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PARALLEL TEXTS
Il decreto fiammingo relativo alla politica fondiaria e immobiliare è contrario al diritto dell’Unione
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-57_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-57_it.htm
Data documento: 08-05-2013
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The Flemish Decree on land and real estate policy is contrary to EU law
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Il decreto fiammingo relativo alla politica fondiaria e immobiliare è contrario al diritto dell’Unione
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The condition that there exists a ‘sufficient connection’ between the prospective buyer of immovable property and the target commune constitutes an unjustified restriction on fundamental freedoms
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Il requisito di un «legame sufficiente» tra il potenziale compratore di un immobile ed il comune bersaglio costituisce un’ingiustificata restrizione alle libertà fondamentali
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In Belgium, a decree of the Flemish Region of 27 March 2009 on land and real estate policy links the transfer of immovable property in certain Flemish communes to the condition that there exists a sufficient connection between the prospective buyer or tenant and the relevant commune.
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In Belgio, un decreto della Regione fiamminga del 27 marzo 2009, relativo alla politica fondiaria e immobiliare, vincola il trasferimento degli immobili in taluni comuni fiamminghi alla condizione dell’esistenza di un legame sufficiente del candidato acquirente o locatario con il comune di cui trattasi.
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The decree also imposes an obligation on subdividers and developers entailing the delivery of social housing units, while providing for tax incentives and subsidy mechanisms.
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Lo stesso decreto impone del pari ai lottizzanti e ai committenti l’obbligo di realizzare un’offerta di alloggi sociali, prevedendo al contempo incentivi fiscali e meccanismi di sovvenzione.
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As regards, in particular, the requirement that there exist a sufficient connection with the target commune, the Flemish Decree on land and real estate policy sets out three conditions, any one of which must be met for that requirement to be satisfied.
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Per quanto riguarda, in particolare, la condizione dell’esistenza di un legame sufficiente con il comune bersaglio, il citato decreto prevede tre criteri alternativi affinché tale condizione sia soddisfatta.
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The first condition is that a person to whom the immovable property is to be transferred has been resident in the target commune for at least six years prior to the transfer.
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Il primo criterio consiste nel requisito della dimora della persona cui dovrebbe essere trasferito l’immobile nel comune bersaglio per almeno sei anni prima della cessione.
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In accordance with the first condition, the prospective buyer or tenant must, at the date of the transfer, carry out activities in the commune in question.
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Ai sensi del secondo criterio, il candidato acquirente o locatario dovrebbe, alla data del trasferimento, esercitare un’attività nel comune interessato.
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The third condition requires the prospective buyer or tenant to have a professional, family, social or economic connection with the commune in question as a result of a significant circumstance of long duration.
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Il terzo criterio prevede un legame professionale, familiare, sociale o economico del candidato acquirente o locatario con il comune di cui trattasi a motivo di una circostanza significativa e duratura.
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It is for a provincial assessment committee to ascertain whether the prospective buyer or tenant of the immovable property satisfies one or more of those conditions.
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Spetta alla commissione provinciale di valutazione verificare se il candidato acquirente o locatario del bene immobile soddisfi almeno uno dei summenzionati criteri.
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The Constitutional Court (Belgium), before which several applications for annulment of that decree have been brought, raises the question whether the decree is compatible with EU law, specifically the fundamental freedoms and the rules on State aid and public contracts.
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La Corte costituzionale belga, investita di varie domande di annullamento del decreto, si interroga sulla compatibilità dello stesso con il diritto dell’Unione, in particolare con le libertà fondamentali, le norme sugli aiuti di Stato e quelle sugli appalti pubblici.
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That question has been referred to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling. In today’s judgment, the Court finds that the Flemish Decree provides for a prior authorisation procedure to determine whether there is a ‘sufficient connection’ between the prospective buyer or tenant of immovable property and the target commune in question.
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Nella sua sentenza odierna, la Corte constata che il decreto fiammingo prevede un procedimento di previa autorizzazione diretto a verificare l’esistenza di un «legame sufficiente» tra il potenziale acquirente o locatario di un immobile ed il comune in questione.
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In reality, such a procedure amounts to prohibiting certain persons from purchasing or leasing for more than nine years land or the buildings thereon.
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Introdurre un procedimento siffatto equivale, in realtà, a vietare a talune persone l’acquisto o la locazione per oltre nove anni di terreni e dei fabbricati ivi costruiti.
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The Court therefore finds that those provisions constitute restrictions on the fundamental freedoms which must be justified.
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Pertanto, la Corte ritiene che tali disposizioni costituiscano restrizioni alle libertà fondamentali, la cui giustificazione deve essere dimostrata.
