Judgment — ECLI:EU:C:2008:717
Date: 2008-12-11
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Third Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Free movement of goods;Measures having equivalent effect;Quantitative restrictions
Concepts: General;Import or export licences and declarations, standards certificates, etc.
Procedure: Action for failure to fulfil obligations - successful
Origin: Austria

Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 11 December 2008 - Commission of the European Communities v Republic of Austria (Case C-524/07) 1 (Failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations - Articles 28 EC and 30 EC - Registration of old used vehicles previously registered in other Member States - Technical requirements with regard to exhaust emissions and noise pollution - Public health - Protection of the environment) Language of the case: German Parties Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: B. Schima, acting as Agent) Defendant: Republic of Austria (represented by: E. Riedl and G. Eberhard, acting as Agents) Re: Failure of a Member State to fulfil its obligations - Infringement of Articles 28 and 30 EC - National rules making the registration of imported used vehicles previously registered in other Member States contingent upon compliance with certain technical requirements, although used vehicles already on the national market and having the same characteristics are not subject to such requirements in cases of re-registration. Operative part of the judgment The Court: 1. Declares that by requiring, for the purposes of their first registration in Austria, that motor vehicles previously registered in other Member States, which have not undergone, because of their age, a Community type-approval procedure, comply with limit values in respect of pollutant emissions and noise which are stricter than those they initially had to comply with, in particular, the limits laid down in Council Directive 93/59/EEC of 28 June 1993 amending Directive 70/220/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles, and Council Directive 92/97/EEC of 10 November 1992 amending Directive 70/157/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the permissible sound level and the exhaust system of motor vehicles, although vehicles having the same characteristics and which are already authorised to use the roads in Austria are not subject to that requirement in cases of their re-registration in that Member State, the Republic of Austria has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 28 EC; 2. Orders the Republic of Austria to pay the costs. ____________ 1 - OJ 2008 C 37.