natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
Similarly, the decisions of the public authorities to finance certain investments without requiring a corresponding increase in the concession fees paid by So.Ge.A.AL also contributed to maintaining the company afloat since higher concession fees would have translated in higher operating costs further worsening the financial situation of the company.
(25 januari 2002)
Therefore, all these measures contributed to keeping Alghero airport up and running.
1 januari 2002–31 december 2012
In view of the role played by the airport in the accessibility of the region and regional economic development, as explained in recitals 343-348, the Commission considers the operating aid to So.Ge.A.AL contributed to the achievement of an objective of common interest.
2003 års avtal om flygplatstjänster
Since Alghero airport was loss-making in the period under investigation (see Table 3), it was the operating aid which enabled the airport to continue operations ensuring connectivity of the Sardinia region.
(1 september 2003) 1 september 2003–1 september 2014
Therefore the Commission considers that the operating aid granted to Alghero airport was an appropriate instrument to achieve the objective of common interest.
2006 års avtal om flygplatstjänster
As regards necessity, the 2014 Aviation Guidelines require that the operating aid brings about a material improvement that the market itself cannot deliver.
1 januari 2006–31 december 2010
The Commission considers this to be the case as, absent the aid in question, So.Ge.A.AL would likely have been forced to exit the market, depriving Sardinia of a transport infrastructure which plays a significant role in its accessibility and development (tourism).
2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster
Moreover, absent the aid the activity of the beneficiary would have been significantly reduced if not terminated altogether.
(20 oktober 2010)
The measures under investigation were limited to the minimum necessary to offset losses and allow So.Ge.A.AL to observe capital requirements and continue to operate viably.
1 januari 2010–31 december 2013
Such measures were necessary to keep the company afloat even once the effects of all the other (operating and investment) aids under investigation are taken into account.
Ingen av dessa affärsplaner är dock inriktad på ett särskilt avtal som So.Ge.A.AL har ingått med AMS eller de lufttrafikföretag som är verksamma vid Algheros flygplats.
Therefore, the Commission concludes that all operating aid to So.Ge.A.AL was necessary and limited to the minimum necessary for the aided activity to take place.
Dessutom omfattar de inte hela löptiden för So.Ge.A.AL:s avtal med dessa lufttrafikföretag.
As stated in above, no other airport is located in the same catchment area.
Som nämndes tidigare utarbetade Italien rekonstruerade lönsamhetskalkyler som skulle ha utförts på förhand för avtalen med Ryanair på grundval av de marginalkostnader och marginalintäkter som en marknadsekonomisk aktör som agerar i So.Ge.A.AL:s ställe rimligen kunde ha förväntat sig vid tiden för vart och ett av dessa avtals ingående under perioden under granskning, dvs. 2000–2010, enligt sammanfattningen i tabell 8.
Moreover, Italy has confirmed that the airport infrastructure is made available to all airlines on non-discriminatory terms.
Grundat på dessa analyser kunde So.Ge.A.AL vid tiden för avtalens ingående med Ryanair rimligen förvänta sig att dessa avtal skulle vara lönsamma för flygplatsen.
On that basis, the Commission concludes that the compatibility conditions laid down by the 2014 Aviation Guidelines are complied with and therefore the measures are compatible with the internal market under Article 107(3)(c).
So.Ge.A.AL:s affärsplan från 2000 har använts i den rekonstruerade analysen av den förväntade lönsamheten för 2000, 2002 och 2003 års avtal om flygplatstjänster, medan 2004 och 2009 års affärsplaner har använts i den rekonstruerade analysen av 2006 och 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster.
MEASURES IN FAVOUR OF AIRLINES OPERATING AT THE AIRPORT
Det har dock inte varit möjligt att utifrån So.Ge.A.AL:s affärsplaner sluta sig till alla de marginalintäkter och marginalkostnader som är förbundna med varje enskilt avtal med Ryanair.
In this section, the Commission assesses whether the various agreements between So.Ge.A.AL and several airlines that fall within the scope of the investigation, constitute State aid to the airlines concerned within the meaning of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
För de kategorier av marginalintäkter och marginalkostnader som man inte har kunnat sluta sig till utifrån affärsplanerna grundade Italien sin analys av marginalvinsterna för de avtal som So.Ge.A.AL ingått med Ryanair på villkoren i avtalen om flygplatstjänster och i marknadsföringsavtalen.
