20In this respect, firstly, according to settled case-law, where a provision of Community law is open to several interpretations, preference must be given to that interpretation which ensures that the provision retains its effectiveness (see Case 187/87 Saarland and Others [1988] ECR 5013, paragraph 19, and Case C-403/99 Italy v Commission [2001] ECR I-6883, paragraph 28) and which does not detract from its validity (see Italy v Commission, paragraph 37). Secondly, the need for a uniform interpretation of Community law makes it impossible for the text of a provision to be considered, in case of doubt, in isolation; on the contrary, it requires that it be interpreted in the light of the versions existing in the other official languages (see Case 9/79 Koschniske [1979] ECR 2717, paragraph 6, and Case C-296/95 EMU Tabac and Others [1998] ECR I-1605, paragraph 36).
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