33With regard to objective justification of such a restriction, it is to be borne in mind that the Court has on several occasions held that planning requirements relating, on the one hand, to the object of ensuring sufficient and permanent access to a balanced range of high-quality treatment in the Member State concerned and, on the other, to the wish to control costs and avoid, so far as possible, any waste of financial, technical and human resources may justify the requirement of prior authorisation for financial responsibility on the part of the competent institution for treatment proposed in another Member State (see, to that effect, Case C-157/99 Smits and Peerbooms [2001] ECR I-5473, paragraphs 76 to 81; Müller-Fauré and van Riet, paragraphs 76 to 81, and Watts, paragraphs 108 to 110).
Source: EUR-Lex, © European Union, 1998-2026. Reuse authorised under Decision 2011/833/EU.