31According to that case-law, the aim of Directive 2001/23 is to ensure continuity of employment relationships within an economic entity, irrespective of any change of ownership. The decisive criterion for establishing the existence of a transfer within the meaning of that directive is, therefore, whether the entity in question retains its identity, as indicated inter alia by the fact that its operation is actually continued or resumed (see, inter alia, Case 24/85 Spijkers [1986] ECR 1119, paragraphs 11 and 12; Case C-13/95 Süzen [1997] ECR I-1259, paragraph 10 and Case C-340/01 Abler and Others [2003] ECR I-14023, paragraph 29).
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