Case C-51/14: Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 11 June 2015 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberverwaltungsgericht für das Land Nordrhein-Westfalen — Germany) — Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co. KG v Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Agriculture — Common organisation of the markets — Sugar — Reimbursement of storage costs — Regulation (EEC) No 1998/78 — Article 14(3) — Regulation (EEC) No 2670/81 — Article 2(2) — Substitute exports of C sugar — Conditions — Actual exchange of C sugar with the replacement sugar — Replacement possible only with sugar produced by another manufacturer established on the territory of the same Member State — Validity in the light of Articles 34 TFEU and 35 TFEU)

Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 11 June 2015 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberverwaltungsgericht für das Land Nordrhein-Westfalen — Germany) — Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co. KG v Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung

(Case C-51/14) ( 1 )

‛(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Agriculture — Common organisation of the markets — Sugar — Reimbursement of storage costs — Regulation (EEC) No 1998/78 — Article 14(3) — Regulation (EEC) No 2670/81 — Article 2(2) — Substitute exports of C sugar — Conditions — Actual exchange of C sugar with the replacement sugar — Replacement possible only with sugar produced by another manufacturer established on the territory of the same Member State — Validity in the light of Articles 34 TFEU and 35 TFEU)’

Referring court

Oberverwaltungsgericht für das Land Nordrhein-Westfalen

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Pfeifer & Langen GmbH & Co. KG

Defendant: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung

Operative part of the judgment

1. Article 14(3) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1998/78 of 18 August 1978 laying down detailed rules for the offsetting of storage costs for sugar, as amended by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1714/88 of 13 June 1988, and the second subparagraph of Article 2(2) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2670/81 of 14 September 1981 laying down detailed implementing rules in respect of sugar production in excess of the quota, as amended by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3892/88 of 14 December 1988, read in conjunction, must be interpreted as meaning that, in a situation such as that in the main proceedings where a manufacturer wishes to replace a quantity of C sugar for export by an equivalent quantity of sugar under quota produced by another manufacturer, it is appropriate to have regard to the requirements set out in the latter provision as regards reimbursement of storage costs. Those requirements include, in particular, that the replacement sugar must have been produced by another manufacturer established on the territory of the same Member State. Examination of the questions raised has disclosed no factor such as to affect the validity of that provision.

2. Article 14(3) of Regulation No 1998/78 and the second subparagraph of Article 2(2) of Regulation No 2670/81 must be interpreted as not requiring, for the proper substitution of sugar for export, that the initial quantity of C sugar and the quantity of replacement sugar be physically substituted by the manufacturer.

( 1 ) OJ C 142, 12.5.2014.