25.2.2006   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 48/5


JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(Second Chamber)

of 10 January 2006

in Case C-147/04 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Conseil d'État) De Groot en Slot Allium BV, Bejo Zaden BV v Ministre de l'Economie, des Finances et de l'Industrie, Ministre de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation, de la Pêche et des Affaires rurales (1)

(Directive 70/458/EEC - Marketing of vegetable seed - Article 2 - Directive 92/33/EEC - Marketing of vegetable propagating and planting material, other than seed - Annex II - Common catalogue of vegetable species - National legislation permitting only varieties of shallots produced by vegetative propagation to be marketed as ‘shallots’ - Article 28 EC - Consumer protection)

(2006/C 48/09)

Language of the case: French

In Case C-147/04: reference for a preliminary ruling under Article 234 EC from the Conseil d'Etat (France), made by decision of 4 February 2004, received at the Court on 22 March 2004, in the proceedings De Groot en Slot Allium BV, Bejo Zaden BV against Ministre de l'Economie, des Finances et de l'Industrie, Ministre de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation, de la Pêche et des Affaires rurales, intervener: Comité économique agricole régional fruits et légumes de la Région Bretagne (Cerafel), the Court (Second Chamber), composed of C.W.A. Timmermans, President of the Chamber, J. Makarczyk, C. Gulmann, G. Arestis (Rapporteur) and J. Klučka, Judges; D. Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, Advocate General, K. Sztranc, Administrator, for the Registrar, gave a judgment on 10 January 2006, the operative part of which is as follows:

Council Directive 70/458/EEC of 29 September 1970 on the marketing of vegetable seed, as amended by Council Directive 88/380/EEC of 13 December 1988, precludes the entry of the varieties ‘Ambition’ and ‘Matador’ in the common catalogue in the section relating to shallots grown from seed.

Article 28 EC precludes national legislation, such as the Order of 17 May 1990 on trade in shallots, which allows only vegetables produced by vegetative propagation to be marketed as ‘shallots’ and excludes those grown from seed produced and marketed under that name in other Member States.


(1)  OJ C 106 of 30.04.2004.