Skip to content

GlobalLawDBby GenieAI

Laws Search Sanctions Map Data Developers

Search the text of the law

Log in Get an API key

Laws Search Sanctions Map Data Developers

Log in Get an API key

The Global Law Database. Free to read, built for people and AI agents.

Explore

All laws
Search the text
Sanctions
Map of connections
Compare UK and EU

Developers

AI agents (MCP)
REST API
Bulk data
API keys

Coverage

United Kingdom
European Union
United States
Canada
Australia
France
Germany
Netherlands
Spain
Austria
Norway
Finland
Switzerland
Ireland

GlobalLawDB is made by GenieAI, London. It is not legal advice: check the official text before relying on it. Text comes from official publishers under their licences, listed on the Data page.

ThemeMatch my systemLightDark

European Union
ATRAL SA v Belgian State (C-14/02)
Judgment
The first question
44

ATRAL SA v Belgian State (C-14/02)

Judgment of 8 May 2003law://eu/cjeu/2002/c-14-02/para_44@2026-11-10

44It is clear from the wording and the objective of those directives that they each pursue complete harmonisation in their respective fields of application. It follows that, in the fields covered by those directives, the Member States must conform to them in their entirety and cannot maintain national provisions to the contrary.

Source: EUR-Lex, © European Union, 1998-2026. Reuse authorised under Decision 2011/833/EU.

Key facts

Court: Court of Justice
Case: C-14/02 · ECLI:EU:C:2003:265
Decided: 8 May 2003
Procedure: Preliminary reference
Applicant: ATRAL SA
Defendant: État belge
Rapporteur: J.N. Cunha Rodrigues
Advocate General: L.A. Geelhoed
Bench: 4 judges
R. Schintgen, V. Skouris, F. Macken, J.N. Cunha Rodrigues
Official: CURIA · EUR-Lex 62002CJ0014

Topics

Information and Communications Technology Measures having equivalent effect

History · 1 version

8 May 2003Reading

Connections

Interprets 4: Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (consolidated 2016)3 provisions; Council Directive 89/336/EEC of 3 May 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility; Council Directive 73/23/EEC of 19 February 1973 on the harmonization of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits; Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity
Cited by 20: VTB-VAB NV v Total Belgium NV and Galatea BVBA v Sanoma Magazines Belgium NV (C-261/07); Société fiduciaire nationale d’expertise comptable v Ministre du Budget, des Comptes publics et de la Fonction publique (C-119/09)2 provisions; Stichting Natuur en Milieu and Others v College van Gedeputeerde Staten van Groningen and College van Gedeputeerde Staten van Zuid-Holland (C-166/09 and C-167/09) (C-165/09, C-166/09, C-167/09)2 provisions; Kiriaki Angelidaki and Others v Organismos Nomarchiakis Autodioikisis Rethymnis, Charikleia Giannoudi v Dimos Geropotamou and Georgios Karabousanos and Sofoklis Michopoulos v Dimos Geropotamou (C-378/07); Commission of the European Communities v Federal Republic of Germany (C-141/07); Azienda Agro-Zootecnica Franchini sarl and Eolica di Altamura Srl v Regione Puglia (C-2/10)2 provisions; ‘Vilniaus energija’ UAB v Lietuvos metrologijos inspekcijos Vilniaus apskrities skyrius (C-423/13); European Commission v Hungary (C-78/18); Papier Mettler Italia S.r.l. v Ministero della Transizione Ecologica and Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico (C-86/22)2 provisions; GN and WX v Prefettura di Massa Carrara – Ufficio Territoriale del Governo di Massa Carrara (C-274/20); E.ON Biofor Sverige AB v Statens energimyndighet (C-549/15); SC Capoda Import-Export SRL v Registrul Auto Român and Benone-Nicolae Bejan (C-354/14); European Commission v Kingdom of Belgium (C-150/11)2 provisions; Humanplasma GmbH v Republik Österreich (C-421/09); Lidl Magyarország Kereskedelmi bt v Nemzeti Hírközlési Hatóság Tanácsa (C-132/08); Commission of the European Communities v Republic of Austria (C-524/07); Commission of the European Communities v Grand Duchy of Luxemburg (C-286/07); Commission of the European Communities v Portuguese Republic (C-265/06); Commission of the European Communities v Kingdom of Belgium (C-227/06); Dynamic Medien Vertriebs GmbH v Avides Media AG (C-244/06)
Cites 20: Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (consolidated 2016)3 provisions; Inter-Environnement Wallonie ASBL v Région wallonne (C-129/96); Council Directive 88/378/EEC of 3 May 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the safety of toys; Radiosistemi Srl v Prefetto di Genova (C-388/00, C-429/00); Council Directive 89/686/EEC of 21 December 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to personal protective equipment; Criminal proceedings against Leendert van Bennekom (C-227/82); Tommaso Morellato v Unità sanitaria locale (USL) n. 11 di Pordenone (C-358/95); Council Directive 87/404/EEC of 25 June 1987 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to simple pressure vessels; Council Directive 73/23/EEC of 19 February 1973 on the harmonization of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits; Directive 1999/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity; Council Directive 91/263/EEC of 29 April 1991 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning telecommunications terminal equipment, including the mutual recognition of their conformity; Council Directive 90/384/EEC of 20 June 1990 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to non-automatic weighing instruments; Council Directive 90/385/EEC of 20 June 1990 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to active implantable medical devices; Council Directive 90/396/EEC of 29 June 1990 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to appliances burning gaseous fuels; Criminal proceedings against Gottfried Linhart and Hans Biffl (C-99/01); Canal Satélite Digital SL v Adminstración General del Estado, and Distribuidora de Televisión Digital SA (DTS) (C-390/99); Council Directive 89/336/EEC of 3 May 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility; Rewe-Zentral AG v Bundesmonopolverwaltung für Branntwein (C-120/78); Council Directive 92/42/EEC of 21 May 1992 on efficiency requirements for new hot-water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fuels; Council Directive 93/68/EEC of 22 July 1993 amending Directives 87/404/EEC (simple pressure vessels), 88/378/EEC (safety of toys), 89/106/EEC (construction products), 89/336/EEC (electromagnetic compatibility), 89/392/EEC (machinery), 89/686/EEC (personal protective equipment), 90/384/EEC (non-automatic weighing instruments), 90/385/EEC (active implantable medicinal devices), 90/396/EEC (appliances burning gaseous fuels), 91/263/EEC (telecommunications terminal equipment), 92/42/EEC (new hot-water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fuels) and 73/23/EEC (electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits)