natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
In the present case, it has been established that the aid has had a significant positive effect on the economic development of Charleroi and its region, which may be recognised as an objective of common interest justifying operating aid, while also having negative effects, which have increased over time and become very significant.
Bilaga 2 till Belgiens skrivelse av den 24 februari 2014.
In this instance, given that the negative effects of the aid, which were initially limited, have constantly increased over time until they have become too significant, the Commission takes the view that the Region-SOWAER should have, from a certain date, required BSCA to pay a concession fee in line with the level that would have been determined when the measures in question were granted, in 2002 and 2003, if the Region-SOWAER had acted towards BSCA as a market economy operator placing its infrastructure at BSCA's disposal with a view to profitability.
Artikel 12 i kravspecifikationen.
BSCA would therefore have benefited from operating aid in the form of an extra low concession fee up to the date in question, on a transitional basis, and not beyond.
Artikel 19 i kravspecifikationen.
The Commission takes the view that, in order to reduce the negative effects of the aid on competition and trade to an acceptable level, so that the aid is compatible with the internal market, this approach must be implemented a posteriori, in the form of (i) the recovery from BSCA of the aid amounts received after the date in question, and (ii) an adjustment to the methods for calculating the concession fee for the period after the adoption of this decision up to the expiry of the concession from which BSCA benefits, such that, over this period, BSCA pays the Region-SOWAER a concession fee in line with the level that would have been determined when the measures in question were granted, in 2002 and 2003, if the Region-SOWAER had acted towards BSCA as a market economy operator.
Investeringskostnaderna och/eller avskrivningskostnaderna nämndes inte i de tidigare texterna.
As the date in question must be determined by weighing up the positive effects on regional economic development and the negative effects on competition, it cannot be determined solely by applying a method of economic analysis, but necessarily requires the Commission to use its wide margin of discretion in terms of the compatibility of State aid with the internal market.
Tjänster med anknytning till brandförsvar och trafiksäkerhet på marken och i flygplatsområdet.
In this respect, the Commission notes that the entry into force of the aviation guidelines on 4 April 2014 is an important turning point in terms of public support for airports as, according to the aviation guidelines, from that date Member States may no longer grant new operating aid to airports with more than 3 million passengers.
I bilaga 10 till skrivelsen från Belgien av den 5 februari 2014 anges stadgarna för BSCA Security.
The aim of said provision is clearly to limit, from 4 April 2014, the negative effects of operating aid granted to airports.
Stycket i fråga nämner även tjänsterna med koppling till trafiksäkerheten på marken och i flygplatsområdet.
The Commission takes the view that this date also forms an appropriate benchmark in the present case, and that it can be regarded as the moment from which BSCA should have ceased to pay an extra low concession fee under the 2002 and 2003 measures.
Det bidrag som betalats ut för säkerhet och trygghet har betalats till BSCA Security.
With regard to the 2002 capital increase, in the light of the findings made in recital 638 and due to the fact that this measure was granted before 4 April 2014, the Commission takes the view that, if this measure does constitute State aid, it is compatible with the internal market.
I finansieringsplanen anges att ”den utveckling som planeras för BSCA och SAB kommer att kräva kraftiga ökningar av det egna kapitalet (utöver den externa finansieringen) och alltså en uppföljning från Sowaers sida”.
In conclusion, the Commission takes the view that:
Övriga andelar som hör ihop med kapitalökningen har tecknats till ett totalt belopp på omkring 133000 euro av vissa minoritetsägare: bolagen SONACA, Carolo Parking och Igretec.
the measures granted by Belgium to BSCA under the 2002 agreements and the 2003 investment decision constitute State aid compatible with the internal market on the basis of Article 107(3)(c) TFEU up to 3 April 2014 and State aid incompatible with the internal market from 4 April 2014,
Den 6 juli 2012 ingick BSCA ett nytt avtal med Ryanair.
assuming that it does constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU, the capital increase in BSCA subscribed on 3 December 2002 by SOWAER is State aid compatible with the internal market on the basis of Article 107(3)(c) TFEU.
Eftersom detta avtal varken ingår bland de åtgärder som tas upp i beslutet om att inleda förfarandet från 2002 eller bland de som avses i beslutet om att utvidga förfarandet från 2012 granskas det inte heller i detta beslut.
Applicability of the limitation period to the aid granted to BSCA
Upplysningar som lämnades vid mötet den 24 juni 2003 mellan kommissionen och de belgiska myndigheterna.
