Case C-224/05: Reference for a preliminary ruling from the College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven by order of that court of 17 May 2005 in 1. Maatschap H. and J. van 't Oever, 2. Maatschap F. van 't Oever and W. Fien, 3. B. van 't Oever, 4. Maatschap A. and J. Fien, 5. Maatschap K. Koers and J. Stellingwerf, 6. H. Koers, 7. Maatschap K. and G. Polinder, 8. G. van Wijhe, v Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
Date: 2005-08-06
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: foot-and-mouth disease, health control, health legislation, interpretation of the law, research body

C 193/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

6.8.2005

(b) If the answer to Question 3(a) is in the affirmative:

Is the purpose of Article 11(1) of Directive 85/511/EEC
to protect the interests of individuals, such as the appel-
lants in the main proceedings? If not, can individuals,
such as the appellants in the main proceedings, plead
possible failure to fulfil the obligations which this provi-
sion places on the authorities of the Member States?

(c) If the answer to Question 3(b) means that individuals

can rely on Article 11(1) of Directive 85/511/EEC:

What legal consequences must be attached to a finding
of the presence of FMD by a laboratory which is not
listed in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC?

4. Must Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC be interpreted,
having regard to Articles 11 and 13 thereof, as meaning
that the mention in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC of
‘Centraal Diergeneeskundig Instituut, Lelystad’ can or must
refer also to ID-Lelystad B.V.?

5. If it follows from the above answers that the presence of
FMD can be found by a laboratory which is not listed in
Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC or that Annex B to Direc-
tive 85/511/EEC must be interpreted as meaning that the
mention of
Instituut,
Lelystad’ can or must refer also to ID-Lelystad B.V.:

‘Centraal Diergeneeskundig

the

Are the national authorities bound unconditionally by the
result of an FMD examination carried out by a laboratory? If
not, what margin of discretion does Directive 85/511/EEC
leave these national authorities?

(1) Council Directive 85/511/EEC of 18 November 1985 introducing
Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease (OJ
1985 L 315, p. 11).

Reference for a preliminary ruling from the College van
Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven by order of that court of 17
May 2005 in 1. Maatschap H. and J. van 't Oever, 2.
Maatschap F. van 't Oever and W. Fien, 3. B. van 't Oever,
4. Maatschap A. and J. Fien, 5. Maatschap K. Koers and J.
Stellingwerf, 6. H. Koers, 7. Maatschap K. and G. Polinder,
8. G. van Wijhe, v Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en
Voedselkwaliteit

(Case C-224/05)

(2005/C 193/23)

(Language of the case: Dutch)

Must Directive 85/511/EEC be interpreted as providing that
the national administrative authority authorised to adopt
decisions is bound by the outcome of an examination by a
laboratory which is
listed in Annex B to Directive
85/551/EEC or — if the answer to Question 2a means that
the administrative authority may base its FMD control
measures also on results obtained by a laboratory which is
not listed in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC — by the
results of the latter laboratory, or does the determination of
final authority in that regard fall within the procedural
autonomy of the Member State and must the court before
which the main proceedings are pending examine whether
the rules in that respect apply irrespective of whether the
laboratory examination is carried out by virtue of a Com-
munity or national legal obligation and of whether or not
the application of the provisions of national procedural law
renders the implementation of the Community rules extre-
mely difficult or practically impossible?

Reference has been made to the Court of Justice of the Euro-
pean Communities by order of the College van Beroep voor het
bedrijfsleven (Administrative Court
for Trade and Industry)
(Netherlands) of 17 May 2005, received at the Court Registry
on 20 May 2005, for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings
between 1. Maatschap H. and J. van 't Oever, 2. Maatschap F.
van 't Oever and W. Fien, 3. B. van 't Oever, 4. Maatschap A.
and J. Fien, 5. Maatschap K. Koers and J. Stellingwerf, 6. H.
Koers, 7. Maatschap K. and G. Polinder, 8. G. van Wijhe and
Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (Minister
for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) on the following
questions:

