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PARALLEL TEXTS
I limiti demografici e geografici previsti dalla normativa italiana per l’apertura di nuovi esercizi di ottica costituiscono una restrizione alla libertà di stabilimento
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-121_en.htm
Italiano tratto da: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-121_it.htm
Data documento: 26-09-2013
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The demographic and geographical limitations laid down in the Italian legislation on the opening of new opticians’ shops constitute a restriction on the freedom of establishment
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I limiti demografici e geografici previsti dalla normativa italiana per l’apertura di nuovi esercizi di ottica costituiscono una restrizione alla libertà di stabilimento
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Nonetheless, those limitations may be compatible with EU law if the competent authorities use their discretionary powers in accordance with transparent and objective criteria, with a view to attaining, in a coherent and systematic manner, the objective of the protection of public health throughout the territory
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Detti limiti, tuttavia, possono essere compatibili con il diritto dell’Unione qualora le autorità competenti si avvalgano del loro potere discrezionale nel rispetto di criteri trasparenti e oggettivi al fine di conseguire, in modo coerente e sistematico, l’obiettivo della tutela della salute nell’intero territorio
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In order to ensure, in Sicily, a rational distribution of the supply of opticians, Sicilian regional law makes the opening of new opticians’ shops subject to prior administrative authorisation.
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Per garantire, in Sicilia, la razionale distribuzione dell’offerta dell’attività di ottico, la legge regionale siciliana assoggetta l’apertura di nuovi esercizi di ottica a previa autorizzazione amministrativa.
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Such authorisation is issued under two conditions:
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Questa è rilasciata a due condizioni:
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(i) there may be only one optician’s shop per 8 000 residents and, (ii) the distance between one optician’s shop and another must not be less than 300 metres.
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da un lato, può essere autorizzata l’apertura di un solo esercizio di ottica per ogni fascia di popolazione di 8 000 residenti; d’altro lato, tra un esercizio e l’altro deve essere rispettata una distanza minima di 300 metri.
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Derogations from those conditions are possible where territorial requirements have been satisfied.
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È possibile derogare a tali condizioni qualora sussistano comprovate esigenze territoriali.
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In that case, the municipality may issue authorisation, by way of derogation, after having obtained the opinion of a special committee of the local chamber of commerce, which is made up of representatives of opticians.
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In tal caso, le autorità comunali possono rilasciare, in deroga, un’autorizzazione, dopo avere acquisito il parere obbligatorio della commissione speciale presso la camera di commercio locale, composta da rappresentanti degli ottici.
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In 2009, the Comune di Campobello di Mazara (Trapani, Sicily) authorised Fotottica to open a new optician’s shop in its territory, in infringement of the regional law.
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Nel 2009 il Comune di Campobello di Mazara (Trapani) ha autorizzato la Fotottica ad aprire un esercizio di ottica nel proprio territorio, in violazione della legge regionale.
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A competitor business, Ottica New Line, thus challenged that decision before the adminisatrative courts, and the Consiglio di giustizia amministrativa per la Regione siciliana (Higher Administrative Court for the Sicily Region) then made a request for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice.
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Una società concorrente, la Ottica New Line, ha pertanto impugnato tale decisione dinanzi al giudice amministrativo e il Consiglio di Giustizia Amministrativa per la Regione Siciliana si è rivolto quindi alla Corte di giustizia.
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The Court has already held that the profession of optician is associated with the protection of public health.
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La Corte ha già dichiarato che la professione dell’ottico partecipa alla tutela della salute.
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Moreover, the opticians at issue not only supply, check and adjust devices to correct sight defects, but may also themselves correct sight defects by using corrective visual devices or acting to prevent eye problems.
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Inoltre, gli ottici considerati non si limitano a fornire, controllare ed adattare i mezzi di correzione dei difetti della vista, ma possono correggere essi stessi i suddetti difetti, utilizzando mezzi di correzione ottica, o agire per la prevenzione dei disturbi della vista.
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In today’s judgment, the Court finds that the two conditions imposed under Sicilian regional law prevent opticians from freely choosing where to exercise their independent activity.