Any economic advantage involved in the contractual relations with the airlines operating at Alghero airport was not granted directly by the State, but by the state-owned airport manager So.Ge.A.AL.
Tabell 8
According to an established case-law, the resources of public undertakings (namely, undertakings on which the public authorities can exercise, be it directly or indirectly, a dominant influence), also qualify as State resources because these resources ‘constantly remain under public control, and therefore [are] available to the competent national authorities’ [95].
Nettonuvärdet under avtalstiden (miljoner euro) [109]
In line with that case law, as So.Ge.A.AL is a public undertaking, its resources have to be considered as State resources for the purposes of Article 107(1) of the Treaty.
2000 års avtal om flygplatstjänster
Indeed, according to Article 2 of the Transparency Directive, a dominant influence by the public authorities shall be presumed when public authorities hold a major part in the company's subscribed capital, control the majority of the votes attaching to shares issued by the company, or can appoint more than half of the members of the undertaking's administrative, managerial or supervisory board.
2002 års avtal om flygplatstjänster
In the case of So.Ge.A.AL it appears that all three of these noncumulative criteria for presuming dominant influence by the State are met.
2003 års avtal om flygplatstjänster
So.Ge.A.AL and Ryanair contest the imputability to the State of the agreements with the airlines, while Italy and Unioncamere confirm it.
[9–12] 2006 års avtal om flygplatstjänster 1 januari 2006–31 december 2010 [3–6]
Both So.Ge.A.AL and Ryanair have in the course of the investigation claimed that the agreements concluded by Alghero airport with the airlines could be imputed to the State only based on an objective finding showing that the State had intervened in So.Ge.A.AL's decision to enter the agreements in such a way as to determine or influence them, in the sense that So.Ge.A.AL would have adopted a different behaviour had it been able to make an independent decision; they contended that this was not the case for either of So.Ge.A.AL's public shareholders.
De antaganden som har beaktats vid utförandet av den rekonstruerade lönsamhetskalkylen anges i detalj i skälen 459–471.
Based on case-law, the agreements concluded by So.Ge.A.AL with the airlines operating at the airport may be found to contain State aid pursuant to Article 107(1) of the Treaty only if the State was in a position to control So.Ge.A.AL and if the public authorities have ‘been involved, in one way or another, in the adoption of those measures’.
Luftfartsrelaterade intäkter
However, ‘it cannot be demanded that it be demonstrated, on the basis of a precise inquiry, that in the particular case the public authorities specifically incited the public undertaking to take the aid measures in question.’ [96].
Italien tog hänsyn till olika kategorier av luftfartsrelaterade intäkter, främst intäkter från avgifter såsom landningsavgifter, marktjänstavgifter och biljettförsäljningsavgifter.
In order to conclude whether a specific measure can be imputed to the State the Commission may base its reasoning on any other indicator showing, in the particular case, an involvement by the public authorities in the adoption of a measure or the unlikelihood of their not being involved [97].
Där så är möjligt har de avgifter som fastställs i avtalen om flygplatstjänster använts.
As the Court established in Stardust Marine, the imputability of a measure to the State can be established either by ‘organic’ or ‘structural’ indicators or by indications that the State has been involved, or was unlikely to be absent, from the decision that led to the concrete measure.
För de avgifter som inte har angetts i avtalen om flygplatstjänster har antagandena grundats på faktureringsuppgifter som tillhandahållits av Ryanair.
In the same judgment the Court established a non-exhaustive set of possible indicators relevant for the question of state imputability, as detailed in recital 268: the fact that the undertaking through the intermediation of which the aid has been granted had to take into account directives issued by governmental bodies; the integration of the public undertaking into the structures of the public administration; the nature of the undertaking's activities and the exercise of the latter on the market in normal conditions of competition with private operators; the legal status of the undertaking; the intensity of the supervision exercised by the public authorities over the management of the undertaking; and any other indicator showing, in the particular case, an involvement by the public authorities in the adoption of a measure or the unlikelihood of their not being involved, having regard also to the compass of the measure, its content, or the conditions which it contains.
Italien förklarade dock att Ryanairs fakturauppgifter stämmer överens med So.Ge.A.AL:s offentliggjorda avgifter för alla flygplatstjänster förutom marktjänster.
