PRESS RELEASE No 12/04
5 February 2004
Judgment of the Court of Justice in Case C-24/00
Commission of the European Communities v French Republic
THE FRENCH PROCEDURE FOR PRIOR AUTHORISATION FOR THE MARKETING OF FOODSTUFFS FOR HUMAN
CONSUMPTION ENRICHED WITH NUTRIENTS, MANUFACTURED AND MARKETED IN THE MEMBER STATES, HINDERS THE
FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS.
The authorisation procedure is not readily accessible, not transparent as regards the possibility
of appeal to the courts and is subject to unreasonable delay. In addition,
applications for authorisation may be refused by the competent French authorities only if
such nutrients pose a real risk to public health.
The Court recalls that national legislation which makes the addition of a nutrient
to a foodstuff lawfully manufactured and marketed in the Member States subject to
prior authorisation in the interest of public health, is not, in principle, contrary
to Community law on the free movement of goods, provided that certain conditions
are satisfied:
the procedure for inclusion of a nutrient on the national list of authorised
substances must be readily accessible and completed within a reasonable time, and if
inclusion is refused it must be possible to challenge the refusal before the
courts;
an application for the inclusion of a nutrient on the list may be
refused by the competent national authorities only if it poses a real risk
to public health.
The Court finds that France failed to observe those conditions: the procedure is
not readily accessible because it is not expressly provided for in a measure
of general application, and the examples provided by the Commission reveal that applications
by traders for authorisation were not dealt with either within a reasonable time
or according to a procedure which was sufficiently transparent as regards the possibility
of challenging refusal to authorise before the courts.
In addition, the Court notes that while it is for each Member State
to decide on its level of protection of public health, the national authorities
must none the less, in the exercise of their discretion, confine themselves to
means which are actually necessary to safeguard public health, in accordance with the
principle of proportionality, and ensure that the alleged real risk for public health
appears to be sufficiently established on the basis of the latest scientific data
available at the date of the adoption of the decision to refuse inclusion
on the list.
The Court holds that for confectionery and vitamin-enriched drinks, as well as for
food supplements and dietary products containing L-tartrate and L-carnitine, France may not prohibit
their being marketed on its territory on the sole ground that they would
increase the usual intake from an already sufficiently varied diet and that there
is no nutritional need for them.
France has also failed to observe the requirement for a detailed assessment in
each case of the effects which the addition to confectionery and vitamin-enriched drinks
of the vitamins and minerals in question could have.
On the other hand, as regards energy drinks whose caffeine content exceeds a
certain limit (Red Bull for example) and those to which taurine and glucurunolactone
have been added, French scientists have stated in an opinion that caffeine poses
real risks to public health if consumed to excess and the Scientific Committee
on Human Nutrition gave an adverse opinion on drinks containing those two additives.
The Court considers those opinions to be relevant since the Commission did not
adduce any evidence sufficient to call into question the French authorities analysis as
regards the dangers which those drinks pose to public health.
Available languages: DE, EN, FR, IT, GR. The full text of the judgment can be found on the internet (www.curia.eu.int ). In principle it will be available from midday CET on the day of delivery. For additional information please contact Christopher Fretwell. Tel: (00352) 4303 3355 Fax: (00352) 4303 2731. Pictures of the reading of the judgment are available from EBS Europe by Satellite the TV service of the European Commission, DG Press and Communication, L - 2920 Luxembourg, Tel: (00352) 4301 35177, Fax: (00352) 4301 35249, or B-1049 Brussels, Tel: (0032) 2 29 64106, Fax: (0032) 2 29 65956 |