COMMISSION DECISION
of 25 April 2012
on State aid SA.25051 (C 19/10) (ex NN 23/10) granted by Germany to the Zweckverband Tierkörperbeseitigung in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis and Landkreis Limburg-Weilburg
(notified under document C(2012) 2557)
(Only the German text is authentic)
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2012/485/EU)
1.
THE PROCEDURE
2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURE
2.1.
Legal background
2.1.1.
European legislation
2.1.2.
National legislation
2.2.
Zweckverband Tierkörperbeseitigung
2.3.
Disposal of fallen stock and slaughterhouse waste
2.3.1.
The ZT’s activities
|
Internal material |
External material |
|
|||
|
Baden-Württemberg |
Northern and Central Hessen |
||||
Category 1 and 2 controlled goods |
Category 3 uncontrolled goods |
Category 1 and 2 controlled goods |
Category 1 and 2 controlled goods |
Total |
||
1998 |
Tonnes |
38 055 |
[…](11) |
0 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
0 % |
100 % |
|
1999 |
Tonnes |
41 081 |
[…] |
0 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2000 |
Tonnes |
44 929 |
[…] |
1 114 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2001 |
Tonnes |
57 110 |
[…] |
14 079 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2002 |
Tonnes |
58 316 |
[…] |
14 803 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2003 |
Tonnes |
54 325 |
[…] |
16 067 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2004 |
Tonnes |
52 562 |
[…] |
13 228 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2005 |
Tonnes |
48 944 |
[…] |
11 658 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2006 |
Tonnes |
45 988 |
[…] |
11 389 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2007 |
Tonnes |
44 544 |
[…] |
6 797 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2008 |
Tonnes |
41 838 |
[…] |
7 046 |
0 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
0 % |
100 % |
|
2009 |
Tonnes |
36 863 |
[…] |
8 569 |
23 312 |
[…] |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
100 % |
|
Average |
Tonnes |
47 046 |
[…] |
8 729 |
1 943 |
[…] |
from 1998 to 2009 |
% |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
100 % |
2.3.2.
The ZT’s plant capacity
2.3.2.1.
Short-term spare operational capacity
2.3.2.2.
Long-term spare operational capacity
2.4.
Annual contribution and public task
2.5.
Approved State aid in connection with TSE tests, fallen stock and slaughterhouse waste
2.5.1.
Commission Decision of 29 January 2004 in aid case NN 33/03
2.5.2.
Commission Decision of 6 July 2004 in aid case N 15/04
2.5.3.
Relationship between the approved aid schemes NN 33/03 and N 15/04 and the annual contributions
3.
REASONS FOR INITIATING THE PROCEDURE
4.
NATIONAL COURT PROCEEDINGS
4.1.
First Altmark criterion
4.2.
Second Altmark criterion
4.3.
Third Altmark criterion
4.4.
Fourth Altmark-criterion
5.
COMMENTS FROM THE COMPLAINANT
5.1.
First Altmark criterion
5.2.
Second Altmark criterion
5.3.
Third Altmark Criterion
5.3.1.
Epidemic reserve covered out of operational spare capacity
5.3.2.
Total costs financed out of normal fee revenue
5.3.3.
The ZT’s actual use of the annual contributions
5.3.3.1.
Use of the alleged epidemic reserve for the purposes of the public task entrusted to it in North and Central Hessen
5.3.3.2.
Financing of unnecessary spare capacity
5.4.
Fourth Altmark-Criterion
5.5.
Distortion of competition on outside markets
5.5.1.
Below-cost bid by the ZT in the public tendering procedure in Northern and Central Hessen
5.5.2.
Below-cost fees charged by the ZT for disposal of category 3 material
6.
COMMENTS BY THE ZT
7.
COMMENTS BY GERMANY
7.1.
First Altmark criterion
7.2.
Second Altmark criterion
7.3.
Third Altmark criterion
7.3.1.
Study on the level of the epidemic reserve
7.3.1.1.
Short-term epidemics
7.3.1.2.
Long-term epidemics
7.3.1.3.
Conclusions arising from the studies submitted
7.3.2.
Cost of the epidemic reserve
(in EUR) |
|
|
Costs of the epidemic reserve |
2000 |
2 250 106 |
2001 |
2 608 383 |
2002 |
3 163 429 |
2003 |
3 121 934 |
2004 |
3 133 539 |
2005 |
2 986 695 |
2006 |
2 793 466 |
2007 |
2 606 508 |
2008 |
2 507 167 |
2009 |
1 961 515 |
Average |
2 784 282 |
7.3.3.
Financing the cost of the epidemic reserve through annual contributions
7.3.4.
Financing in other German states
7.4.
Fourth Altmark criterion
7.5.
No distortion to competition in external markets
7.5.1.
Disposal of uncontrolled goods by the ZT without cross-subsidisation
7.5.2.
Invitation to tender in Northern and Central Hessen
7.6.
Clean-up of contaminated sites
7.6.1.
Sprendling-Gensingen site
7.6.2.
Sohrschied site
8.
ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENCE OF AID UNDER ARTICLE 107(1) TFEU (WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE ALTMARK CRITERIA)
8.1.
Annual contribution financed from State resources
8.2.
