# C_2007095EN.01001001.xml

| 28.4.2007 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 95/10 |
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Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 8 March 2007 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Cour administrative d'appel de Douai (France)) — Société Roquette Frères v Ministre de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation, de la Pêche et de la Ruralité

(Case C-441/05)( 1 )

(Common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector - Isoglucose - Determination of the basic quantities used for the allocation of production quotas - Isoglucose produced as an intermediate product - Article 24(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 - Article 27(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 - Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 2073/2000 - Article 11(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 - Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1745/2002 - Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1739/2003 - Illegality of a Community measure raised before the national court - Reference for a preliminary ruling on validity - Admissibility - Conditions - Inadmissibility of an action for annulment of the Community measure)

(2007/C 95/16)

Language of the case: French

Referring court

Cour administrative d'appel de Douai

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Société Roquette Frères

Defendant: Ministre de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation, de la Pêche et de la Ruralité

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Cour administrative d'appel de Douai — Validity of Article 24(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 of 30 June 1981 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (OJ 1981 L 177, p. 4), Article 27(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 of 13 September 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (OJ 1999 L 252, p. 1), Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2000 of 29 September 2000 reducing, for the 2000/2001 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements (OJ 2000 L 246, p. 38), Article 11(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (OJ 2001 L 178, p. 1), Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1745/2002 of 30 September 2002 reducing, for the 2002/2003 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements (OJ 2002 L 263, p. 31) and Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1739/2003 of 30 September 2003 reducing, for the 2003/2004 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under preferential imports (OJ 2003 L 249, p. 38) — Setting of basic quantities for the allocation of isoglucose production quotas without taking into account the isoglucose produced as an intermediate product

Operative part of the judgment

| 1. | A natural or legal person such as Roquette Frères, in factual and legal circumstances such as those of the main proceedings, could not undoubtedly have brought an admissible action on the basis of Article 230 EC to annul:
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Article 24(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 of 30 June 1981 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; —
Article 27(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 of 13 September 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; —
Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2000 of 29 September 2000 reducing, for the 2000/01 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements; —
Article 11(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; —
Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1745/2002 of 30 September 2002 reducing, for the 2002/03 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements, and —
Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1739/2003 of 30 September 2003 reducing, for the 2003/04 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under preferential imports. Therefore, such a person may, in proceedings brought under national law, plead the illegality of those provisions even though it has not brought an action for annulment of those provisions before the Community Courts within the time-limit laid down in Article 230 EC. | — | Article 24(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 of 30 June 1981 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; | — | Article 27(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 of 13 September 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; | — | Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2000 of 29 September 2000 reducing, for the 2000/01 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements; | — | Article 11(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; | — | Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1745/2002 of 30 September 2002 reducing, for the 2002/03 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements, and | — | Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1739/2003 of 30 September 2003 reducing, for the 2003/04 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under preferential imports. |
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| — | Article 24(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1785/81 of 30 June 1981 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | Article 27(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2038/1999 of 13 September 1999 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2000 of 29 September 2000 reducing, for the 2000/01 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements; | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | Article 11(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 of 19 June 2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector; | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1745/2002 of 30 September 2002 reducing, for the 2002/03 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas scheme for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under the preferential import arrangements, and | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| — | Article 1 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1739/2003 of 30 September 2003 reducing, for the 2003/04 marketing year, the guaranteed quantity under the production quotas for the sugar sector and the presumed maximum supply needs of sugar refineries under preferential imports. | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| 2. | The examination of the second question has not revealed any factor such as to affect the validity of Article 24(2) of Regulation No 1785/81, Article 27(3) of Regulation No 2038/1999, Article 1 of Regulation No 2073/2000, Article 11(2) of Regulation No 1260/2001, Article 1 of Regulation No 1745/2002 or Article 1 of Regulation No 1739/2003. |
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( 1 )  OJ C 36, 11.2.2006.

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