Judgment_paragraph 19 · Banca popolare di Cremona Soc. coop. arl v Agenzia Entrate Ufficio Cremona (C-475/03)

19According to the preamble to First Council Directive 67/227/EEC of 11 April 1967 on the harmonisation of legislation of Member States concerning turnover taxes (OJ, English Special Edition 1967 (I), p. 14, ‘the First Directive’), harmonisation of legislation concerning turnover taxes should make it possible to establish a common market within which there is healthy competition and whose characteristics are similar to those of a domestic market, by eliminating tax differences liable to distort competition and hinder trade.