Article 15 of the Procedural Regulation stipulates that the recovery of State aid shall be subject to a limitation period of 10 years.
Medan landningsskatten beräknades utifrån flygplansvikt i det allmänna system som gällde för alla beräknades den på andra grunder för Ryanair och togs ut per ombordstigande passagerare.
The limitation period shall begin on the day on which the unlawful aid is awarded to the beneficiary.
Punkt 1.3 i avtalet mellan BSCA och Ryanair av den 2 december 2001.
According to Belgium, the subsidy paid by the Region to BSCA for certain services associated with the airport activities benefits from the limitation period stipulated by Article 15 of the Procedural Regulation.
Punkt 1.5 i avtalet mellan BSCA och Ryanair av den 2 december 2001.
Belgium asserts that this subsidy was granted on 9 July 1991, which was the date of conclusion of the Region/BSCA agreement and annexed schedule of conditions.
Punkt 4 i bilaga C till avtalet mellan BSCA och Ryanair av den 2 december 2001.
According to Belgium, since that date, notwithstanding the adoption of various provisions without any impact on the principle of compulsory compensation payable by the Region for these costs, the Region has been responsible for paying this subsidy.
Punkt 1.6 i och bilaga C till avtalet mellan BSCA och Ryanair av den 2 december 2001.
Only a few non-economic services set out in Amendment No 6 of 15 January 2008 are apparently not covered by this limitation period.
Artikel 2 i 2001 års avtal.
First of all, the Commission notes that it considered in recital 415 that it must examine the subsidy for certain services associated with the airport activities in conjunction with the other economics of the concession (provision of the infrastructure and concession fee).
Punkt 3b i skrivelsen av den 24 juni 2004.
Even if the subsidy paid by the Region for certain services associated with the airport activities may be examined separately from the SOWAER/BSCA agreement, the Commission refutes, however, the assessment according to which the measure granting this subsidy has not been substantially amended.
Det totala antal passagerare som använde sig av flygplatsen uppgick 2004 till 2034140 (se tabell nr 1).
On the contrary, the Commission takes the view that each of the following three amendments has substantially amended the measure:
Artiklarna 35 och 36 i dekretet av den 3 februari 2005 om ekonomisk återhämtning och administrativ förenkling.
Amendment No 3 of 29 March 2002
Dessa bestämmelser har införlivats vid Charlerois flygplats genom tillägg nr 4 till koncessionsavtalet från 1991 mellan regionen och BSCA, som i sin artikel 1 föreskriver att ”koncessionshavaren fastställer och ålägger användarna de luftfartsavgifter som ska betalas för användningen av den flygplats som denne förvaltar”.
The Commission notes that, under Article 25 of the schedule of conditions annexed to the Region/BSCA agreement of 9 July 1991, the Region was to cover the cost of the fire and maintenance services for a transitional period only.
Skrivelse från de belgiska myndigheterna av den 14 juli 2011 och http://www.charleroi-airport.com/en/b2b/airport-fees/scheduledcharter-flights/index.html
This transitional period was extended until 1 January 2000 under Amendment No 2 to the schedule of conditions annexed to the agreement.
Avgift per avresande passagerare enligt de uppgifter som lämnades i svaret från de belgiska myndigheterna av den 14 juli 2011.
For the years 2000 and 2001, subsidies for the ‘fire and maintenance’ costs were paid by the Region to BSCA on legal bases other than the Region/BSCA agreement [233], with the acts in question not committing the Region to pay the subsidies to BSCA beyond the years 2000 and 2001.
Förordning (EG) nr 1107/2006 av den 5 juli 2006 om rättigheter i samband med flygresor för personer med funktionshinder och personer med nedsatt rörlighet, EUT L 204, 26.7.2006, s. 1.
According to Belgium, the continuation of this payment was confirmed in a letter of 5 July 2001 sent by BSCA to the Walloon transport and facilities administration, detailing the main lines of the BSCA 2002 budget covering the costs of these services, following a telephone conversation during which, according to Belgium, the Region had confirmed that it would pay for these services for 2002.
Detta belopp indexeras årligen, se http://www.charleroi-airport.com/b2b/redevances-aeroportuaires/vols-regulierscharters/index.html
As indicated in recitals 71 and 72, Amendment No 3 of 29 March 2002 to the Region/BSCA agreement amended Article 3.2 of this agreement and provided that the Walloon Region would reimburse the costs (expenses and investments) inherent in the fire and maintenance services.
