Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) 24 February 1994

In Case C-368/92, REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EEC Treaty by the Cour d'Appel, Toulouse (France), for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between

THE COURT (Fifth Chamber), composed of: J. C. Moitinho de Almeida, President of the Chamber, R. Joliét, G. C. Rodriguez Iglesias, F. Grévisse and M. Zuleeg (Rapporteur), Judges, Advocate General: C. Gulmann, Registrar: L. Hewlett, Administrator,

after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of: Solange Chiffre and Société Bonnieux, party bearing civil liability, by Hervé Tassy, of the Marseilles Bar; the French Government, by Jean-Louis Falconi, Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Edwige Belliard, Deputy Director of the Legal Department in that Ministry, acting as Agents, the Belgian Government, by Jan Devadder, Administrative Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acting as Agent, the United Kingdom Government, by John E. Collins of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, acting as Agent, the Commission of the European Communities by Blanca Rodriguez Galindo, a member of its Legal Service, and Virginia Melgar, a national civil servant seconded to its Legal Service, acting as Agents,

having regard to the Report for the Hearing,

after hearing the oral observations of Solange Chiffre and Société Bonnieux, the French Government and the Commission at the hearing on 16 September 1993,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 13 October 1993,

gives the following

Judgment

Costs

1 Language of the case: French.