Case C-434/08: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 20 May 2010 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Oberlandesgericht Oldenburg (Germany)) — Arnold und Johann Harms als Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts v Freerk Heidinga (Common agricultural policy — Integrated administration and control system for certain aid schemes — Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 — Single payment scheme — Transfer of payment entitlements — Definitive transfer)
Date: 2010-05-20
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Germany, agricultural holding, common agricultural policy, interpretation of the law








C_2010179EN.01000602.xml










3.7.2010   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 179/6






Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 20 May 2010 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Oberlandesgericht Oldenburg (Germany)) — Arnold und Johann Harms als Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts v Freerk Heidinga
(Case C-434/08) (1)

(Common agricultural policy - Integrated administration and control system for certain aid schemes - Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 - Single payment scheme - Transfer of payment entitlements - Definitive transfer)
(2010/C 179/09)
Language of the case: German

Referring court

Oberlandesgericht Oldenburg

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicants: Arnold und Johann Harms als Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts

Defendant: Freerk Heidinga

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Oberlandesgericht Oldenburg — Interpretation of Article 46(2) 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) 1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 (OJ 2007 L 270, p. 1) — Contractual clause, inserted into an agreement intended outwardly to effect a complete and definitive transfer of payment entitlements, according to which the transferee, as the formal owner of payment entitlements, is to activate those payment entitlements through cultivation of the corresponding land, but is to pass on to the seller a part of the payments received

Operative part of the judgment

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 not precluding a contractual arrangement, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, the object of which is to effect a definitive transfer of payment entitlements whereby the transferee, in his capacity as the person entitled to them, is to activate the payment entitlements and to pass on to the transferor, without any limit in time, the full amount, or a part thereof, of the payments received on that basis, provided that the purpose of such an arrangement is not to permit the transferor to retain a part of the payment entitlements which he has formally transferred, but to determine, by reference to the value of that part of the payment entitlements, the agreed price for the transfer of all the payment entitlements.


(1)  OJ C 44, 21.2.2009.