EN Official Journal of the European Union C 246/9

Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 29 July 2010 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Augstākās tiesas Senāts — Republic of Latvia) — Pakora Pluss SIA v Valsts ieņēmumu dienests

(Case C-248/09) (1)

(Act of Accession to the European Union - Customs union - Transitional measures - Goods free from customs duties when entered for free circulation - Goods in transport in the enlarged Community on the date of accession of the Republic of Latvia - Export formalities - Import duties - VAT)

2010/C 246/15

Language of the case: Latvian

Referring court

Augstākās tiesas Senāts

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Pakora Pluss SIA

Defendant: Valsts ieņēmumu dienests

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Augstākās tiesas Senāts — Interpretation of Article 4(10) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ 1992 L 302, p. 1), of Article 448 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ 1993 L 253, p. 1) and of the Act concerning the conditions of accession to the European Union, Annex IV, Chapter 5, paragraph 1 — Import of a motor vehicle by sea — Release for free circulation free of customs duties and other customs measures applicable to goods being, at the date of accession, transported within the enlarged Community after export formalities have been completed

Operative part of the judgment

1. Annex IV, Chapter 5, paragraph 1 of the Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded must be interpreted as meaning that, in order to ascertain whether the export formalities referred to therein have been completed, it is irrelevant that the actions provided for in Article 448 of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2787/2000 of 15 December 2000, were performed, even where a cargo manifest has been drawn up.

2. Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 82/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 1996, and Regulation No 2454/93, as amended by Regulation No 2787/2000, are applicable in the new Member States as from 1 May 2004, but the procedure provided for in Annex IV, Chapter 5, paragraph 1 of the Act of Accession cannot be relied on where the export formalities set out therein have not been completed with respect to goods in transport in the enlarged Community at the date of accession of those new Member States of the European Union.

3. Article 4(10) of Regulation No 2913/92, as amended by Regulation No 82/97 must be interpreted as meaning that import duties do not include the value added tax to be levied on the importation of goods.

4. When goods are imported, the obligation to pay the value added tax is imposed on the person or persons designated or accepted as being liable by the Member State into which the goods are imported.

(1) OJ C 220, 12.9.2009.