Explanatory note

These Regulations implement, in respect of payments of the pension levies under the Pensions Act 2004 and the regulations made under it, in respect of periods before the coming into force of the 2010 regulations (S.I. 2010/196 and S.I. 2010/1930), the Decision of the European Commission 55/2007/EC of 11th February 2009 (O.J. L242, 15.9.09) that the exemption from the payment of a levy to the Pension Protection Fund corresponding to the pension liabilities covered by a Crown guarantee constitutes State aid that is incompatible with the common market within the meaning of Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Regulation 2 modifies the effect of the Pensions Act 2004 and regulations made under it so that the requirement to pay pension levies applies as if the amendments made by the 2010 regulations had always had effect including in respect of past periods before the coming into force of the 2010 regulations.

Regulation 3 provides for interest to be calculated in accordance with Article 2 of the Decision of the European Commission 55/2007/EC which requires any interest to be recovered as a result of unlawful State aid to be calculated pursuant to Chapter V of Commission Regulation (EC) 794/2004 of 21st April 2004 (O.J. L140, 30.4.2004). Commission Regulation 794/2004 implements Council Regulation (EC) 659/1999 (O.J. L83, 27.3.1999) which provides that State aid to be recovered shall include interest at a rate fixed by the European Commission. Commission Regulation (EC) 794/2004 provides for the method for fixing the interest rate, provides for publication of the rate and specifies in Article 11 that interest shall be applied on a compound basis, added at yearly intervals. The base rates are calculated in accordance with the Communication from the European Commission on the revision of the method for setting the reference and discount dated 19th January 2008 (O.J. C14 19.01.2008).