6. If the answer to Question 4 means that the issue of whether
national authorities are bound by the laboratory result is
governed by Directive 85/511/EEC:

1. Does Community law require the courts of

their own
motion to conduct an examination, that is to say an exami-
nation of grounds which are outside the terms of
the
dispute but are based on Directive 85/511/EEC? (1)

6.8.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 193/15

2. If the answer to Question 1 is affirmative, does the obliga-
tion on Member States under the first indent of Article
11(1) of Directive 85/511/EEC, read in conjunction with the
second indent of Article 13(1) thereof, to ensure that labora-
tory testing to detect the presence of FMD is carried out by
a laboratory listed in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC
have direct effect?

final authority in that regard fall within the procedural
autonomy of the Member State and must the court before
which the main proceedings are pending examine whether
the rules in that respect apply irrespective of whether the
laboratory examination is carried out by virtue of a Com-
munity or national legal obligation and of whether or not
the application of the provisions of national procedural law
renders the implementation of the Community rules extre-
mely difficult or practically impossible?

3.

(a) Must Article 11(1) of Directive 85/511/EEC be inter-
preted as meaning that
legal consequences must be
attached to the fact that the presence of FMD is found
by a laboratory which is not listed in Annex B to Direc-
tive 85/511/EEC?

6. If the answer to Question 4 means that the issue of whether
national authorities are bound by the laboratory result is
governed by Directive 85/511/EEC:

(b) If the answer to Question 3(a) is in the affirmative:

Is the purpose of Article 11(1) of Directive 85/511/EEC
to protect the interests of individuals, such as the appel-
lants in the main proceedings? If not, can individuals,
such as the appellants in the main proceedings, plead
possible failure to fulfil the obligations which this provi-
sion places on the authorities of the Member States?

(c) If the answer to Question 3(b) means that individuals

can rely on Article 11(1) of Directive 85/511/EEC:

Are the national authorities bound unconditionally by the
result of an FMD examination carried out by a laboratory? If
not, what margin of discretion does Directive 85/511/EEC
leave these national authorities?

(1) Council Directive 85/511/EEC of 18 November 1985 introducing
Community measures for the control of foot-and-mouth disease (OJ
1985 L 315, p. 1).

What legal consequences must be attached to a finding
of the presence of FMD by a laboratory which is not
listed in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC?

Reference for a preliminary ruling from the College van
Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven by order of that court of 17
May 2005 in B.J. van Middendorp v Minister van Land-
bouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit

4. Must Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC be interpreted,
having regard to Articles 11 and 13 thereof, as meaning
that the mention in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC of
‘Centraal Diergeneeskundig Instituut, Lelystad’ can or must
refer also to ID-Lelystad B.V.?

5. If it follows from the above answers that the presence of
FMD can be found by a laboratory which is not listed in
Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC or that Annex B to Direc-
tive 85/511/EEC must be interpreted as meaning that the
mention of
Instituut,
Lelystad’ can or must refer also to ID-Lelystad B.V.:

‘Centraal Diergeneeskundig

the

(Case C-225/05)

(2005/C 193/24)

(Language of the case: Dutch)

Must Directive 85/511/EEC be interpreted as providing that
the national administrative authority authorised to adopt
decisions is bound by the outcome of an examination by a
laboratory which is
listed in Annex B to Directive
85/551/EEC or — if the answer to Question 2a means that
the administrative authority may base its FMD control
measures also on results obtained by a laboratory which is
not listed in Annex B to Directive 85/511/EEC — by the
results of the latter laboratory, or does the determination of

Reference has been made to the Court of Justice of the Euro-
pean Communities by order of the College van Beroep voor het
bedrijfsleven (Administrative Court
for Trade and Industry)
(Netherlands) of 17 May 2005, received at the Court Registry
on 20 May 2005, for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings
between B.J. van Middendorp and Minister van Landbouw,
Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (Minister for Agriculture, Nature
and Food Quality) on the following questions: