Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 13 January 2022 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato — Italy) — Benedetti Pietro e Angelo Ss and Others v Agenzia per le Erogazioni in Agricoltura (AGEA)

(Case C-377/19) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Milk and milk products sector - Quotas - Additional levy - Regulation (EC) No 1788/2003 - Deliveries exceeding the producer’s available reference quantity - Collection of the contribution to the excess levy by the purchaser - Refund of levies overpaid - Regulation (EC) No 595/2004 - Article 16 - Criteria for redistributing the excess levy)

(2022/C 109/04)

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Consiglio di Stato

Parties to the main proceedings

Appellants: Benedetti Pietro e Angelo Ss, Capparotto Giampaolo e Lorenzino Ss, Gonzo Dino Ss, Mantovani Giuseppe e Giorgio Ss, Azienda agricola Padovani Luigi, Azienda agricola La Pila di Mastrotto Piergiorgio e C. Ss, Azienda agricola Mastrotto Giuseppe, Soc. agr. semplice F.lli Isolan

Respondent: Agenzia per le Erogazioni in Agricoltura (AGEA)

Operative part of the judgment

Article 16(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 595/2004 of 30 March 2004 laying down detailed rules for applying Council Regulation (EC) No 1788/2003 establishing a levy in the milk and milk products sector must be interpreted as precluding national legislation which has the effect that reimbursement of the excess amount of the additional levy must, as a matter of priority, benefit producers in respect of whom purchasers have fulfilled their obligation to pay that levy on a monthly basis.

(1)  OJ C 312, 16.9.2019.