Opinion of the Advocate General — ECLI:EU:C:1997:269
Date: 1997-05-29
Language of the case: Italian
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Agriculture and Fisheries
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling
Origin: Italy

Summary of the Judgmen t 
Agriculture — Common agricultural policy — Structural reform — Modernization of farms — 
System of aids introduced by Directive 72/159 — Register intended to determine eligibility for 
aid — Refusal to register certain legal persons by reason of the legal f orm they have assumed — 
Not permissible 
(Council Regulation No 797/85; Council Directive 72/159) 
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SUMMARY — CASE C-164/96 
Directive 72/159 on the modernization of 
farms and Regulation N o 797/85 on improv­
ing the efficiency of agricultural structures 
are to be interpreted as meaning that Mem­
ber States which introduce a register 
intended to determine eligibility under the 
system of aids established by Directive 
72/159 are not permitted to refuse to register 
certain legal persons solely by reason of the 
legal form they have assumed or to introduce 
a special system of identification by creating 
a specific register intended for natural per­
sons alone. 
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