EN Official Journal of the European Union C 297/15

Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 22 October 2009 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven (Netherlands)) — G. Elbertsen v Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit

(Case C-449/08) (1)

(Common agricultural policy - Integrated administration and control system for certain aid schemes - Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 - Single payment scheme - Establishment of the reference amount - Farmers in a special situation - National reserve)

2009/C 297/18

Language of the case: Dutch

Referring court

College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: G. Elbertsen

Defendant: Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven — Interpretation of Article 42(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulations (EEC) No 2019/93, (EC) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 1454/2001, (EC) No 1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 (OJ 2003 L 270, p. 1) and of Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 of 21 April 2004 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the single payment scheme provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers (OJ 2004 L 141, p. 1) — Integrated administration and control system for certain aid schemes — Single payment scheme — Establishment of the reference amount — Entitlement to payment not granted in certain situations

Operative part of the judgment

1. Article 42(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulations (EEC) No 2019/93, (EC) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 1454/2001, (EC) No 1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 must be interpreted as giving the Member States such discretion as to permit them to establish a reference amount of EUR 0 and not to allocate any payment entitlements from the national reserve to a farmer who finds himself in a special situation as described in Article 21 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 of 21 April 2004 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of the single payment scheme provided for in Regulation No 1782/2003, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1974/2004 of 29 October 2004, provided that that amount is based on objective criteria, does not prejudice the equal treatment of farmers and does not create market or competition distortions.

2. Community law does not preclude the application of a national provision under which any increase in the amount of additional payments arising as a result of an investment in production capacity or a purchase of land is subject to a deduction of EUR 500 before a reference amount is established as the basis for the allocation of entitlements to payments from the national reserve.

(1) OJ C 6, 10.1.2009.