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Nella sua sentenza odierna la Corte constata che le due condizioni poste dalla normativa regionale siciliana impediscono agli ottici di scegliere liberamente il luogo in cui eserciteranno la loro attività autonoma.
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Consequently, that legislation hinders and renders less attractive the exercise by opticians from other Member States of their activities in Italian territory through a fixed place of business.
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Tale normativa, di conseguenza, ostacola e rende meno attraente l’esercizio, nel territorio italiano, dell’attività degli ottici di altri Stati membri, mediante un centro stabile di attività.
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The Court then examines whether such a restriction on the freedom of establishment is justified by overriding reasons in the general interest relating to the protection of health which are appropriate for securing attainment of the general objective of ensuring even distribution of healthcare providers throughout the national territory, and which do not go beyond what is necessary for attaining that objective.
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La Corte esamina quindi se tale limitazione della libertà di stabilimento sia giustificata da ragioni imperative di interesse generale attinenti alla protezione della salute, atte in particolare a realizzare l’obiettivo generale di ripartire in modo equilibrato i prestatori di cure sanitarie nell’ambito del territorio nazionale, e non vada oltre quanto necessario.
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In pursuing such an objective, the Court has already held that the establishment of pharmacies may be subject to planning.
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La Corte ha già statuito che, nel perseguimento di un obiettivo siffatto, l’apertura di una farmacia può essere oggetto di una pianificazione.
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That may include prior authorisation for the establishment of a pharmacy, where that planning proves indispensable for filling in possible gaps in access to public health services and for avoiding the duplication of structures, so as to ensure the provision of public health care which is adapted to the needs of the population, which covers the entire territory and which takes account of geographically isolated or otherwise disadvantaged regions.
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Quest’ultima può assumere, in particolare, la forma di una procedura di autorizzazione previa qualora tale pianificazione si riveli indispensabile per colmare eventuali lacune e per evitare una duplicazione nell’apertura delle strutture, in modo che sia garantita un’assistenza sanitaria adeguata alle necessità della popolazione, che copra tutto il territorio e tenga conto delle regioni geograficamente isolate o altrimenti svantaggiate.
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Those principles may also apply to opticians’ shops, in so far as opticians who provide services aimed at assessing, maintaining or restoring the state of health of patients fall within the protection of public health.
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Siffatti principi appaiono applicabili anche agli esercizi di ottica, allorché gli ottici forniscono servizi consistenti nella valutazione, nel mantenimento e nel ripristino dello stato di salute dei pazienti e rientrano nel settore della tutela della salute.
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Thus, the ratio between the number of opticians’ shops and the number of residents facilitates the even distribution of such shops throughout the territory concerned and ensures that the entire population has appropriate access to the services offered by them.
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Pertanto, una proporzione tra il numero di esercizi di ottica e il numero di abitanti favorisce la ripartizione equilibrata di tali esercizi nell’ambito del territorio e garantisce a tutta la popolazione di avere adeguato accesso alle prestazioni degli ottici.
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The rule imposing a minimum distance between two opticians’ shops, together with the rule referred to above, leads members of the public to be more confident that they have access to a healthcare provider nearby.
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La norma che impone una distanza minima tra due esercizi di ottica, abbinata alla norma precedente, aumenta la certezza dei pazienti di poter aver accesso ad un prestatore di cure sanitarie nelle loro vicinanze.
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It is true that the need for rapid access to the products sold in opticians’ shops is less great than is inherently the case for medicinal products, with the result that the interest in having an optician’s shop close by is not as acute as is the case with the distribution of medicinal products.
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Certamente, atteso che la necessità di un accesso rapido a tali prodotti è minore rispetto a quella attinente ai medicinali, l’interesse alla prossimità degli esercizi di ottica non si impone con un’intensità equiparabile a quella esistente in materia di distribuzione dei medicinali.
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However, it is for the Member States to decide on the degree of protection which they wish to afford to public health and on the way in which that protection is to be achieved, which is why EU law grants them a margin of discretion in that respect.
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Nondimeno compete agli Stati membri decidere il livello al quale intendono garantire la tutela della sanità pubblica ed il modo in cui detta tutela deve essere realizzata, cosicché il diritto dell’Unione riconosce loro un margine discrezionale.