PNR-avgift år N + 1 = [0,10–0,30] euro × Ryanair-passagerare 2009/Ryanair-passagerare år N. Antalet Ryanair-passagerare uppgick 2009 till 3289725.
Amendment No 3 also amended Article 25 of the schedule of conditions and provided that the concession-holder would present the concession authority with the budget for the fire and maintenance services and that it would keep a separate operating account that could at any time be analysed and checked by the concession authority.
Promocy var ett samriskföretag mellan BSCA och Ryanair som inrättades inom ramen för avtalen från 2001.
The Commission takes the view that Amendment No 3 of 29 March 2002 to the Region/BSCA agreement substantially affected the measure.
Svar från Belgien av den 18 mars 2014 till kommissionen – svar på kommissionens begäran om upplysningar av den 7 februari 2014 (svaret på fråga 18).
Amendment No 3 in fact introduced a written undertaking on the part of the Region to cover the costs associated with the fire and maintenance services, when there was no longer any written undertaking on the part of the Region with regard to the costs incurred by BSCA from 1 January 2002.
BAC menar att en privat investerare skulle räkna med en avkastning på investeringarna på minst 14 miljoner euro (5 %) på grundval av den investering på 281 miljoner euro som Sowaer gjorde i BSCA:s infrastruktur.
Moreover, Amendment No 3 amended Article 3.2 of the Region/BSCA agreement and provided that the Region would reimburse the costs (expenses and investments) inherent in the fire and maintenance services.
Sowaer fick dock endast en avkastning på 0,66 % efter bolagsskatt 2009, och varken regionen Vallonien eller Sowaer rörde de andra intäkterna, såsom utdelningarna, mellan 2002 och 2007.
It also amended Article 25 of the schedule of conditions and provided that the concession-holder would present the concession authority with the budget for the fire and maintenance services and that it would keep a separate operating account that could at any time be analysed and checked by the concession authority.
Mellan 2007 och 2009 uppgick den utbetalade utdelningen till mindre än 400000 euro och, år 2010, fick regionen Vallonien en utdelning på 4,66 miljoner euro.
In this respect, the Commission stresses that Amendment No 3 stipulated that this operating account would include the investment costs and/or investment depreciation costs, even though this had not previously been the case.
BSCA:s infrastrukturkostnader i förhållande till intäkterna stod dessutom bara för 6,7 % år 2009 trots att de normalt sett ska återfinnas bland en flygplats största kostnader.
Based on these points, the Commission takes the view that the subsidy paid by the Region to BSCA for certain services associated with the airport activities was introduced, or in any event substantially amended, by Amendment No 3 of 29 March 2002 to the Region/BSCA agreement.
BAC:s årliga avskrivningskostnader uppgår därför till 30 % av de årliga intäkterna.
Under Article 3.2.2 of the Region/BSCA agreement, as amended by Amendment No 5, the costs incurred by BSCA for ‘the fire protection and ground traffic and airport site safety services’ were to be compensated by the Region, whereas previously the Region had compensated the costs incurred by BSCA for the ‘fire and maintenance’ services.
De direkta kostnaderna per flygplan och start/landning i Bryssel inbegriper landningsskatter, passageraravgifter, andra avgifter och kostnader för marktjänster.
According to Belgium, this new wording aimed to define more precisely the costs assumed by the Region, but did not substantially alter the scope of the services covered.
Om man utgår från prognosen om 1700000 passagerare 2003 blir kostnadsskillnaden 23 miljoner euro.
However, the Commission notes that, even if the change in wording of the services for which BSCA receives compensation is ignored, the details of the costs covered under Article 25 of the schedule of conditions, as amended by Amendment No 5, differ in that they include certain costs that were not previously mentioned, namely ‘the ground traffic and airport site safety services include routine maintenance of the airport site, … minor surfacing work, routine maintenance and repair of the runway and accesses, operational maintenance and servicing of the general lighting and runway lighting, mowing services, rubber removal from the runway and its markings, snow clearance and any other services ensuring the safety of ground traffic, airport site and infrastructures, except for commercial areas of the airport zone’.
Rådets direktiv 96/67/EG av den 15 oktober 1996 om tillträde till marknaden för marktjänster på flygplatser inom gemenskapen (EGT L 272, 25.10.1996, s. 36).
The subsidy was capped, whereas it had not been previously.
Direktivet ändrades senast genom Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning (EG) nr 1882/2003 av den 29 september 2003 om anpassning till rådets beslut 1999/468/EG av de bestämmelser i rättsakter som omfattas av förfarandet i artikel 251 i EG-fördraget som avser de kommittéer som biträder kommissionen när den utövar sina genomförandebefogenheter (EUT L 284, 31.10.2003, s. 1).