The investigation in this case has confirmed that the conclusion of the agreements with the airlines is imputable to the State.
En rabatt på marktjänster som avspeglar lufttrafikföretagets verksamhet vid flygplatsen beviljades till Ryanair, vilket reflekteras i avtalen om flygplatstjänster.
Second, the Commission notes that at no time has Italy claimed that the decision to enter the agreements with the airlines was taken by So.Ge.A.AL autonomously with no involvement of its shareholders.
I stället ansåg So.Ge.A.AL att målen representerade miniminivån för Ryanairs avtalsmässiga förpliktelser.
On the contrary, by letter of 18 February 2014, Italy submitted that:
Av denna anledning bygger trafikprognoserna för 2006 och 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster på de affärsplaner som utarbetats av So.Ge.A.AL vid den tidpunkt som ligger närmast tiden före undertecknandet av 2006 och 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster (det vill säga att trafikprognoserna bygger på So.Ge.A.AL:s affärsplaner från 2004 och 2009).
the agreements with the airlines have been negotiated by the Director-General of So.Ge.A.AL;
Eftersom So.Ge.A.AL:s affärsplaner inte täcker hela löptiden för företagets avtal med lufttrafikföretagen har prognoserna för lufttrafikrotationer och passageraravgångar, för att förlänga lönsamhetskalkylen så att den täcker hela löptiden för avtalen med Ryanair, utarbetats för de år som inte täcks av affärsplanerna.
the Director-General informed the Board of Directors on the status of the negotiations, the content of the agreements and the development prospects of the agreements in question;
Detta har gjorts i två steg.
In addition, the Commission considers that the nature of So.Ge.A.AL's activities (airport management) is another indication that the measures at stake are imputable to the State given that regional airports are often seen by local and regional authorities as an important tool for fostering local economic development.
Antagandena för icke luftfartsrelaterade intäkter bygger på de affärsplaner som utarbetades av So.Ge.A.AL vid den närmaste tidpunkten till ingåendet av varje enskilt avtal om flygplatstjänster, enligt vad som visas i tabell 9:
Third, in what follows the Commission shows that sufficient indications exist to the effect that the regional authorities have in fact incited the conclusion of the agreements in question, in particular — but not limited to — the agreements with the main airline operating at the airport, Ryanair.
Tabell 9
Those indications constitute evidence of imputability to the State in the sense of the Stardust Marine case-law [99].
Antaganden rörande förväntade icke luftfartsrelaterade intäkter
Regional authorities were informed of and were expected to contribute to the costs resulting from the agreements with the airlines
Icke luftfartsrelaterade intäkter per avresande passagerare
The minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors submitted by Italy in the course of the investigation demonstrate that Sardinia was informed of and consulted on the negotiation and agreed to the conclusion of contracts with the airlines operating at Alghero airport.
Källa
By way of example, the minutes of the Board of Directors of 9 March 2000 indicate that the Board of Directors unanimously approved the agreements with airlines proposed by So.Ge.A.AL.
Affärsplanen från 2000
So.Ge.A.AL reported in particular on the negotiations with Volare, Ryanair, Italair, Alpi Eagles, Air Dolomiti, Azzura and Gandalf Air.
Affärsplanen från 2004
As concerns Volare, it was reported that a new agreement under negotiation laid down a fixed payment of 4550000 per air traffic movement (‘ATM’) and EUR 3000 per passenger for a load factor of 60 %.
Affärsplanen från 2009
The minutes of the Board of Directors of 18 December 2006 demonstrate that the Board of Directors was informed of the progress of the negotiations of the 2007 agreement with Germanwings.
För den period i varje enskilt avtal om flygplatstjänster som inte täcks av respektive affärsplan har den senast tillgängliga prognosen för icke luftfartsrelaterade intäkter per avresande passagerare överförts för varje år till dess att avtalet upphör att gälla.
The consultation and agreement of the public authorities on the agreements concluded with the airlines operating at the airport was therefore not limited to Ryanair.
Marginalkostnader
For instance, based on the minutes of the Management Board of 10 February 2002, the start-up by French carrier Auris of a route to Paris was decided only subject to explicit agreement by the shareholders including their commitment to cover any resulting financial obligations.
