57This finding was, moreover, manifestly correct, since the measure in question had been introduced to replace the privileged and costly status of the officials employed by Combus with the status of employees on a contract basis comparable to that of employees of other bus transport undertakings competing with Combus. The intention was thus to free Combus from a structural disadvantage it had in relation to its private-sector competitors. Article 87(1) EC is aimed merely at prohibiting advantages for certain undertakings and the concept of aid covers only measures which lighten the burdens normally assumed in an undertaking's budget and which are to be regarded as an economic advantage which the recipient undertaking would not have obtained under normal market conditions (Case 173/73 Italy v Commission [1974] ECR 709, paragraph 26; Case C-387/92 Banco Exterior de Espana [1994] ECR I-877, paragraphs 12 and 13; and Case C-280/00 Altmark Trans and Regierungspräsiditim Magdeburg [2003] ECR I-7747, paragraph 84, and the case-law cited therein). Moreover, instead of paying the DKK 100 million directly to the officials employed by Combus, the Danish Government could have obtained the same result by reassigning those officials within the public administration, without paying any particular bonus, which would have enabled Combus to employ immediately employees on a contract basis falling under private law.
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