20.7.2013
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 207/8
Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Lazio (Italy) lodged on 15 April 2013 — Esso Italiana srl v Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
(Case C-194/13)
2013/C 207/14
Language of the case: Italian
Referring court
Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Lazio
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: Esso Italiana srl
Defendants: Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
Questions referred
1.
Is the protection of freedom of competition, free movement of undertakings, freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services (under Article 4(3) TEU, Article 101 TFEU, and Articles 49, 56 and 96 TFEU) compatible — and, if so, to what extent — with statutory provisions adopted by EU Member States which lay down minimum operating costs for the road haulage sector which involve the fixing by bodies external [to the contracting parties] of a component of the charge for the service concerned and, accordingly, of the contract price?
2.
Are such limitations of those principles justifiable — and, if so, under what conditions — in the light of the need to safeguard the public interest in road traffic safety and, in terms of that functional consideration, is there a proper place for the fixing of minimum operating costs as provided for under Article 83a of Legislative Decree No 112/2008 (as subsequently amended and supplemented)?
3.
Can the determination of minimum operating costs, to the above end, be left — in the absence of criteria predetermined by the legislation — to voluntary agreements between the types of trader concerned, failing which to bodies whose composition is characterised by the strong presence of persons representing private traders in that sector?
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