49In addition, it is on the basis of the characteristics of EU law and the specific difficulties presented by its interpretation that it is for that national court to examine the extent to which it is not obliged to make a reference for a preliminary ruling to the Court. Accordingly, every provision of EU law, including the case-law of the Court in the relevant area, must be placed in its context and interpreted in the light of the provisions of EU law as a whole, regard being had to the objectives thereof and to its state of evolution at the date on which the provision in question is to be applied (see, to that effect, judgment of 6 October 1982 in Cilfit and Others, 283/81, EU:C:1982:335, paragraphs 17 and 20).
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