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In that regard, the Flemish Government has claimed that the condition that there exists a ‘sufficient connection’ is justified, inter alia, by the objective of responding to the housing needs of the less affluent local population in the target communes.
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A tal riguardo, il governo fiammingo ha sostenuto che la condizione del «legame sufficiente» è giustificata segnatamente dall’obiettivo di soddisfare le esigenze immobiliari della popolazione indigena meno abbiente nei comuni bersaglio.
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Whilst accepting that such an objective may constitute an overriding reason in the public interest capable of justifying restrictions such as those provided for by the Flemish Decree, the Court finds however that none of those conditions directly reflects the socio-economic aspects relating to the objective of protecting exclusively the less affluent local population on the property market.
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Ammettendo che un siffatto obiettivo possa rappresentare un motivo imperativo di interesse generale, tale da giustificare restrizioni come quelle istituite dal decreto, la Corte rileva tuttavia che nessuno dei detti criteri ha un rapporto diretto con gli aspetti socioeconomici corrispondenti all’obiettivo di tutelare esclusivamente la popolazione indigena meno abbiente sul mercato immobiliare.
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Such conditions may be met not only by the less affluent local population but also by other persons with sufficient resources who, consequently, have no specific need for social protection on the property market.
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Infatti, tali criteri possono essere soddisfatti non solo dalla popolazione meno abbiente, ma anche da altre persone, che dispongono di mezzi sufficienti e che, di conseguenza, non hanno alcun bisogno specifico di protezione sociale sul mercato suddetto.
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In addition, provision could be made for other measures, such as subsidy mechanisms specifically designed to assist less affluent persons, in order to attain the objective put forward.
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Inoltre, per conseguire l’obiettivo dichiarato, si potrebbe immaginare di prevedere altre misure, come un regime di sovvenzioni specificamente concepite a favore dei meno abbienti.
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The measures at issue thus go beyond what is necessary to attain the objective pursued.
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Di conseguenza, tali misure eccedono quanto necessario per la realizzazione dell’obiettivo perseguito.
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Moreover, the Court considers that economic operators, such as subdividers and developers, on whom a ‘social obligation’ is imposed when a building or land subdivision authorisation is granted, cannot freely use the land acquired.
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La Corte considera poi che gli operatori economici, come i lottizzanti ed i committenti, ai quali, quando è accordato un permesso di costruire o di lottizzare, viene imposto un «onere sociale», non sono in grado di utilizzare liberamente i terreni acquistati.
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Such a measure may therefore discourage residents of one Member State from making investments in immovable property in other Member States and thus constitutes a restriction on the free movement of capital.
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Pertanto, una misura siffatta può dissuadere i residenti di uno Stato membro dal fare investimenti immobiliari in altri Stati membri e, quindi, costituisce una restrizione alla libera circolazione dei capitali.
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However, the Court observes that such a restriction, in so far as its purpose is to guarantee sufficient housing for the low-income or otherwise disadvantaged sections of the local population, may be justified by requirements relating to social housing policy in a Member State as an overriding reason in the public interest.
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Tuttavia, la Corte rileva che una siffatta restrizione, nei limiti in cui è intesa a garantire una sufficiente offerta di alloggi a persone aventi un reddito modesto o ad altre categorie svantaggiate della popolazione locale, può essere giustificata, in quanto motivo imperativo di interesse generale, da esigenze connesse alla politica di edilizia popolare di uno Stato membro.
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It is for the referring court to assess whether such an obligation satisfies the principle of proportionality, that is to say, whether it is necessary and appropriate to attain the objective pursued.
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Spetta al giudice nazionale valutare se un obbligo siffatto soddisfi il criterio di proporzionalità, vale a dire se esso sia necessario ed appropriato alla realizzazione dell’obiettivo perseguito.
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Next, the Court considers that the tax incentives and subsidy mechanisms provided for in the Flemish Decree are liable to be classified as State aid.
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La Corte osserva anche che gli incentivi fiscali ed i meccanismi di sovvenzionamento previsti nel decreto sono tali da essere qualificati come aiuti di Stato.
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The referring court must therefore determine, in the light of the guidance given by the Court, whether those measures should be classified as State aid.
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Spetta al giudice del rinvio verificare se tali misure debbano essere qualificate come aiuti di Stato secondo i criteri forniti dalla Corte.
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Lastly, the Court finds that the concept of ‘public works contract’ contained in Directive 2004/18 applies in the present case where the legislation makes the grant of a building or land subdivision authorisation subject to a social obligation entailing the development of social housing units which are subsequently to be sold at capped prices to a public institution, or with substitution by it, and where the criteria set out in that provision have been met, a matter which falls to be determined by the referring court.
