Opinion of Advocate General Darmon delivered on 17 March 1993

1 Original language: French.

2 Case 39/72 Commission v Italy [1973] ECR 101, paragraph 9.

3 Part I: Legal framework, facts and pre-litigation procedure.

4 According to a telegram dated 15 December 1987, it was however decided that certain species of fish should be inspected by means of spot checks, provided they were accompanied by a health document certifying that the fish in question were frozen.

5 Law No 283 of 30 April 1962.

6 Article 444 of the Italian Criminal Code.

7 Case 8/74 Procureur du Roi v Dassonville [1974] ECR 837, paragraph 5.

8 Case 205/89 Commission v Greece [1991] ECR I-1361, paragraph 8.

9 Case 35/76 Simmenthal v Italian Minister for Finance [1976] ECR 1871, Case 5/77 Tedeschi v Denkavit [1977] ECR 1555, Case 251/78 Denkavit Futtermittel v Minister für Ernährung, Landwirtschaß und Forsten [1979] ECR 3369, paragraph 14, and Case 29/84 Commission v Germany [1985] ECR 3097, paragraph 25.

10 Case 132/80 United Foods and Van den Abeele v Belgian State [1981] ECR 995.

11 The reference is in fact to Regulation No 103/76.

12 Paragraph 24.

13 Paragraph 25.

14 Council Directive 91/493 of 22 July 1991 (OJ 1991 L 268, p. 15).

15 Joined Cases C-1/90 and.C-176/90 Aragonesa de Publicidad Exterior and Publivia [1991] ECR I-4151.

16 Paragraph 13.

17 Case 251/78 Denkavit Futtermittel v Minister für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten [1979] ECR 3369, paragraph 21.

18 Case C-205/89 Commission v Greece [1991] ECR I-1361.

19 Paragraph 9.

20 Case 104/75 De Peijper [1976] ECR 613. See also judgments in Case 54/85 Ministère Public v Mirepoix [1986] ECR 1067, paragraph 13, and Case C-42/90 Bellon [1990] ECR I-4863, paragraph 11.

21 Paragraph 16.

22 Paragraph 17.

23 Case 227/82 Van Bennekom [1983] ECR 3883, paragraph 40. See also the judgment in Case 304/84 Ministère Public v Müller [1986] ECR 1511, paragraph 25.

24 Case 97/83 Melkunie [1984] ECR 2367.

25 Paragraph 18, in fine.

26 Case 188/84 Commission v France [1986] ECR 419, particularly paragraph 17.

27 Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana No 62 of 4 March 1992.

28 Those rules arc described in the third part of the Report for the Hearing — Part III — Pleas and arguments of the parties, section 4, from which it emerges inter alia that dead larvae do not constitute a danger to human health.

29 Application, p. 29 et seq.

30 Ibid., p. 30, point 2.

31 Report for the Hearing, Part III — Pleas and arguments of the parties, section l.(a).

32 Letter of 13 March 1989, p. 6.

33 Judgments in Van Bennekom, cited in footnote 2, and Denkavit Futtermittel, cited in footnote 16, paragraphs 40 and 24 respectively.

34 P. 7, point 10.

35 Council Regulation (EEC) No 103/76 of 19 January 1976 (OJ 1976 L 20, p. 29).

36 Amending Regulation (EEC) No 103/76 laying down common marketing standards for certain fresh or chilled fish (OJ 1989 L 5, p. 18).

37 Article 6(5).

38 Case 176/84 Commission v Greece [1987] ECR 1193.

39 OJ 1973 L 171, p. 1.

40 Article 2.

41 OJ 1973 L 171, p. 4.

42 Directive 83/643 on the facilitation of physical inspections and administrative formalities in respect of the carriage of goods between Member States (OJ 1983 L 359, p. 8).

43 Council Directive 87/53 of 15 December 1986 amending Directive 83/643/EEC on the facilitation of physical inspections and administrative formalities in respect of the carriage of goods between Member States (OJ 1987 L 24, p. 33).

44 Council Directive 91/342 of 20 June 1991 amending Directive 83/643/EEC on the facilitation of physical inspections and administrative formalities in respect of the carriage of goods between Member States (OJ 1991 L 187, p. 47).

45 MATTERA, Le marché unique européen, Jupiter, second edition, p. 322.

46 Case 132/80, cited in footnote 9.

47 Case 251/78, cited in footnote 8.

48 Ibid., paragraph 10.

49 Joined Cases 2/82 to 4/82 Delhaize Frères v Belgian State [1983] ECR 2973.

50 Ibid., at 2991. See also the Opinions of Advocate General Capotorti in United Foods, cited in footnote 8, at 1030 (particularly at 1031), and Advocate General Lenz in Case 35/84 Commission v Italy [1986] ECR 545.

51 Case 124/81 Commission v United Kingdom [1983] ECR 203.

52 Case 251/78, cited in footnote 8.

53 Paragraph 11.

54 Case C-205/89 Commission v Greece [1991] ECR I-1374.

55 Paragraph 12.

56 Case C-304/88 Commission v Belgium [1990] ECR I-2801, paragraph 14.

57 Case 124/81, cited in footnote 50.

58 Paragraph 28.

59 Paragraph 29.

60 Paragraph 31.

61 Page 4 of the French translation of the application.

62 United Foods, cited in footnote 9, paragraph 29.

63 Case 190/87 Oberkreisdirektor des Kreises Borken and Another v Moorman [1988] ECR 4689.

64 Paragraph 27.