Opinion of Advocate General Darmon delivered on 16 September 1993

1 Original language- French.

2 OJ, English Special Edition 1967, p. 304.

3 Regulation No 1785/81 on the common organization of the markets in the sugar sector (OJ 1981 L 177, p. 4), last amended by Council Regulation (EEC) No 1069/89 of 18 April 1989 (OJ 1989 L 114, p. 1).

4 Commission Decision 90/45/EEC of 19 December 1989 relating to a procedure under Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (Ol 1990 L 31, p. 32, point 14). Sec also Case 151/78 Sukkerfabriken Nykobing v Ministry of Agriculture [1979] ECR 1, paragraph 4.

5 See Article 24 of Regulation No 1785/81.

6 Article 5(2) of Regulation No 1785/81.

7 Sec Article 24 of Regulation No 1785/81.

8 Sec Articles 24(l)(c) and 26(1) of Regulation No 1785/81 and Decision 90/45/EEC, point 16, p. 34.

9 Regulation (EEC) No 206/68 of 20 February 1968 of the Council laying down outline provisions for contracts and inter trade agreements on the purchase of beet (OJ, English Special Edition 1968 (1), p. 19) contains no provision on the allocation of quotas among producers of sugar beet.

10 Regulation (EEC) No 741/75 of the Council of 18 March 1975 laying down special rules for the purchase of sugar beet (OJ 1975 L 74, p. 2).

11 Judgment of 13 November 1990, LM No 71, on Article 26 of the GWB.

12 Order for reference, p. 7 of the French translation.

13 Tile questions referred to the Court arc set out in Section III of the Report for the Hearing.

14 Paragraph 17 (for the references, sec footnote 3 above)

15 Commission observations, p 14 of the French translation.

16 See the wording of Article 43(2)

17 Case 16/83 Prantl [1984] ECR 1299, paragraph 13, emphasis added.

18 Case C-32/89 Greece v Commission [1991] ECR I-1321, paragraph 20, and Case C-61/90 Commission v Greece [1992] ECR I-2407, paragraph 22.

19 Case 90/86 Zoni [1988] ECR 4285, paragraph 26. Sec also Case C-86/89 Italy v Commission [1990] ECR I-3891, paragraph 19.

20 Ibid.

21 Cited above (for the reference, see footnote 16 above).

22 Paragraph 13.

23 Paragraph 24.

24 Paragraph 25.

25 Ibid-, paragraph 22.

26 Joined Cases 47/83 and 48/83 Pluimveeslachterijen Midden-Nederland and Van Miert [1984] ECR 1721, paragraph 22.

27 Casc 804/79 Commission v United Kingdom [1981] ECR 1045, paragraph 30.

28 Pluimveeslachterijen Midden-Nederland and Van Mtert, paragraph 23.

29 Cited in footnote 26, above.

30 Paragraphs 31 and 35.

31 Regulation (EEC) No 2777/75 of the Council of 29 October 1975 on the common organization of the market in poultrymeat (OJ 1975 L 282, p. 77).

32 Paragraph 26.

33 Case 31/78 Bussane v Italian Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry [1978] ECR 2429.

34 Paragraph 16.

35 See paragraph 18 of Case 5/79 Buys [1979] ECR 3203 and the case-law referred to therein.

36 Ibid., emphasis added.

37 Case 51/74 Van der Hulst [1975] ECR 79, paragraph 26.

38 Case 111/76 Van der Hazel [1977] ECR 901, paragraph 22.

39 Paragraph 25.

40 21st recital in the preamble to Regulation No 1785/81.

41 Article 39(2)(c).

42 Case 83/78 Pigs Marketing Board v Redmond [1978] ECR 2347, paragraph 57, emphasis added.

43 Case 139/79 Maizena v Council [1980] ECR 3393.

44 Paragraph 23.

45 Articles 1 and 2 of Regulation No 26 applying certain rules of competition to production of and trade in agricultural products (OJ, English Special Edition 1959-62, p. 129).

46 Operative part, Article I.

47 Operative part, Article 2.

48 Case 203/86 Spain v Council [1988] ECR 4563, paragraph 25.

49 Article 25 of Regulation No 1785/81.

50 Paragraph 55 of the AktG.

51 Sec the observations of the Commission, p. 8 of the French translation.

52 Under Article 24 of Regulation No 1785/81.

53 Order for reference, p. 4 of the French translation.

54 Paragraphs 23 and 25. It should be observed that the main proceedings in that case concerned the allocation of the quantities which could be delivered within the limits of the undertaking's basic quota (sec paragraphs 14 and 15).

55 Commission observations, p. 9 of the French translation.

56 Sec Case 68/76 Commission v France [1977] ECR 515, paragraph 22.

57 It follows from the last subparagraph of paragraph 6 of Case 2/73 Geddo [1973] ECR 865 that the second subparagraph of Article 40(3) does not have direct effect.