Opinion of Advocate General Darmon delivered on 17 March 1992
1 Original language: French.
2 According to the figures provided by the Seebetriebstrat at the hearing, in 1971 49000 German nationals were employed in the shipping sector, whilst in 1990 the figure was no more than some 13800.
3 Register established alongside the national register by the Federal Law of 23 March 1989, BGBL I p. 550.
4 Law on the introduction of an additional shipping register for ships flying the Federal German flag in international trade, BGBL I p. 550.
5 The minimum rate in Germany is determined not by legislation but by collective agreements.
6 Judgment in Case 149/77 [1978] ECR 1365.
7 Emphasis added.
8 [1978] ECR 1380, at p. 1386.
9 See, for instance, the Opinion of Advocate General Tesauro in Case C-200/90 Dansk Denkavit and P. Poulsen Trading v Skatteministeriet, delivered on 30 January 1992, paragraph 10, concerning the direct effect of Article 33 of the Sixth Council Directive on value added tax prohibiting the introduction of charges which can be characterized as turnover taxes.
10 Judgment in Case 173/73 Italy v Commission [1974] ECR 709, paragraph 15.
11 For example, the judgment in Case 290/83 Commission v France [1985] ECR439, paragraph 14; see also the judgments in Case 78/76 Steinike und Weinlig v Germany [1977] ECR 595, in Case 57/86 Greece v Commission [1988] ECR 2855, paragraph 12, and in Joined Cases 67/85, 68/85 and 70/85 Van der Kooy v Commission [1988] ECR 219, paragraph 35.
12 Case 173/73, cited above; see also the judgment in Case 47/69 France v Commission [1970] ECR 487.
13 Paragraph 16.
14 Judgment in Case 78/76, cited above.
15 See paragraph 1.
16 Paragraph 21, emphasis added.
17 Case 290/83 [1985] ECR 439.
18 Paragraph 15.
19 Case 102/87 [1988] ECR 4067.
20 Paragraph 5.
21 Judgment in Case 57/86 [1988] ECR 2855.
22 Paragraph 13.
23 Judgment in Case 72/79 [1980] ECR 1411.
24 Interdepartmental Price Committee.
25 Paragraph 23.
26 Paragraph 24.
27 Joined Cases 67, 68 and 70/85, cited above; see also the Court's recent judgment in Case C-303/88 Italy v Commission [1991] ECR I-1433, paragraphs 11 to 14.
28 Representing horticultural organizations.
29 Paragraph 36.
30 Paragraph 37.
31 Paragraph 38, emphasis added.
32 Judgment in Joined Cases 213/81 to 215/81 [1982] ECR 3583.
33 Opinion in Joined Cases 213/81 to 215/81, cited above, at p. 3617.
34 Judgment in Case 82/77 Openbaar Ministerie of the Netherlands v Van Tiggele [1978] ECR 25.
35 Article 92 of the EEC Treaty.
36 Paragraph 24.
37 Paragraph 25.
38 Signed on completion of the Tokyo Round on 12 April 1979.
39 Government Actions against Domestic Subsidies, an Analysis of the International Rules and an Introduction to United States Practice, Legal Issues of European Integration, 1986, p. 1, at p. 9.
40 GATT, BISD, 9th Supp., paragraph 12, p. 192 (1961).
41 Ibid., paragraph 344, p. 200.
42 London, Sweet and Maxwell, 1986.
43 p. 123.
44 Paragraph 303 of the Tariff Act 1930, Paragraph 701(a)(i)(b) of the Trade Agreements Act 1979.
45 G. Horlick, R. Quick and E. Vermulst, op. cit., p. 31.
46 Op. cit., p. 32.
47 Commission Decision 85/239/EEC of 18 April 1985 terminating the anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of soya meal originating in Argentina (OJ 1985 L 108, p. 28); see also Commission Decision 85/233/EEC of 16 April 1985 terminating the anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of soya meat originating in Brazil (OJ 1985 L 106, p. 19, paragraph 12.3).
48 Regulation of 23 July 1984 on protection against dumped or subsidized imports from countries not members of the European Economic Community (OJ 1984 L 201, p. 1).
49 Judgment in Case 187/85 [1988] ECR4155.
50 Paragraph 11.
51 Ibid.
52 Opinion in Fediol v Commission, cited above, at p. 4178.
53 Case 78/76, cited above.
54 Paragraph 21, emphasis added.
55 Judgment in Joined Cases 67, 68 and 70/85, cited above.
56 See paragraph 36, cited above, paragraph 24.
57 Judgment in Case 82/77, cited above.
58 Such as price levels favouring certain products to the detriment of competing products.
59 Dumping, subventions et autres mesures de défense commerciale, Ferlex Editions, 1989, vol. 1, p. 841-842.
60 An expression used, in particular, by A. Mattera in Le marché unique européen, ses règles, son fonctionnement, Jupiter, 1990, 2nd Edition, p. 67.
