Judgment_paragraph 39 · European Commission v United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (C-346/08)

39The fact that the concept of ‘product of combustion’ defines the extent of an exception to a general rule also militates against a broad interpretation of that concept. In accordance with settled case-law, exceptions are to be interpreted strictly so that general rules are not negated (see, to this effect, Case C-476/01 Kapper [2004] ECR I-5205, paragraph 72).