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In exercising that margin of discretion, it is permissible for the Member States to organise the planning of opticians’ shops in a way comparable to that provided for the distribution of pharmacies, notwithstanding the differences which exist between the two types of healthcare service.
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Orbene, nell’avvalersi di tale potere discrezionale, gli Stati membri possono organizzare una pianificazione degli esercizi di ottica con modalità analoghe a quelle previste per la ripartizione delle farmacie, e ciò nonostante le differenze esistenti tra i due tipi di prestazioni di cure sanitarie.
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Nonetheless, rules seeking to ensure the even distribution of opticians’ shops throughout the territory and to ensure access to them must genuinely reflect a concern to attain that objective in a consistent and systematic manner.
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Ciò posto, le norme dirette ad assicurare una distribuzione equilibrata degli esercizi di ottica nell’ambito del territorio e a garantire la possibilità di accesso ad essi devono effettivamente mirare a tali obiettivi in modo coerente e sistematico.
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In that regard, the Court notes that, given the differences which exist between the rules applicable depending on the size of municipalities, and the lack of regulation of the significant margin of discretion entrusted in the Sicilian municipal authorities, the legislation concerned risks bringing about unequal access to the establishment of opticians’ shops.
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A tal proposito la Corte rileva che, considerate le differenze tra le norme applicabili a seconda delle dimensioni dei comuni e in mancanza di delimitazione del rilevante potere discrezionale delle autorità comunali siciliane, la normativa di cui trattasi rischia di portare ad un accesso diseguale allo stabilimento degli esercizi di ottica.
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However, as that legislation empowers the competent authorities to adopt measures to ensure the equal distribution of opticians’ shops throughout their territory, it is for the national court to examine, using specific statistical data or other means, whether those authorities use appropriately, in accordance with transparent and objective criteria, the powers made available under the legislation, with a view to attaining, in a coherent and systematic manner, the objectives pursued relating to the protection of public health throughout the territory concerned.
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Nondimeno, poiché tale normativa consente alle autorità competenti di adottare misure per garantire la distribuzione equilibrata degli esercizi di ottica sul territorio, è compito del giudice nazionale verificare, con l’ausilio dei dati statistici precisi o con altri mezzi, se tali autorità si avvalgano in modo adeguato, nel rispetto di criteri trasparenti e oggettivi, delle facoltà loro offerte al fine di conseguire, in modo coerente e sistematico, la tutela della salute in tutto il territorio considerato.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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A reference for a preliminary ruling allows the courts and tribunals of the Member States, in disputes which have been brought before them, to refer questions to the Court of Justice about the interpretation of European Union law or the validity of a European Union act.
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Il rinvio pregiudiziale consente ai giudici degli Stati membri, nell'ambito di una controversia della quale sono investiti, di interpellare la Corte in merito all’interpretazione del diritto dell’Unione o alla validità di un atto dell’Unione.
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The Court of Justice does not decide the dispute itself.
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La Corte non risolve la controversia nazionale.
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It is for the national court or tribunal to dispose of the case in accordance with the Court’s decision, which is similarly binding on other national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised.
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Spetta al giudice nazionale risolvere la causa conformemente alla decisione della Corte. Tale decisione vincola egualmente gli altri giudici nazionali ai quali venga sottoposto un problema simile.
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
The demographic and geographical limitations laid down in the Italian
legislation on the opening of new opticians’ shops constitute a restriction on
the freedom of establishment
Nonetheless, those limitations may be compatible with EU law if
the competent authorities use their discretionary powers in accordance with
transparent and objective criteria, with a view to attaining, in a coherent and
systematic manner, the objective of the protection of public health throughout
the territory
In order to ensure, in Sicily, a rational distribution of the supply of
opticians, Sicilian regional law makes the opening of new opticians’ shops
subject to prior administrative authorisation.
Such authorisation is issued under two conditions:
(i) there may be only one optician’s shop per 8 000 residents and, (ii) the
distance between one optician’s shop and another must not be less than 300
metres.
Derogations from those conditions are possible where territorial
requirements have been satisfied.