61 Judgment in Joined Cases 6 and 11/69 [1969] ECR 523.
62 Paragraph 21.
63 Judgment in Case 203/82 Commission Italy [1983] ECR 2525.
64 Opinion in Commission v Italy [1983] ECR 2533.
65 Judgment in Case 249/81 [1982] ECR 4005, at p. 4015.
66 Opinion in Commission v Ireland [1982] ECR 4024, at p. 4031.
67 The Notion of a State Aid in the EEC', European Law Review, vol. 13, 1988, p. 243, at p. 245.
68 Judgment in Joined Cases 6/69 and 11/69, cited above.
69 Judgment in Case 203/82, cited above.
70 Judgment in Case 173/73, cited above, paragraph 15, emphasis added.
71 The Court's most recent decision on that point is the judgment in Case C-303/88 Italy v Commission [1991] ECR I-1433.
72 Countervailing Duties and the Specificity Test: an Alternative Approach to the Definition of Bounty or grant, Law and Policy in International Business, 1986, vol. 18, p. 475.
73 P. 505.
74 Joined Cases 6/69 and 11/69, cited above.
75 Judgment in Case 203/82, cited above.
76 J. Carbajo in C. Blumann, Les aides nationales dans la Communauté européenne, Publications de l'Université de Tours, 1987, p. 12.
77 Judgment in Case 173/73, cited above.
78 Paragraph 17.
79 Op. cit., p. 138; see also Decision 85/233/EEC, cited above, paragraph 7.3.
80 EEC Memorandum in the European Steel Products Case, GATT, Doc. No SCM/35, 21 October 1982, cited by Beseler and Williams, op. cit., p. 138.
81 Decision 85/233/EEC, cited above.
82 Ibid., paragraph 7.3.
83 Decision 85/239/EEC, cited above.
84 Ibid., paragraph 7.4.
85 Ibid., emphasis added.
86 Judgment in Case 187/85, cited above.
87 Paragraph 11, emphasis added.
88 Paragraph 16.
89 M. J. Sussman, cited above, at p. 478; that criterion is sometimes set out under the heading of principle of general availability; see L. A. Cameron and G. C. Berg, The U. S. Countervailing Duty Law and the Principle of General Availability, Journal of World Trade Law, vol. 19, No 5, p. 497
90 620 F. Supp. 722, 730-33, CIT (1985).
91 Against: M. J. Sussman, op. cit.; in favour: J. L. Panzarella in Is the Specificity test generally applicable, Law and Policy in International Business, 1986, vol. 18, p. 417; for another, more mathematical, criterion based on the ratio between the profit of the undertakings in question and their share of gross national product, see L. A. Cameron and G. C. Berg, cited above, p. 505.
92 Op. cit., p. 497.
93 620 F. Supp 722, 731-32, No 8, CIT (1985).
94 In J. Megret, Le droit de la Communauté économique européenne. Editions de l'Université de Bruxelles, 1973, p. 195.
95 Report of the Heads of Delegations to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Brussels, 21 April 1956, p. 60.
96 Der Betrieb 1990, p. 1666.
97 OJ 1980 L 266, p. 1.
98 Judgment in Case 173/73, cited above.
99 Paragraph 17.
100 See paragraphs 17 to 19.
101 Judgment in Case 57/86, cited above.
102 Paragraph 10, emphasis added.
103 Judgment in Case 173/73, cited above, paragraph 13.
104 Ibid.
105 Judgment in Case 290/83 Commission v France, cited above.
106 Ibid., paragraphs 11 to 15.
107 COM (89) 266 final — OJ 1989 C 263, p. 11.
108 According to the Belgian Government, this provides for a minimum wage of US Dollars 286 per month.
109 COM (91) 483 final (OJ 1991 C 19, p. 10).
110 The French version should, it seems, read tout autre État Membre, as is clear from the Italian and German versions of this provision.
111 Piraeus CA 868/1980, END 1981, p. 47, A P 102/1961; Athens CA 1238/1976, NOB 1976-807, Piraeus CA 142/1983, END 1983, p. 180, Piraeus CA 852/1983.
112 Sections 87 to 98 of the Social Security (Contribution) Regulations 1979 (Statutory Instrument 1979, No 591), amended by the Social Security (Contributions) (Mariners) Amendment Regulations 1982 (Statutory Instrument 1982, No 206).
113 BOE No 158 of 3 July 1985.
114 BOE No 140 of 12 June 1986.
115 Law No 8 of 10 March 1980, BOE No 64 of 14 March 1980.
116 Article 427 of the Regolamento per la Navigazione Marittima (Regulation on Sea Transport); Articles 115 and 188 of the Naval Code.
117 Article 119 of the Naval Code.
118 Decree Law No 104/89, DR No 80 of 6 April 1989.
119 Decree No 87-190 of 20 March 1987.
120 Memorandum A 1990, p. 808; of the 54 vessels flying this flag, 51 are of Belgian origin, probably as a result of the possibility of thereby circumventing the Belgian Law of 5 June 1928.
121 Section 56(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 and the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 (Cayman Islands) Order 1988 (Statutory Instrument 1988, No 1841), the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 (Isle of Man) Order 1989 (Statutory Instrument 1989, No 679), the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 (Bermuda) Order 1989 (Statutory Instrument 1989, No 1334), and the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 (Bermuda) Order 1991 (Statutory Instrument 1991, No 1703).
122 Judgment in Case C-354/90 [1991] ECR I-5505.
123 Paragraph 12.