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Infine, la Corte dichiara che la nozione di «appalto pubblico di lavori» contenuta nella direttiva 2004/18 si applica nella fattispecie, allorché la normativa condiziona il rilascio di un’autorizzazione edilizia o di lottizzazione ad un onere sociale consistente nella realizzazione di alloggi popolari che devono essere poi venduti, a prezzi massimi imposti, ad un ente pubblico o ad un sostituto del medesimo, e infine allorché sono soddisfatti i criteri previsti da tale direttiva, il che deve essere verificato dal giudice del rinvio.
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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 Flemish Decree on land and real estate policy is contrary to EU law
The condition that there exists a ‘sufficient connection’ between
the prospective buyer of immovable property and the target commune constitutes
an unjustified restriction on fundamental freedoms
In Belgium, a decree of the Flemish Region of 27 March 2009 on land and
real estate policy links the transfer of immovable property in certain Flemish
communes to the condition that there exists a sufficient connection between the
prospective buyer or tenant and the relevant commune.
The decree also imposes an obligation on subdividers and developers
entailing the delivery of social housing units, while providing for tax
incentives and subsidy mechanisms.
As regards, in particular, the requirement that there exist a
sufficient connection with the target commune, the Flemish Decree on land and
real estate policy sets out three conditions, any one of which must be met for
that requirement to be satisfied.
The first condition is that a person to whom the immovable property is
to be transferred has been resident in the target commune for at least six years
prior to the transfer.
In accordance with the first condition, the prospective buyer or tenant
must, at the date of the transfer, carry out activities in the commune in
question.
The third condition requires the prospective buyer or tenant to have a
professional, family, social or economic connection with the commune in question
as a result of a significant circumstance of long duration.
It is for a provincial assessment committee to ascertain whether the
prospective buyer or tenant of the immovable property satisfies one or more of
those conditions.
The Constitutional Court (Belgium), before which several applications
for annulment of that decree have been brought, raises the question whether the
decree is compatible with EU law, specifically the fundamental freedoms and the
rules on State aid and public contracts.
That question has been referred to the Court of Justice for a
preliminary ruling. In today’s judgment, the Court finds that the Flemish Decree
provides for a prior authorisation procedure to determine whether there is a
‘sufficient connection’ between the prospective buyer or tenant of immovable
property and the target commune in question.
In reality, such a procedure amounts to prohibiting certain persons
from purchasing or leasing for more than nine years land or the buildings
thereon.
The Court therefore finds that those provisions constitute restrictions
on the fundamental freedoms which must be justified.
In that regard, the Flemish Government has claimed that the condition
that there exists a ‘sufficient connection’ is justified, inter alia, by the
objective of responding to the housing needs of the less affluent local
population in the target communes.
Whilst accepting that such an objective may constitute an overriding
reason in the public interest capable of justifying restrictions such as those
provided for by the Flemish Decree, the Court finds however that none of those
conditions directly reflects the socio-economic aspects relating to the
objective of protecting exclusively the less affluent local population on the
property market.
Such conditions may be met not only by the less affluent local
population but also by other persons with sufficient resources who,
consequently, have no specific need for social protection on the property
market.
In addition, provision could be made for other measures, such as
subsidy mechanisms specifically designed to assist less affluent persons, in
order to attain the objective put forward.
The measures at issue thus go beyond what is necessary to attain the
objective pursued.
Moreover, the Court considers that economic operators, such as
subdividers and developers, on whom a ‘social obligation’ is imposed when a
building or land subdivision authorisation is granted, cannot freely use the
land acquired.
Such a measure may therefore discourage residents of one Member State
from making investments in immovable property in other Member States and thus
constitutes a restriction on the free movement of capital.
However, the Court observes that such a restriction, in so far as its
purpose is to guarantee sufficient housing for the low-income or otherwise
disadvantaged sections of the local population, may be justified by requirements
relating to social housing policy in a Member State as an overriding reason in
the public interest.
It is for the referring court to assess whether such an obligation
satisfies the principle of proportionality, that is to say, whether it is
necessary and appropriate to attain the objective pursued.
Next, the Court considers that the tax incentives and subsidy
mechanisms provided for in the Flemish Decree are liable to be classified as
State aid.
The referring court must therefore determine, in the light of the
guidance given by the Court, whether those measures should be classified as
State aid.
Lastly, the Court finds that the concept of ‘public works contract’
contained in Directive 2004/18 applies in the present case where the legislation
makes the grant of a building or land subdivision authorisation subject to a
social obligation entailing the development of social housing units which are
subsequently to be sold at capped prices to a public institution, or with
substitution by it, and where the criteria set out in that provision have been
met, a matter which falls to be determined by the referring court.
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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