Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Piemonte (Italy) lodged on 7 August 2023 – Centro di Assistenza Doganale (CAD) Mellano Srl v Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli – Agenzia delle Dogane – Direzione Interregionale per la Liguria, Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze

(Case C-503/23, Centro di Assistenza Doganale Mellano)

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Piemonte

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Centro di Assistenza Doganale (CAD) Mellano Srl

Defendants: Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli – Agenzia delle Dogane – Direzione Interregionale per la Liguria, Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze

Questions referred

Must Article 18 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, ¹ in conjunction with recital 21, be interpreted as precluding a legislative provision (Article 3(3) of Ministerial Decree No 549/1992) and a national practice, which impose a restriction on the ability of the CAD – Customs assistance centres to operate at an ‘authorised place’ within the Regional / Interregional / Interprovincial directorate where they have their registered office, preventing them from expanding throughout the national territory?

Must Articles 10 and 15 of Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ¹ be interpreted as precluding a legislative provision (Article 3(3) of Ministerial Decree No 549/1992) and a national practice, which impose a restriction on the ability of the CAD – Customs assistance centres to operate at an ‘authorised place’ within the Regional / Interregional / Interprovincial directorate where they have their registered office, preventing them from expanding throughout the national territory and, at the same time, reserving that right to operate throughout the national territory solely to customs agents?

Must Articles 56-62 TFEU be interpreted as precluding a legislative provision (Article 3(3) of Ministerial Decree No 549/1992) and a national practice, which impose a restriction on the ability of the CAD – Customs assistance centres to operate at an ‘authorised place’ within the Regional / Interregional / Interprovincial directorate where they have their registered office, preventing them from expanding throughout the national territory and, at the same time, reserving that right to operate throughout the national territory solely to customs agents?

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¹     Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code (OJ 2013 L 269, p. 1).

¹     Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market (OJ 2006 L 376, p. 36).