Judgment of the Court 11 March 1992

In Joined Cases C-78/90 to C-83/90, REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EEC Treaty by Cour d'Appel (Appeal Court), Poitiers, for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between

THE COURT, composed of: O. Due, President, F. A. Schockweiler and F. Grévisse (Presidents of Chambers), C. N. Kakouris, J. C. Moitinho de Almeida, M. Díez de Velasco and M. Zuleeg, Judges, Advocate General: G. Tesauro, Registrar: H. A. Rühl, Principal Administrator,

after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of: Compagnie Commerciale de l'Ouest, Société Montenay, Société Propétrol and Société Picoty, the plaintiffs in the main proceedings, represented by C. Imbach, of the Strasbourg and Brussels Bars, the French Government, represented by P. Pouzoulet, Sous-Directeur, Direction des Affaires Juridiques, and G. de Bergues, Secrétaire-Adjoint Principal des Affaires Etrangères, acting as Agents, the Commission of the European Communities, by its Legal Adviser, J. Sack, and by H. Lehman, a French civil servant seconded to the Commission, acting as Agents,

having regard to the Report for the Hearing,

after hearing the oral observations of Compagnie Commerciale de l'Ouest, Société Montenay, Société Propétrol and Société Picoty, and the Commission at the hearing on 13 June 1991,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 11 July 1991,

gives the following

Judgment

The questions

Articles 3, 5 and 6 of the Treaty

Aiticles 12 and 13, 30 et seq. and 95 of the Treaty

Article 92 et seq. of the Treaty

Article 37 of the Treaty

Costs

1 Language of the case: French-