Full text

Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 7 July 2011. – Iulian Nisipeanu v Direcţia Generală a Finanţelor Publice Gorj and Others.

CELEX: 62010CJ0263 · EN · EUR-Lex / CELLAR

Subject of the case
Operative part

Subject of the case

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling – Tribunalul Gorj – Registration of second-hand vehicles previously registered in other Member States – Environmental tax on motor vehicles upon first registration in a Member State – Classification of the criterion of ‘date of first registration’ – Whether the national legislation is compatible with Article 110 TFEU – Whether exemption from payment of the tax, introduced for certain categories of vehicle, is lawful – Possible application of the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

Operative part

Operative part

Article 110 TFEU must be interpreted as precluding a Member State from introducing a pollution tax levied on motor vehicles on their first registration in that Member State, if that tax is arranged in such a way as to discourage the putting into circulation in that Member State of second-hand vehicles purchased in other Member States but without discouraging the purchase of second-hand vehicles of the same age and condition on the domestic market.