Eftersom det inte finns någon information om de marginalkostnader som förväntades vara knutna till att betjäna Ryanair vid tiden för ingåendet av vart och ett av avtalen om flygplatstjänster, uppskattade Italien marginalkostnaderna grundat på förhållandet mellan flygplatsens driftskostnader och passagerarantalet.
The involvement of the public authorities in the decision to conclude agreements governing the operations of various carriers at Alghero airport as detailed in recitals 382 to 388 is a strong indication that the public authorities were generally involved in the conclusion of such agreements, even for carriers not mentioned in the evidence detailed in recitals 382 to 388.
En regressionsmetod användes för att fastställa hur driftskostnaderna varierar beroende på förändringar i passagerarantalet för att uppskatta de marginalkostnader som So.Ge.A.AL rimligtvis kunde ha förväntat sig vid tiden för undertecknandet av avtalen om flygplatstjänster med Ryanair.
When concluding the agreements with the airlines, So.Ge.A.AL acted on mandate from the public authorities
I första steget utfördes en regressionsanalys för att fastställa den inverkan förändringar i passagerarantalet skulle ha på flygplatsens driftskostnader.
The Commission considers that sufficient indications exist that the conclusion of the agreements with the airlines was incited and coordinated by the State.
I andra steget användes resultaten från första steget i kombination med prognoser rörande antalet passagerare som flög med Ryanair för att göra en uppskattning av de ytterligare driftskostnader som följde av avtalen med Ryanair.
For example, according to the minutes of the Shareholders Assembly meeting of 5 October 2001 So.Ge.A.AL was negotiating, ‘in agreement with the shareholders’, the start-up of an important route for Sardinia, namely the Alghero–London route, and temporarily bore the resulting costs, ‘which should have been borne by the public entities’.
Följande kostnadskomponenter beaktades:
The minutes of the Board of Directors meetings also demonstrate that, in concluding the agreements with the airlines, the management had to take the requirements of the public authorities into account.
Marginalkostnader för personal.
By way of example, in the meeting of the Board of Directors of 30 July 2004 the President of the Board informed of a meeting between different regional entities on the potential development of Ryanair's activities at the airport.
Marginalkostnader för varor och tjänster, säkerhet, inventarier och material.
Assurances were required from Sardinia as concerns the financing by regional funds of the costs connected with traffic development initiatives.
Utbetalningar i syfte att uppmuntra till öppnandet av nya rutter, marknadsföring och/eller resultatavgifter till Ryanair eller AMS.
The fact that, when concluding the agreements in question, So.Ge.A.AL acted under the influence of Sardinia is also evident in the 2000 ASA signed with Ryanair, which lays down that ‘So.Ge.A.AL, having interested the territory's institutional bodies, among which the Autonomous Regional government, and having received ample interest and consent regarding the initiative in question, is concluding with the aforementioned [i.e. Ryanair] for the payment of an economic contribution sufficient to cover the entire undertaking of the present Agreement’ (Preamble).
Koncessionskostnader.
According to the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors of 17 July 2009 it is clear that So.Ge.A.AL considered the co-marketing contributions to Ryanair as the result of political choices at regional level.
För att uppskatta de personalkostnader som tillkommer för avtalen med Ryanair efter 2006 utfördes statistiska analyser byggt på uppgifter om flygplatsens totala personalkostnader för att fastställa den andel av kostnaderna som varierade med förändringar i passagerarantalet [111].
Consequently, So.Ge.A.AL considered that the required financial means had to be ensured by the regional authorities.
Uppskattningen av de ytterligare kostnaderna erhölls sedan från regressionsanalysresultaten i kombination med det uppskattade antalet Ryanair-passagerare.
The company also inquired on the negotiating margin with the carrier, if any, ‘given that So.Ge.A.AL's shareholders had not given the Board a mandate to terminate the agreement with the airline’.
Övriga kostnader: På liknande sätt har regressionsanalyser utförts för att uppskatta marginalkostnaderna för varor och material [112], tjänster [113], säkerhet och inventarier eftersom dessa kostnader inte nämndes i affärsplanen.
In the course of the investigation Ryanair claimed that the public authorities' interference in the decisional process of So.Ge.A.AL would have been insufficiently proven by the Commission.
Utbetalningar i syfte att uppmuntra till öppnandet av nya rutter, marknadsföring och/eller resultatavgifter som betalats till Ryanair har tagits upp som en kostnad för flygplatsen.
