Reports of Cases

2001 I-00837

Subject-matter

Preliminary ruling ─ Tribunal de première instance de Bruxelles ─ Interpretation of Arts 5, 52 and 59 of the EC Treaty (now Articles 10, 43 and 49 EC) ─ National legislation reserving certain eye examinations for doctors only, thus removing such examinations from the scope of the activity of opticians established in other Member States ─ Interpretation of Art. 30 of the EC Treaty ─ National legislation restricting the marketing of equipment for carrying out certain eye examinations which are reserved for doctors only

Systematic classification scheme

Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 3 -LO : paragraph 29
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 5 : paragraphs 1, 13, 20
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 30 : paragraphs 1, 13, 21
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 52 : paragraphs 1, 13, 16, 25, 38
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 56 -P1 : paragraph 28
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 59 : paragraphs 1, 13, 20
• Directive 75/362 : paragraph 22
• Directive 75/363 : paragraph 22
• Directive 93/16 : paragraph 22
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -19/92 : paragraph 26
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -384/93 : paragraph 33
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -55/94 : paragraphs 25, 26
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -3/95 : paragraph 33
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -193/97 : paragraph 24
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -424/97 : paragraph 26
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -58/98 : paragraph 24
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -67/98 : paragraph 34

Operative part

• Interprets : EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 52

Opinion

• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 5 : point 15
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 30 : points 81, 83
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 52 : points 22, 52
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 58 : point 19
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 59 : point 17
  
• EC Treaty (Maastricht), Article 129 : points 54 - 57
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 152 : points 54 - 57
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -61/89 : points 33 - 37
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -19/92 : point 46
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -379/92 : points 39, 63
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -55/93 : point 79
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -55/94 : points 46, 61
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -3/95 : point 62
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -255/97 : point 81
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -190/98 : point 43
  

Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

• 03/04/1996

Date of the Opinion

• 16/03/2000

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

01/02/2001

References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 158 from 01.06.1996, p.6

Judgment: OJ C 173 from 16.06.2001, p.3

Name of the parties

Mac Quen and Others

Notes on Academic Writings

1. Novak, Meinhard: Augenoptiker versus Augenärzte, European Law Reporter 2001 p.45-46
2. Idot, Laurence: Europe 2001 Avril Comm. nº 133 p.16
3. X: Il raggiungimento di un elevato livello di salute giustifica il divieto per gli ottici di effettuare taluni esami medici, Diritto comunitario e degli scambi internazionali 2001 p.77-78
4. Van de Gronden, J.W.: S.E.W. ; Sociaal-economische wetgeving 2001 p.327-331
5. Borrás Rodríguez, Alegría ; Vilà Costa, Blanca: Jurisprudencia del Tribunal de Justicia de las Comunidades Europeas, Revista Jurídica de Catalunya 2002 p.270-274

Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Tribunal de première instance de Bruxelles - Belgium

Subject-matter

• Freedom of establishment
  
• Free movement of goods
  
• - Quantitative restrictions
  
• - Measures having equivalent effect
  

Provisions of national law referred to

Code judiciaire, art. 1046

Arrêté royal n° 78 du 10 novembre 1967 relatif à l'exercice de l'art de guérir, de l'art infirmier, des professions paramédicales et aux commissions médicales, art. 1, 2, 38, par. 1, point 1, art. 43 et 44

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

• Reference for a preliminary ruling
  

Formation of the Court

cinquième chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Edward

Advocate General

Mischo

Language(s) of the Case

• French
  

Language(s) of the Opinion

• French