49Although, according to settled case-law, in the light of those principles, the exemptions envisaged in Article 15 of the Sixth Directive are to be interpreted strictly since they constitute exceptions to the general principle that VAT is to be levied on all services supplied for consideration by a taxable person (see, inter alia, Velker International Oil Company, paragraph 19; Cimber Air, paragraph 25; Joined Cases C-181/04 to C-183/04 Elmeka [2006] ECR I-8167, paragraph 15; Navicon, paragraph 22; and Feltgen and Bacino Charter Company, paragraph 19), that requirement of strict interpretation does not mean that the terms used to specify the exemptions should be construed in such a way as to deprive those exemptions of their intended effect (see, inter alia, Navicon, paragraph 22).
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