Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 19 November 2020

Criminal proceedings against B S and C A

Request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour d'appel d'Aix-En-Provence

Reference for a preliminary ruling – Free movement of goods – Common organisation of the markets in the flax and hemp sector – Exceptions – Protection of public health – National legislation limiting the industrialisation and marketing of hemp solely to fibre and seeds – Cannabidiol (CBD)

Case C-663/18


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
08/01/2021 B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)
Agriculture
- Common organisation of the markets
  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Judgment
ECLI:EU:C:2020:938		 19/11/2020 B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)
Agriculture
- Common organisation of the markets
  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Abstract
ECLI:EU:C:2020:938		 19/11/2020 B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)
Agriculture
- Common organisation of the markets
  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Application (OJ)
07/12/2018 B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)
Agriculture
- Common organisation of the markets
  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Request for a preliminary ruling
23/10/2018 B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)
Agriculture
- Common organisation of the markets
  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Opinion
ECLI:EU:C:2020:383		 14/05/2020 B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)
Agriculture
- Common organisation of the markets
  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Information not available

Systematic classification scheme

1.
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.03 Agriculture and fisheries
    4.03.03 Common organisation of the markets
      4.03.03.16 Flax and hemp
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.03 Agriculture and fisheries
    4.03.05 Structural policy
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.02 Free movement of goods
    4.02.00 General
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.02 Free movement of goods
    4.02.02 Prohibition of quantitative restrictions and measures having equivalent effect
      4.02.02.03 Derogations
        4.02.02.03.02 Protection of public health and protection of plants
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.02 Free movement of goods
    4.02.02 Prohibition of quantitative restrictions and measures having equivalent effect
      4.02.02.02 Measures having equivalent effect
        4.02.02.02.05 Rules concerning the production, denomination and marketing of products


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Opinion


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

Information not available

Date of the Opinion

  • 14/05/2020

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

19/11/2020


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Information not available

Name of the parties

B S and C A [Commercialisation du cannabidiol (CBD)

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Vialle, Marie: Premier arrêt de la Cour de justice sur la commercialisation de produits composés de cannabidiol (CBD) : une appréciation tributaire des données scientifiques disponibles / First judgment of the Court of Justice on the marketing of products containing cannabidiol (“CBD”) : an assessment dependent on available scientific data, Revue des affaires européennes 2020 n° 4 p. 963-973 (EN, FR)
  2. Rigaux, Anne: Circulation des marchandises - Commercialisation de l'huile de cannabidiol (CBD), Europe 2021, nº 1 Janvier, comm. 17 (FR)
  3. Rostan, Bastien: Arrêt « BS et CA » : commercialisation des marchandises liées au chanvre dans l’Union européenne, Journal de droit européen 2021 nº 277 p. 118-120 (FR)
  4. Niermann, Kai-Friedrich ; Schulte, Lito Michael: Die Verkehrsfähigkeit von hanfhaltigen Lebensmitteln, Nutzhanfblüten und Nutzhanfblättern im Lichte der neueren Rechtsprechung des EuGHs : C-663/18, "CBD", Zeitschrift für das gesamte Lebensmittelrecht 2021 p. 336-353 (DE)
  5. Rottmeier, Christian: Cannabidiol (CBD) : Kein Suchtstoff, aber auch kein Freibrief : Anmerkung : C-663/18, Zeitschrift für das gesamte Lebensmittelrecht 2021 p. 77-86 (DE)
  6. Picod, Fabrice: VII. Droit des libertés économiques - Cour de justice, 4e ch., 19 novembre 2020, B S et C A, aff. C-663/18, ECLI:EU:C:2020:938, Jurisprudence de la CJUE 2020. Décisions et commentaires (Ed. Bruylant - Bruxelles) 2021, p. 462-467 (FR)
  7. Nae, Bogdan-Florin: "Weed-ing" out disproportionate regulation : the free movement of CBD in the European Union following the Kanavape judgment : case C-663/18, Criminal proceedings against B S, C A (‘Kanavape’), Legal Issues of Economic Integration 2021 p. 431-448 (EN)
  8. Chaaben, Mohamed: Libre circulation des marchandises - Mesures d'effet équivalent à des restrictions quantitatives à l'importation, Revue de l'Union européenne 2021 n° 4 p. 218-222 (FR)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Cour d'appel d'Aix-En-Provence - France

Subject-matter

  • Agriculture
  • - Common organisation of the markets
  • Free movement of goods
  • - Quantitative restrictions
  • - Measures having equivalent effect

Provisions of national law referred to

Code de la santé publique, Article L5132-1 du code de la santé publique, 22/12/2011 Article L5132-8, alinéa 1, du code de la santé publique, 22/06/2000 Article R5132-86, paragraphe 1 et 2, du code de la santé publique, 05/06/2013 Article 1er de l'arrêté du 22 août 1990 portant application de l'article R5132-86 du code de la santé publique pour le cannabis, 24/02/2004

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Reference for a preliminary ruling

Formation of the Court

Quatrième chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Rodin

Advocate General

Tanchev

Language(s) of the Case

  • French

Language(s) of the Opinion

  • French