Opinion of Advocate General Darmon delivered on 15 September 1992

1 Original language: French.

2 Regulation of 16 May 1973 relating to a provisional list of quality wines produced in specified regions as well as the identification of these wines in the accompanying documents (OJ 1973 L 132, p. 20).

3 Regulation of 28 April 1970 laying down special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions (OJ, English Special Edition 1970 (I), p. 252); the third paragraph was introduced by Regulation (EEC) No 1621/71 of tne Council of 26 July 1971 amending Regulations (EEC) Nos 816/70 and 817/70 as regards certain transitional measures on wine (OJ, English Special Edition 1971 (II), p. 604).

4 Regulation No 24 on the progressive establishment of a common organization of the market in wine (OJ, English Special Edition 1959-62, p. 123).

5 Regulation No 816 laying down additional provisions for the common organization of the market in wine (OJ, English Special Edition 1970 (I), p. 234); Regulation No 817/70, cited above.

6 Regulation No 337/79 on the common organization of the market in wine (OJ 1979 L 54, p. 1); Regulation No 338/79 laying down special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions (OJ 1979 L 54, p. 48).

7 The first recital in the preamble to Regulation No 337/79 clearly shows the difficulty in understanding the rules then applicable: Whereas, since their adoption, the basic provisions concerning the organization of the market in wine have been amended a number of times; whereas, by reason of their number, their complexity and their dispersal among various Official Journals, the relevant texts are difficult to use and thus lack the clarity which should be an essential feature of all legislation; ....

8 Regulation No 822/87 of 16 March 1987 on the common organization of the market in wine (OJ 1987 L 84, p. 1); Regulation No 823/87 of 16 March 1987 Lying down special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions (OJ 1987 L 84, p. 59).

9 Cited above, see note 2.

10 Emphasis added.

11 Paragraph 1 refers to the specific expressions traditionally used in the Member Sutes to designate certain wines.

12 Commission Regulation No 2247/73 on the control of quality wines produced in specified regions (OJ 1973 L 230, p. 12).

13 Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 1022/70 introducing accompanying certificates for certain wines for a transitional period (Journal Officiel 1970 L 190, p. 15).

14 Regulation of the Commission of 29 May 1970 introducing accompanying certificates for certain wines for a transitional period (Journal Officiel 1970 L 118, p. 20).

15 Article 1.

16 Regulation No 1022/70, initially applicable until no later than 31 December 1970 (Article 12(2)), was extended until 31 March 1973 by Regulation (EEC) No 734/73 of the Commission of 7 March 1973 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1022/70 following the creation of a system of accompanying documents for wine (OJ 1973 L 69, p. 31).

17 Regulation No 1769/72 drawing up accompanying documents and determining the obligauons of wine producers and traders other than retailers (OJ, English Special Edition 1972 (III), p. 909), as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2814/72 of the Commission of 22 December 1972 (OJ, English Special Edition 1972 (30-31 December), p. 3).

18 See the lists successively published in OJ 1973 C 31, p. 20 and OJ 1973 C 50, p. 2.

19 Emphasis added.

20 Regulation No 648/73 of 1 March 1973 laying down detailed rules for the application of monetary compensatory amounts (OJ 1973 L 64, p. 1).

21 Regulation No 649/73 of 1 March 1973 fixing the monetary compensatory amounts (OJ 1973 L 64, p. 7).

22 OJ 1979 L 197, p. 1.

23 Joined Cases 212/80 to 217/80 Amministrazione delle Finanze dello Stato v Salumi [1981] ECR2735.

24 Paragraph 11.

25 Paragraph 12.

26 Paragraph 15.

27 Case 8/82 Italgrani v Amministrazione delle Finanze dello Stato [1982] ECR4323 and Case 210/87 Padovani and Others v Amministrazione delle Finanze dello Stato [1988] ECR6177.

28 Joined Cases 66/79, 127/79 and 128/79 Amministrazione delle Finanze dello Stato v Salumi and Others [1980] ECR 1237.

29 Paragraph 16.

30 Paragraph 18.

31 See, inter alia, judgments in Case 265/88 Ferwerda v Produktschap voor Vee en Vlees [1980] ECR 617, paragraphs 10 and 12, and Joined Cases 205/82 to 215/82 Deutsche Milchkontor v Germany [1983] ECR 2633, paragraphs 19, 22 and 23.

32 See Hubeau, F.: Le principe de la protection de la confiance légitime dans ta jurisprudence de la Cour de justice des Communautés européennes, Cahiers de droit européen, 1983, p. 143.

33 Judgment in Case 289/91 Mavridis v Parliament [1983] ECR 1731, paragraph 21.

34 See references above, note 27.

35 Paragraph 19.

36 Paragraphs 20 and 21.