This cap applied from the initial entry into force of Amendment No 5 and therefore had an impact on the amount of the subsidy paid by the Region to BSCA from the first year.
Den berörda parten nämner flygplatsen Shannon i Irland som exempel.
The amount of the subsidy had to be revised before July 2009 [234].
Shannon gav under en tid Ryanair fördelar som inte förnyades.
Based on these points, the Commission takes the view that the measure was substantially affected by the adoption of Amendment No 5 of 10 March 2006 to the Region/BSCA agreement.
Ryanair beslutade sig för att flytta sin verksamhet till en annan flygplats, och Shannon fick sålunda inte den avkastning på sin investering som man rimligtvis kunde ha räknat med.
Amendment No 6 of 15 January 2008 to the Region/BSCA agreement substantially amended Amendment No 5 by significantly extending the scope of the services for which the Region paid a subsidy to BSCA, as those services subsequently included flight tracking and recording, provisional flight planning, marshalling and security.
Domstolens dom av den 22 mars 1977 i mål 78/76, Steinike & Weinlig mot Förbundsrepubliken Tyskland; REG 1977, s.
As set out in Section 6.1.1, the Commission takes the view that these services, except for the security services, constitute economic services.
I-595, ECLI:EU:C:1977:52: ”En medlemsstats överträdelse av en skyldighet enligt fördraget i samband med förbudet i artikel 92, kan inte anses vara berättigad genom den omständigheten att även andra medlemsstater underlåter att uppfylla denna skyldighet.
The Commission therefore concludes that the subsidy paid by the Region to BSCA for certain services associated with the airport activities cannot be regarded as a measure having been continuously in force and not having been substantially amended since 1991.
Verkningarna av snedvridning i flera former av konkurrensen på handeln mellan medlemsstaterna är inte att dessa upphäver varandra ömsesidigt utan tvärtom att verkningarna kumuleras, vilket ökar de skadliga följderna för den gemensamma marknaden.” (punkt 24).
The payment of this subsidy is based on several new measures applicable in succession.
De avgifter som tas ut av Frankfurt-Hahn och London Stansted är högre och rabatterna lägre, trots att Ryanair har 49 destinationer från London och 15 från Frankfurt-Hahn jämfört med 9 från Charleroi.
Those examined in this decision are: (a) Amendment No 3 of 29 March 2002 to the Region/BSCA agreement; (b) Amendment No 5 of 10 March 2006 to the Region/BSCA agreement; and (c) Amendment No 6 of 15 January 2008 to the Region/BSCA agreement.
Dom av den 12 december 2000 i mål T-128/98, Aéroports de Paris mot kommissionen, REG 2000, s. II-3929, ECLI:EU:C:2000:290.
Measures (a) to (c) cannot benefit from the 10-year limitation period as there were less than 10 years between the date when they were granted and 20 April 2011, which was the date when the Commission sent its first request for information to Belgium on the subject of the aid granted to BSCA.
Dom av den 14 januari 2004, Fleuren Compost BV mot kommissionen, T-109/01, REG. s. II-127, ECLI:EU:T:2004:4, punkt 18.
As stipulated by Article 15 of the Procedural Regulation, any action taken by the Commission or by a Member State, acting at the request of the Commission, with regard to the unlawful aid shall interrupt the limitation period.
Kommissionens beslut 2008/948/EG av den 23 juli 2008 om Tysklands åtgärder till förmån för DHL och flygplatsen Leipzig/Halle C 48/06 (f.d.
The Commission therefore concludes that the limitation period laid down by Article 15 of the Procedural Regulation does not apply to the aid granted to BSCA and examined in this decision.
N 227/06) (EUT L 346, 23.12.2008, s.
Applicability of the principle of legitimate expectations to the subsidy paid by the Region for certain services associated with the airport activities
1), skäl 291.
Article 14(1) of the Procedural Regulation stipulates that ‘The Commission shall not require recovery of the aid if this would be contrary to a general principle of Community law’.
Jfr bilaga 3 till Belgiens synpunkter som överlämnades den 23 maj 2012.
In particular, the Commission cannot require recovery of aid that, although granted within the 10-year period defined in Article 15(1) of the Procedural Regulation, may be covered by the existence of a legitimate expectation — in the mind of the beneficiary of the aid — resulting from acts or positions taken by the Commission in the past.