The circumstance that ‘So.Ge.A.AL and Sardinia signed agreements in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 for co-marketing contributions’ would only support the position that Sardinia was financing So.Ge.A.AL, but not that it was directing So.Ge.A.AL's action towards Ryanair or AMS.
Marginalkoncessionskostnaderna [114] bygger på enhetskostnader på flygplatsnivå multiplicerade med trafikprognoserna för Ryanair.
The Commission cannot accept Ryanair's argument.
Enligt Italien hade So.Ge.A.AL inte som mål att använda avgifterna som betalades av Ryanair till att täcka kostnaderna för den nya passagerarterminalen.
First, as mentioned in recital 384, in the course of the investigation Italy explicitly confirmed that the conclusion of the agreements with the airlines was an integral part of Sardinia's strategy to increase tourist flows to and from the island.
Med andra ord kan investeringskostnaderna för den nya terminalen inte tillskrivas något av avtalen med Ryanair och ingår därför inte i marginalkostnaderna.
The references to the discussions between So.Ge.A.AL and its public shareholders underlying the regional and economic development objective pursued by RAS in respect of the agreements concluded by So.Ge.A.AL with carriers operating at Alghero airport show that So.Ge.A.AL implemented regional policies within the instructions and guidelines received from the public entities.
Ett ”slutvärde” lades till som en intäkt för flygplatsen för att redogöra för de fördelar som marknadsföringsavtalen och avtalen för flygplatstjänster förde med sig, vilka enligt Italien består även efter det att marknadsföringsavtalen har löpt ut.
Therefore, the Commission concludes that the agreements entered into by So.Ge.A.AL and various carriers operating at Alghero airport and which are subject to the formal investigation procedure are imputable to the State.
Slutvärdet beräknas enligt samma metod som användes av Ryanair och som beskrivs i skälen 443–446.
As concerns the first approach mentioned at recital 398 (comparison of the price charged for airport services with the market price), the Commission has strong doubts that an appropriate benchmark can be defined so as to establish the market value of the services provided by airports.
1 januari 2002–31 december 2012
At present the Commission considers ex ante incremental profitability analysis to be the most relevant criterion for the assessment of arrangements concluded by airports with individual airlines [102].
[3–6]
It is worth noting in this sense that in general the application of the MEOP in reference to an average price observed on comparable markets may be reliable to the extent a market price may be identified or deducted from other market indicators.
[6–9]
Indeed, the structure of costs and revenues tend to differ quite significantly from one airport to another.
[9–12]
Those costs and revenues depend on the development of the airport, the state of the airport infrastructure, the number or aid carriers operating at the airport, the airport's capacity, the regulatory framework at national level, which may be different from one Member State to another, as well as the deficits and obligations incurred by the airport in the past.
Kommissionen noterar att vid genomförandet av lönsamhetskalkylen för 2006 och 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster förutsatte Italien en löptid på tio år för 2006 års avtal om flygplatstjänster och nio år för 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster i stället för den avtalsperiod som ursprungligen gällde, närmare bestämt fem respektive fyra år.
Moreover, the liberalisation of the air transport market complicates any purely comparative analysis.
Italien inkom dock även till kommissionen med resultaten av lönsamhetskalkylen för de ursprungliga löptiderna för 2006 och 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster enligt vad som noggrant definierades i dessa avtal.
As can be seen in this case, commercial practices between airports and airlines are not always based exclusively on a published schedule of charges.
Som försvar för sitt tillvägagångssätt hävdade Italien att vid tiden för ingåendet av vart och ett av dessa avtal med Ryanair hade So.Ge.A.AL rimliga förväntningar på att dessa avtal skulle förnyas på liknande villkor.
Rather, these commercial relations are very varied.
I synnerhet förväntade sig So.Ge.A.AL att 2006 års avtal om flygplatstjänster skulle förnyas på liknande villkor grundat på den uttryckliga bestämmelsen i detta avtal att avtalet kunde förlängas i ytterligare fem år till 1 januari 2016.
They include sharing risks with regard to passenger traffic and any related commercial and financial liability, standard incentive schemes and adapting the spread of risks during the term of the agreements.
På liknande sätt förväntades 2010 års avtal om flygplatstjänster omfatta perioden mellan 1 januari 2010 och 31 december 2013, med möjlighet till en förlängning av avtalet i ytterligare fem år till och med 31 december 2018.