Order of the Court (First Chamber) of 6 March 2003 in Case C-449/01 Reference for a preliminary ruling by the Court of Appeal (England and Wales) (Civil Division): Abbey Life Assurance Co. Ltd v Kok theam Yeap (Article 104(3) of the Rules of Procedure — Directive 86/653/EEC — Coordination of the laws of the Member States relating to self-employed commercial agents — Applicability to agents in the insurance and financial services fields)
Date: 2003-06-21
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: approximation of laws, financial regulation, insurance, interpretation of the law, sales occupation, self-employed person

21.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 146/13

ORDER OF THE COURT

(First Chamber)

of 6 March 2003

Appeal brought on 4 February 2003 by Rica Foods (Free
Zone) NV against the judgment delivered on 14 Novem-
ber 2002 by the Court of First Instance (Third Chamber)
in Joined Cases T-332/00 and T-350/00 Rica Foods (Free
Zone) NV, supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands
and Free Trade Foods NV, v Commission of the European
Communities, supported by the Kingdom of Spain

in Case C-449/01 Reference for a preliminary ruling by
the Court of Appeal (England and Wales) (Civil Division):
Abbey Life Assurance Co. Ltd v Kok theam Yeap (1)

(Article 104(3) of the Rules of Procedure — Directive 86/
653/EEC — Coordination of the laws of the Member States
relating to self-employed commercial agents — Applicability
to agents in the insurance and financial services fields)

(2003/C 146/21)

(Language of the case: English)

(Case C-40/03 P)

(2003/C 146/22)

An appeal has been brought before the Court of Justice of the
European Communities on 4 February 2003 by Rica Foods
(Free Zone) NV, represented by G. van der Wal, advocaat
before the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden, against the judgment
delivered on 14 November 2002 by the Court of First Instance
(Third Chamber) in Joined Cases T-332/00 and T-350/00 Rica
Foods (Free Zone) NV, supported by the Kingdom of the
Netherlands and Free Trade Foods NV, v Commission of the
European Communities, supported by the Kingdom of Spain.

The appellant claims that the Court should:

In Case C-449/01: Reference to the Court under Article 234
EC by the Court of Appeal (England and Wales) (Civil Division)
(United Kingdom) for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings
pending before that court between Abbey Life Assurance Co.
Ltd and Kok Theam Yeap, on the interpretation of Council
Directive 86/653/EEC of 18 December 1986 on the coordi-
nation of the laws of the Member States relating to self-
employed commercial agents (OJ 1986 L 382, p. 17), the
Court (First Chamber), composed of: M. Wathelet, President of
Judges;
the Chamber, P.
C. Stix-Hackl, Advocate General; R. Grass, Registrar, has made
an order on 6 March 2003, the operative part of which is as
follows:

Jann (Rapporteur) and A. Rosas,

1.

2.

Council Directive 86/653/EEC of 18 December 1986 on the
coordination of the laws of the Member States relating to self-
employed commercial agents must be interpreted as meaning that
self-employed agents appointed for the purpose of soliciting appli-
cations for policies for life assurance, annuities or savings do not fall
within its scope.

( 1) OJ C 84 of 6.4.2002.

declare admissible the appeal lodged by the appellant
against the judgment delivered on 14 November 2002 by
the Court of First Instance of the European Communities
in Joined Cases T-332/00 and T-350/00;

set aside the judgment delivered on 14 November 2002
by the Court of First Instance of the European Communi-
ties in Joined Cases T-332/00 and T-350/00 and, ruling
afresh pursuant to the application at first instance lodged
by the present appellant on 27 October 2000:

— annul Regulation (EC) No 2081/2000; (1)

— declare that the Community is liable for the damage
suffered by the appellant by reason of the fact that
imports of the products referred to in Regulation
(EC) No 2081/2000 have, since 1 October 2000,
been prevented or restricted as a result of that
regulation, and order the parties to reach agreement
on the extent of the damage suffered by the appel-
lant, and, if no agreement is reached on that matter,
order that the procedure be continued within a
period to be determined by the Court of Justice for
the purpose of determining the extent of the damage,
or at any rate order the Community to pay compen-
sation for the provisionally estimated damage and
for that still to be assessed; in the further alternative,