Economic advantage for the ZT
8.3.
Distortion of competition and impairment of trade between the Member States
8.4.
Provisional conclusion on the existence of aid
9.
ASSESSMENT OF THE ALTMARK CRITERIA IN THE CONTEXT OF ARTICLE 107(1) TFEU
9.1.
First Altmark criterion
9.1.1.
Obligation to dispose of category 1 and 2 material
9.1.1.1.
Not a service of general economic interest
9.1.1.2.
In the alternative: compensation payments are not a requirement in any case
9.1.2.
Maintaining an epidemic reserve
9.1.3.
Disposal of category 3 material
9.1.4.
Summary
9.2.
Second Altmark criterion
9.2.1.
Period from 1979 to 2008
9.2.2.
Period from 2009 to 2012
9.3.
Third Altmark criterion
9.3.1.
Coverage of the prescribed epidemic reserve by the ZT’s unused operational capacity
Type of operation |
Total capacity |
Available spare capacity |
Epidemic reserve under the Verbandsordnung |
Spare capacity after deducting the epidemic reserve |
||
|
|
Due to level of utilisation |
Due to operational factors |
Total |
|
Total |
2 shifts on 5 days maximum capacity |
2 160 |
443 |
|
443 |
|
|
3 shifts on 5 days maximum capacity |
3 240 |
443 |
1 080 |
1 523 |
1 185 |
338 |
3 shifts on 7 days normal capacity |
3 864 |
443 |
1 704 |
2 147 |
962 |
|
3 shifts on 7 days maximum capacity |
4 536 |
443 |
2 376 |
2 819 |
1 634 |
9.3.2.
Available spare capacity exceeds the prescribed epidemic reserve
9.3.3.
Summary
9.4.
Altmark criterion 4
9.5.
Conclusion as regards the existence of economic advantages for the ZT
9.5.1.
Losses from the disposal of internal and external material when the incorrectly calculated epidemic reserve costs are allocated by purpose
(in EUR) |
||||||||||
|
|
|
Fallen stock |
Slaughter waste |
Internal material Col. 1 + 2 |
Category 3 material |
BW and Hessen |
Under-utilisation |
External material Col. 4 + 5 + 6 |
Total Col 3 + 7 |
(1) |
|
Turnover |
3 624 234 |
5 130 693 |
8 754 926 |
|
[…] |
|
[…] |
[…] |
(2) |
|
Costs given by ZT |
3 624 234 |
3 877 155 |
7 501 388 |
[…] |
[…] |
|
[…] |
[…] |
(3) |
|
Turnover |
3 624 234 |
5 130 693 |
8 754 926 |
[…] |
[…] |
|
[…] |
[…] |
(4) |
– |
Corrected costs |
3 624 234 |
5 077 019 |
8 701 252 |
[…] |
[…] |
|
[…] |
[…] |
(5) |
|
Covering contribution I |
|
53 674 |
53 674 |
[…] |
[…] |
|
[…] |
[…] |
(6) |
– |
Spare capacity (SC) due to utilisation rate |
|
|
|
|
|
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
(7) |
– |
Operational SC collection |
70 077 |
236 780 |
306 857 |
[…] |
|
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
(8) |
– |
Operational SC processing |
201 993 |
685 722 |
887 715 |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
(9) |
|
Covering contribution II |
– 272 071 |
– 868 828 |
–1 140 898 |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
[…] |
(10) |
– |
Unallocated fixed costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[…] |
(11) |
|
Covering contribution III |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[…] |
(12) |
+ |
Annual contribution |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[…] |
(13) |
|
Profit or loss |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[…] |
Rows 1 and 2: Information supplied by the ZT The ZT does not record the income from the disposal of category 3 material separately in its cost accounts; instead, as with other product income (e.g. for fats and oils) it deducts them from the total costs, which are then allocated between internal slaughterhouse waste, category 3 material and material from Baden-Württemberg and Hessen. However, since a separate account is created for category 3 material in what follows, the income from the disposal of category 3 material has to be taken out of the total costs. Rows 3 to 5: Calculation of contribution margin I To obtain the corrected cost, the income from processing category 3 material that is deducted from the costs is allocated proportionally between the cost of internal slaughterhouse waste, category 3 material and material from Baden-Württemberg and Hessen. The difference in total costs between row (2) and row (4) thus corresponds to income from the disposal of category 3 material in row (3). Because data were unavailable, the Commission was not able to verify whether the ZT allocated the total costs in rows (2) and (3) correctly between the various services. In particular it should be noted that the disposal of animal carcases accounts for an excessively large proportion of the capacity costs. Covering contribution I for internal slaughterhouse waste, category 3 material and material from Baden-Württemberg and Hessen might therefore be set too high. Rows 6 to 9: Calculation of contribution margin II First from the cost of the epidemic reserve the under-utilisation in 5-day 2-shift operation is calculated out (= spare capacity due to utilisation rate). The other costs of the epidemic reserve are then divided up in proportion to the quantities involved and the calculated under-utilisation. Since there is no collection for Baden-Württemberg, the collection and processing costs are treated separately. As direct spare capacity costs were already added in 2009 for the task in Northern and Central Hessen, no further costs are added. |