Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) 15 September 1994

In Case C-293/93, REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EEC Treaty by the Arrondissementsrechtbank, Zutphen (Netherlands) for a preliminary ruling in the criminal proceedings pending before that court against

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

after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of: Mrs Houtwipper, the Netherlands Government, by J. G. Lammers, Legal Adviser, acting as Agent, the German Government, by Ernst Röder, Ministerialrat at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, acting as Agent, the Greek Government, by Dimitrios Raptis, State Legal Adviser, and Fotini Dedoussi, Legal Agent of the State Legal Service, acting as Agents, the French Government, by Catherine de Salins, Deputy Director at the Directorate of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Claude Chavance, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, acting as Agents, the Portuguese Government, by Luis Fernandes, Director in the Legal Service of the Ministiy of Foreign Affairs, and Margarida Afonso, Lawyer in the Directorate-General for the European Communities at the same Ministry, acting as Agents, the United Kingdom, by J. D. Colahan, of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, acting as Agent, the Commission of the European Communities, by Hendrik van Lier, Legal Adviser, and Virginia Melgar, a national official on secondment to its Legal Service, acting as Agents,

having regard to the Report for the Hearing,

after hearing the oral observations of Mrs Houtwipper, the Netherlands Government, represented by J. S. van den Oosterkamp, Deputy Legal Adviser, acting as Agent, the Greek Government, represented by V. Kontolaimos, Deputy Legal Adviser at the State Legal Council, and Fotini Dedoussi, acting as Agents, the French Government, represented by Claude Chavance, acting as Agent, the Portuguese Government, represented by Luis Fernandes, acting as Agent, the United Kingdom, represented by J. D. Colahan, acting as Agent, and N. Green, Barrister, and the Commission, represented by P. van Nuffel, of its Legal Service, at the hearing on 14 April 1994,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 9 June 1994,

gives the following

Judgment

Costs

1 Language of the case: Dutch.