30With regard to the question whether the respective dates of delivery of the above judgments in Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund and Hütter affect the starting point of a limitation period fixed by national law, it should be noted that the interpretation which, in the exercise of the jurisdiction conferred on it by Article 267 TFEU, the Court gives to a rule of European Union law clarifies and defines, where required, the meaning and scope of that rule as it must be, or ought to have been, understood and applied from the time of its entry into force. In other words, a preliminary ruling does not create or alter the law, but is purely declaratory, with the consequence that in principle it takes effect from the date on which the rule interpreted entered into force (Case C-2/06 Kempter [2008] ECR I-411, paragraph 35 and the case-law cited).
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