Opinion of the Advocate General — ECLI:EU:C:1998:625
Date: 1998-12-17
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Approximation of laws
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling
Origin: Netherlands

Summary of the Judgment 
Approximation of laws — Procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical 
standards and regulations — 'Technical regulations' for the purposes of Directive 83/189 — 
Meaning — National legislation prohibiting the administration of growth promoters to cattle — 
Covered — Member States required to notify all draft technical regulations to the Commission 
— Exemption — Where the Member State is thereby honouring obligations under Community 
directives or regulations 
(Council Directive 83/189, Arts 1(1) and (5), 8 and 10, and Council Directive 86/469) 
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SUMMARY — JOINED CASES C-425/97, C-426/97 AND C-427/97 
Rules of national law prohibiting the admin­
istration of sympathicomimetic substances to 
fattening cattle over 14 weeks old and the 
holding, having in stock, buying or selling of 
fattening cattle over 14 weeks old to which 
that substance has been administered consti­
tute technical specifications within the 
meaning of Article 1(1) of Directive 83/189 
laying down a procedure for the provision of 
information in the field of technical standards 
and regulations. Such rules define the pro­
duction methods and procedures for agricul­
tural products intended for human consump­
tion. They therefore constitute technical 
regulations within the meaning of Article 1(5) 
of Directive 83/189, in respect of which the 
Member State which adopted them is exempt, 
under Article 10 of that directive, from the 
obligation to notify the Commission (laid 
down in Article 8 thereof) since, in adopting 
those rules, it was honouring its obligations 
under Directive 86/469 concerning the exami­
nation of animals and fresh meat for the pres­
ence of residues. 
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