|
5.12.2009 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 297/15 |
Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 22 October 2009 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven (Netherlands)) — G. Elbertsen v Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
(Case C-449/08) (1)
(Common agricultural policy - Integrated administration and control system for certain aid schemes - Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 - Single payment scheme - Establishment of the reference amount - Farmers in a special situation - National reserve)
2009/C 297/18
Language of the case: Dutch
Referring court
College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: G. Elbertsen
Defendant: Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
Re:
Reference for a preliminary ruling — College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven — Interpretation of Article 42(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulations (EEC) No 2019/93, (EC) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 1454/2001, (EC) No 1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 (OJ 2003 L 270, p. 1) and of Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 of 21 April 2004 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the single payment scheme provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers (OJ 2004 L 141, p. 1) — Integrated administration and control system for certain aid schemes — Single payment scheme — Establishment of the reference amount — Entitlement to payment not granted in certain situations
Operative part of the judgment
|
1. |
Article 42(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulations (EEC) No 2019/93, (EC) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 1454/2001, (EC) No 1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 must be interpreted as giving the Member States such discretion as to permit them to establish a reference amount of EUR 0 and not to allocate any payment entitlements from the national reserve to a farmer who finds himself in a special situation as described in Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 of 21 April 2004 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the single payment scheme provided for in Regulation No 1782/2003, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1974/2004 of 29 October 2004, provided that that amount is based on objective criteria, does not prejudice the equal treatment of farmers and does not create market or competition distortions. |
|
2. |
Community law does not preclude the application of a national provision under which any increase in the amount of additional payments arising as a result of an investment in production capacity or a purchase of land is subject to a deduction of EUR 500 before a reference amount is established as the basis for the allocation of entitlements to payments from the national reserve. |