In that case, the municipality may issue authorisation, by way of
derogation, after having obtained the opinion of a special committee of the
local chamber of commerce, which is made up of representatives of opticians.
In 2009, the Comune di Campobello di Mazara (Trapani, Sicily)
authorised Fotottica to open a new optician’s shop in its territory, in
infringement of the regional law.
A competitor business, Ottica New Line, thus challenged that decision
before the adminisatrative courts, and the Consiglio di giustizia amministrativa
per la Regione siciliana (Higher Administrative Court for the Sicily Region)
then made a request for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice.
The Court has already held that the profession of optician is
associated with the protection of public health.
Moreover, the opticians at issue not only supply, check and adjust
devices to correct sight defects, but may also themselves correct sight defects
by using corrective visual devices or acting to prevent eye problems.
In today’s judgment, the Court finds that the two conditions imposed
under Sicilian regional law prevent opticians from freely choosing where to
exercise their independent activity.
Consequently, that legislation hinders and renders less attractive the
exercise by opticians from other Member States of their activities in Italian
territory through a fixed place of business.
The Court then examines whether such a restriction on the freedom of
establishment is justified by overriding reasons in the general interest
relating to the protection of health which are appropriate for securing
attainment of the general objective of ensuring even distribution of healthcare
providers throughout the national territory, and which do not go beyond what is
necessary for attaining that objective.
In pursuing such an objective, the Court has already held that the
establishment of pharmacies may be subject to planning.
That may include prior authorisation for the establishment of a
pharmacy, where that planning proves indispensable for filling in possible gaps
in access to public health services and for avoiding the duplication of
structures, so as to ensure the provision of public health care which is adapted
to the needs of the population, which covers the entire territory and which
takes account of geographically isolated or otherwise disadvantaged regions.
Those principles may also apply to opticians’ shops, in so far as
opticians who provide services aimed at assessing, maintaining or restoring the
state of health of patients fall within the protection of public health.
Thus, the ratio between the number of opticians’ shops and the number
of residents facilitates the even distribution of such shops throughout the
territory concerned and ensures that the entire population has appropriate
access to the services offered by them.
The rule imposing a minimum distance between two opticians’ shops,
together with the rule referred to above, leads members of the public to be more
confident that they have access to a healthcare provider nearby.
It is true that the need for rapid access to the products sold in
opticians’ shops is less great than is inherently the case for medicinal
products, with the result that the interest in having an optician’s shop close
by is not as acute as is the case with the distribution of medicinal products.
However, it is for the Member States to decide on the degree of
protection which they wish to afford to public health and on the way in which
that protection is to be achieved, which is why EU law grants them a margin of
discretion in that respect.
In exercising that margin of discretion, it is permissible for the
Member States to organise the planning of opticians’ shops in a way comparable
to that provided for the distribution of pharmacies, notwithstanding the
differences which exist between the two types of healthcare service.
Nonetheless, rules seeking to ensure the even distribution of
opticians’ shops throughout the territory and to ensure access to them must
genuinely reflect a concern to attain that objective in a consistent and
systematic manner.
In that regard, the Court notes that, given the differences which exist
between the rules applicable depending on the size of municipalities, and the
lack of regulation of the significant margin of discretion entrusted in the
Sicilian municipal authorities, the legislation concerned risks bringing about
unequal access to the establishment of opticians’ shops.
However, as that legislation empowers the competent authorities to
adopt measures to ensure the equal distribution of opticians’ shops throughout
their territory, it is for the national court to examine, using specific
statistical data or other means, whether those authorities use appropriately, in
accordance with transparent and objective criteria, the powers made available
under the legislation, with a view to attaining, in a coherent and systematic
manner, the objectives pursued relating to the protection of public health
throughout the territory concerned.
NOTE:
A reference for a preliminary ruling allows the courts and tribunals of
the Member States, in disputes which have been brought before them, to refer
questions to the Court of Justice about the interpretation of European Union law
or the validity of a European Union act.
The Court of Justice does not decide the dispute itself.
It is for the national court or tribunal to dispose of the case in
accordance with the Court’s decision, which is similarly binding on other
national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised.
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