Beslut 2008/948/EG, skäl 182.
As indicated in Section 5.4 of this decision, Belgium maintains that recovery of the subsidy paid by the Region for certain services associated with the airport activities would be contrary to the principle of legitimate expectations.
Dom av den 24 mars 2011, Freistaat Sachsen mot kommissionen, T-443/08 och T-455/08, REG 2011, s.
However, the Court of Justice has ruled that the beneficiary of unlawful aid may not in principle invoke a legitimate expectation [235].
II-1311, punkt 225.
The beneficiary should in fact have checked that the aid granted had been notified to and approved by the Commission.
Se fotnot 89.
In this respect, the Commission notes that the aid granted to BSCA was not notified to the Commission.
Dom av den 24 juli 2003, Altmark Trans, C-280/00, REG 2003, ECLI:EU:C:2003:415, s I-7447.
Absence of precise assurances
Artikel 6, § 1, X, 7o i lagen om institutionell reform, M.S. av den 15 augusti 1980, s. 9434.
Moreover, as clarified by the Court of Justice [236], a person may not plead infringement of the principle of legitimate expectations ‘unless he has been given precise assurances by the administration’.
Idag Belgocontrol.
Belgium maintains that, given the lack of a complaint by the Commission in its 2004 decision, BSCA did receive precise assurances that the subsidy was not likely to constitute State aid.
M.S. av den 9 mars 1990, s. 4439.
Belgium in particular relies on recital 214 of the 2004 decision, in which the Commission stated that it ‘does not dispute the legitimate possibility of the Walloon authorities continuing to bear the cost of the fire and maintenance services’.
Rådets direktiv 96/82/EG av den 9 december 1996 om åtgärder för att förebygga och begränsa följderna av allvarliga olyckshändelser där farliga ämnen ingår (EGT L 10, 14.1.1997, s. 13), det så kallade Seveso-direktivet.
It indicates that this legitimate expectation has been reinforced by the settled decision-making practice of the Commission on the distinction between economic activities and non-economic activities, as reiterated in the Commission decision on Leipzig/Halle airport.
Detta gäller inte för flygplatser.
The Commission takes the view that the lack of a complaint about the aid granted to BSCA in its 2004 decision cannot constitute a ‘precise assurance’.
Skäl 182.
The Commission notes that neither the 2002 opening decision nor the 2004 final decision concerned the measures granted to BSCA.
Europaparlamentets och rådets förordning 2320/2002 av den 16 december 2002 om införande av gemensamma skyddsregler för den civila luftfarten (EGT L 355, 30.12.2002, s. 1).
As regards recital 214 of the 2004 decision, the Commission stresses that this recital must be read in context.
Artikel 5.1.
It would appear that, in said context, the recital in question cannot be regarded as approving the measure with regard to the State aid rules, but only as explaining the reason why it is not the conformity of this measure with the State aid rules that is being examined by the Commission, but rather the uncertainty about the funding by the Region of certain services within the BSCA business plan, for the purposes of applying the market economy operator test to the 2001 contracts.
Bilaga 15 i Belgiens skrivelse av den 24 februari 2014.
As stated in recitals 397 to 399 of this decision, the Commission disputes that it can be concluded from recitals 182 and 183 of the decision on Leipzig/Halle airport that the Commission has in the past taken the view that tasks comparable to maintenance and traffic safety, as defined in the Region/BSCA agreement, fall within the public policy remit.
Not som godkändes av den vallonska regeringen den 8 november 2000, s. 2.
Foreseeability of the change to the pattern of conduct
Kommissionens beslut 2005/842/EG av den 28 november 2005 om tillämpningen av artikel 86.2 i EG-fördraget på statligt stöd i form av ersättning för offentliga tjänster som beviljas vissa företag som fått i uppdrag att tillhandahålla tjänster av allmänt ekonomiskt intresse (EUT L 312, 29.11.2005, s. 67).
As stated by the Court of Justice [237], ‘if a prudent and alert economic operator could have foreseen the adoption of a Community measure likely to affect his interests, he cannot plead that principle if the measure is adopted [238]’.
Kommissionens beslut av den 28 oktober 2009 om finansiering av offentliga sjukhus som tillhör organisationen IRIS i huvudstadsregionen Bryssel, NN 54/2009, webbplatsen Europa.
According to Belgium, there was nothing to indicate to BSCA that the Commission was going to re-examine, in 2012, a measure on which it had not expressed any reservations in 2004, and which the General Court did not question in 2008.
Se fotnot 103.