prvotni obseg, ki je zajemal 1119 objektov, bistveno višja od izbrane ponudbe in je znašala 1297257098 ISK, ponudba operaterja Síminn pa je znašala 379000000 ISK.
The increase in costs was due to the fact that the additional locations were geographically different from the original locations and spread over large areas in Iceland.
Poleg tega islandski organi navajajo, da je bil znesek, o katerem so islandski organi in operater Síminn po razširitvi obsega projekta sklenili dogovor, še vedno nižji od ponudbe operaterja Hringiðan.
The Icelandic authorities reiterate that the intended purpose of the project in question was not to provide mobile data or mobile voice services, e.g. ‘3G roaming’ services, which were never intended to be part of the project at any time.
Odgovor na pripombe operaterja Nova ehf.
It follows from the above, that the tender documents did not require any form of roaming access as part of the solution provided.
Po navedbah islandskih organov je v Pogodbi jasno naveden najmanjši odstotek veleprodajnega popusta, ki ga mora operater Síminn ponuditi drugim ponudnikom storitev.
The Agreement with Síminn did not change that in any way, shape or form.
Vendar se lahko operater Síminn vseeno pogaja o višjih diskontnih stopnjah.
Technical problems associated with offering roaming access are thus irrelevant to this particular project as mobile roaming access was never a part of the project.
Islandski organi ponovno navajajo, da dostop za gostovanje do dela omrežja UMTS/3G ni del projekta, zato veleprodajni dostop v okviru projekta ne vključuje dostopa za gostovanje.
The Icelandic authorities emphasise that the ‘explicit wholesale access criterion from the tender’ was not removed and is reflected in the Agreement with Síminn.
Rezultati predhodnih pogajanj med operaterjema Síminn in Nova o dostopu za gostovanje zato ne spadajo v obseg projekta.
However, different methods are used for implementing wholesale access depending on the technology used in the project, i.e. ADSL or UMTS/3G.
Poleg tega so islandski organi izrazili močno nestrinjanje s trditvijo operaterja Nova, da so bili odgovori Sklada z dne 23. julija 2009 pomanjkljivi in da se Sklad preprosto ni zmenil za temeljna vprašanja.
It is therefore the view of the Icelandic authorities that the wholesale access issue overall seems to be based on the fundamental misunderstanding that roaming access was to be a part of the project.
Po navedbah islandskih organov je v odgovoru Sklada precej jasno pojasnjeno vprašanje mobilnega gostovanja 3G, za katerega se zdi, da je glavno temeljno vprašanje pritožbe in poznejših odgovorov udeležencev na trgu.
With regard to the average unit price methodology, the Icelandic authorities note that it is based on chapter 2.3.4 of the tender documents, entitled ‘New connections and the obligation to connect’.
Odgovor se glasi: „Ta pogodba ne zajema mobilnih glasovnih storitev 3G ali mobilnih širokopasovnih storitev za opredeljene objekte ali okolico.
That chapter specifically mandates the use of an average price method when evaluating the cost for new sites that are added to the project.
Storitev iz javnega naročila se dejansko zagotavlja prek vrat usmerjevalnika znotraj zidov domov ali delovnih mest.
According to the Icelandic authorities, this approach is also in line with recognised practice in Icelandic contract-law.
Druge storitve, ki jih ponujajo ali jih morda bodo ponujali prodajalci oddajnikov 3G, ne spadajo v obseg pogodbe.“
Finally, according to the Icelandic authorities, the Fund received a fully valid bank guarantee from New Kaupþing bank (now Arion bank hf.), dated 17 February 2009, which is included as an annex to the final agreement.
OCENA
Response to comments received from Hringiðan ehf.
PRISOTNOST DRŽAVNE POMOČI
The Icelandic authorities reject the arguments put forward by Hringiðan concerning both the existence of State aid and arguments relating to the alleged State aid being incompatible with the functioning of the EEA Agreement.
Člen 61(1) Sporazuma EGP določa:
The Icelandic authorities have also identified several factual errors in Hringiðan's submission and feel it is necessary to address those.
„Razen če ta sporazum ne določa drugače, je vsaka pomoč, ki jo dodelijo države članice ES, države Efte ali je dodeljena v kakršni koli obliki iz državnih sredstev, ki izkrivlja ali bi lahko izkrivljala konkurenco z dajanjem prednosti posameznim podjetjem ali proizvodnji posameznega blaga, nezdružljiva z delovanjem tega sporazuma, kolikor škodi trgovini med pogodbenicami.“