在2024年3月15日,沃達豐歐洲有限公司、Swisscom Italia S.R.L.、沃達豐和Swisscom AG簽訂了針對沃達豐意大利業務出售的買賣協議。
考慮金額爲80億歐元,基於無債務和無現金的基礎上,需根據慣常的關閉調整進行調整。
該交易需獲得某些慣常的監管批准。截止本公告發布之日,該交易已獲得意大利部長會議主席(黃金權力立法)、瑞士競爭委員會和歐盟委員會競爭總局在外國補貼條例下的無條件批准,意大利通訊管理局(Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni, AGCOM)也已批准,但仍需獲得意大利競爭管理局(Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato)的批准以及根據《立法法令第259/2003號》第64條有關頻率使用權轉讓的授權。
沃達豐
沃達豐歐洲b.V.爲此類交易提供了通常的擔保,包括能力和所有權方面的擔保,並從Swisscom Italia S.r.l.和Swisscom AG處獲得了相應的擔保。
銷售和購買協議受意大利法律管轄。
b. 三UK
除本段所披露外,Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Limited及其子公司(“三UK集團”)不時簽訂的合同(除了在正常業務過程中籤訂的合同)有: (a)
在本公告日期前的兩年內,有可能對三UK集團造成重大影響的合同;或 (b) 包含任何條款,要求三UK集團的任何成員在本公告日期時承擔可能對三UK集團造成重大影響的任何義務或權利:
1. Cellnex
交易
2020年11月12日,Ck Hutchison Networks Europe S.à r.l.同意將Ck Hutchison集團(“Ck Hutchison集團”)在奧地利、丹麥、愛爾蘭、意大利、瑞典和英國的各種電信基礎設施資產出售給Cellnex Telecom, S.A.(“Cellnex”)(“塔架交易”)。作爲此次交易的一部分,Cellnex UK Limited(Cellnex集團的一員)收購了Ck Hutchison Networks (UK) Limited(Ck Hutchison集團的一員,但不屬於三UK集團)所有已發行股份,該公司持有三UK集團根據銷售和購買協議之前擁有的某些單方面電信網絡基礎設施資產。此外,Tower UK Limited(Cellnex集團的一員)獲得了經濟利益並承擔了三UK集團某些其他電信基礎設施資產的費用。
Vodafone
Europe BV ("VEBV") received assessments totalling €267
million of tax and interest from the Dutch tax authorities, who
challenged the application of the arm's length principle in
relation to various intra-group financing transactions. VEBV
entered into a guarantee for the full value of the assessments
issued. VEBV appealed against these assessments to the District
Court of the Hague where a hearing was held in March 2023. The
District Court issued its judgement in July 2023, upholding VEBV's
appeal in relation to the majority of issues and requiring the
Dutch tax authorities to significantly reduce its assessments. VEBV
and the Dutch tax authorities have since appealed the judgement.
The appeal hearing is currently scheduled to take place on 4
February 2025. The Vodafone group continues to believe it has
robust defences but has recorded a provision of €2400萬
for tax and interest, reflecting its current view of the probable
financial outflow required to fully resolve the issue and has
reduced the guarantee to the same value.
3. Germany:
price increase class action
In
November 2023, the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (Federation of
German Consumer Organisations) initiated a class action against
Vodafone Germany in the Hamm Higher Regional Court. Vodafone
Germany implemented price increases of €5 per month for fixed
lines services in 2023 in response to higher costs. The claim
alleges that terms regarding price increases in the consumer
contracts entered into by Vodafone Germany's customers up until
August 2023 are invalid under German civil law and seeks
reimbursement of the additional charges plus interest. Customers
must enter their details onto the register of collective actions on
the Federal Office of Justice website in order to participate in
the claim. The register opened on 23 April 2024. Whilst the
Vodafone group intends to defend the claim, it is not able to
determine the likelihood or estimate the amount of any possible
financial loss at this early stage of the proceedings.
Vodacom
South Africa is challenging the SCA's judgement and order on
various grounds including, but not limited to the SCA ignoring the
evidence placed before it on the computation of the quantum of
compensation payable to Mr Makate, and the SCA issuing orders that
are incapable of implemented and enforced. The CEO's determination
in 2019 amounted to R4700萬 (€240萬). The minority
judgement of the SCA raised Mr Makate's compensation to an amount
payable of R18600萬 (€960萬). The value of the
compensation amount for Mr Makate, as per the SCA's majority
judgement and order, would at a minimum be R290億 (€1.5
billion). Mr Makate, in his recent submissions to the
Constitutional Court, has stated that his request is for
compensation in the capital amount of R94億 (€493
million), plus interest from 18 January 2019. Consequently, the
range of the possible compensation outcomes in this matter is very
wide. The amount ultimately payable to Mr Makate is uncertain and
will depend on the success of Vodacom South Africa's appeal against
the judgement and order of the SCA, on the merits of the case. The
Vodafone group is continuing to challenge the level of compensation
payable to Mr Makate and a provision immaterial to the financial
statements has been recorded.
9. UK:
Mr Justin Gutmann v Vodafone Limited and
Vodafone
In
November 2023, Mr Gutmann issued claims in the Competition Appeal
Tribunal seeking permission, as a proposed class representative, to
bring collective proceedings against the four Uk MNOs and, in the
case of Vodafone Limited and EE Ltd, their respective parent
companies. Vodafone and Vodafone Limited are named defendants in
one of the claims with an alleged value of £14億
(approximately €16億), including interest. It is
alleged that Vodafone, Vodafone Limited and the other MNOs used
their alleged market dominance to overcharge customers after the
expiry of the minimum terms of certain mobile contracts (referred
to as a "loyalty penalty"). Taking into account all available
evidence at this stage, the Vodafone group's assessment is that the
allegations are without merit and it intends to defend the claim.
The Vodafone group is currently unable to estimate any possible
loss in regards to this issue but, while the outcome is uncertain,
Vodafone believes it is probable that no present obligation
exists.