Case C-448/06: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 17 July 2008  (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Köln (Germany)) — cp-Pharma Handels GmbH v Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Validity of Regulation (EC) No 1873/2003 — Veterinary medicinal product — Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 — Maximum residue limits of veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin — Progesterone — Restrictions on use — Directive 96/22/EC)
Date: 2008-07-17
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: hormone, infringement of EU law, interpretation of the law, material of animal origin, veterinary drug, veterinary legislation

C 223/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.8.2008

Other parties to the proceedings: Independent Music Publishers and
Labels Association (Impala)
(represented by: S. Crosby and J.
Golding, Solicitors, and by I. Wekstein, Advocate), Commission
the European Communities (represented by: A. Whelan,
of
Agent and K. Mojzesowicz, Agent), Sony BMG Music Entertain-
ment BV, (represented by: N. Levy, Barrister, R. Snelders, avocat,
and T. Graf, Rechtsanwalt)

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: cp-Pharma Handels GmbH

Re:

Defendant: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Appeal against the judgment of
the Court of First Instance
(Third Chamber) of 13 July 2006 in Case T-464/04 Impala v
Commission by which that Court annulled the Commission's
Decision of 19 July 2004 declaring a concentration that creates
a joint venture combining the activities of Sony and Bertels-
mann in the recorded music sector to be compatible with the
common market and the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/M.3333
— Sony/BMG)

Re:

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1. Sets aside the judgment of the Court of First Instance of 13 July

2006 in Case T-464/04 Impala v Commission;

2. Refers the case back to the Court of First Instance of the European

Communities;

3. Reserves the costs.

(1) OJ C 326, 30.12.2006.

Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 17 July 2008
(reference
from the
preliminary
Verwaltungsgericht Köln (Germany)) — cp-Pharma Handels
GmbH v Bundesrepublik Deutschland

ruling

for

a

(Case C-448/06) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Validity of Regulation
(EC) No 1873/2003 — Veterinary medicinal product —
Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 — Maximum residue limits of
veterinary medicinal products in foodstuffs of animal origin
— Progesterone — Restrictions on use — Directive 96/22/EC)

(2008/C 223/11)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Verwaltungsgericht Köln

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Verwaltungsgericht Köln
— Validity of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1873/2003 of
24 October 2003 amending Annex II to Council Regulation
(EEC) No 2377/90 laying down a Community procedure for the
establishment of maximum residue limits of veterinary medic-
inal products in foodstuffs of animal origin (OJ 2003 L 275,
p. 9) in so far as, by limiting the conditions of use of proges-
terone, as an active substance of veterinary medicinal products,
to application via the intravaginal route alone, it excludes the
possibility of administering that substance in the form of an
intramuscular injection — Whether or not the Commission has
power to make that limitation in the light of Articles 1(a) and 3
of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 of 26 June 1990
laying down a Community procedure for the establishment of
maximum residue limits of veterinary medicinal products in
foodstuffs of animal origin (OJ 1990 L 224, p. 1) in conjunction
with Article 4(1) of Council Directive 96/22/EC of 29 April 1996
concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of
certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic action and
of ß-agonists, and repealing Directives 81/602/EEC, 88/146/EEC
and 88/299/EEC (OJ 1996 L 125, p. 3)

Operative part of the judgment

the

to affect

Examination of the question referred has disclosed no factor of such a
validity of Commission Regulation (EC)
kind as
No 1873/2003 of 24 October 2003 amending Annex II to Council
Regulation (EEC) No 2377/90 laying down a Community procedure
for the establishment of maximum residue limits of veterinary medic-
inal products in foodstuffs of animal origin.

(1) OJ C 326, 30.12.2006.