CELEX: C2004/217/05
Language: en
Date: 2004-08-28 00:00:00
Title: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 1 July 2004 in Case C-295/02 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Niedersächsisches Oberverwaltungsgericht): Gisela Gerken v Amt für Agrarstruktur Verden (Common agricultural policy — Integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes — Regulations (EEC) No 3887/92 and (EC) No 2419/2001 — Applications for ‘livestock’ aid — Irregularities — Reduction in the amount of aid — Article 2(2) of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 — Retroactive application of a less stringent provision)

28.8.2004   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 217/3
            
         
      JUDGMENT OF THE COURT
   
   (Second Chamber)
   of 1 July 2004
   in Case C-295/02 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Niedersächsisches Oberverwaltungsgericht): Gisela Gerken v Amt für Agrarstruktur Verden (1)
   
   (Common agricultural policy - Integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes - Regulations (EEC) No 3887/92 and (EC) No 2419/2001 - Applications for ‘livestock’ aid - Irregularities - Reduction in the amount of aid - Article 2(2) of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 - Retroactive application of a less stringent provision)
   (2004/C 217/05)
   Language of the case: German
   In Case C-295/02: Reference to the Court under Article 234 EC from the Niedersächsisches Oberverwaltungsgericht (Germany) for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between Gisela Gerken and Amt für Agrarstruktur Verden — on the interpretation of Article 10(2)(a) of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3887/92 of 23 December 1992 laying down detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes (OJ 1992 L 391, p. 36), Articles 44, 53 and 54 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2419/2001 of 11 December 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3508/92 (OJ 1992 L 327, p. 11), and Article 2(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the financial interests of the European Communities (OJ 1995 L 312, p. 1) — the Court (Second Chamber), composed of: C.W.A. Timmermans, President of the Chamber, J.-P. Puissochet, R. Schintgen, F. Macken (Rapporteur) and N. Colneric, Judges; P. Léger, Advocate General; M.-F. Contet, Principal Administrator, for the Registrar, has given a judgment on 1 July 2004, in which it has ruled:
   Article 2(2) of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the financial interests of the European Communities is to be interpreted as meaning that where, in an application for ‘livestock’ aid covered ratione temporis by Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3887/92 of 23 December 1992 laying down detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes, there is an irregularity giving rise to a penalty under Article 10(2)(a) of that regulation, the competent authorities must apply retroactively the provisions of Article 44(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2419/2001 of 11 December 2001 laying down detailed rules for applying the integrated administration and control system for certain Community aid schemes established by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3508/92, on the ground that those provisions are less severe as regards the conduct in question.
   
      (1)  OJ C 261 of 26.10.2002.