Дело C-308/01: GIL Insurance и др., Заключение от 18 септември 2003 г.

1. Is Article 27 of the Sixth ... Directive ... to be interpreted so that the prior authorisation of the Council was required before the introduction of a higher rate of tax on insurance premiums, which tax was designed to nullify the exemption for insurance services in Article 13 of the Directive; which was at a rate identical to the standard rate of value added tax; which was administered in the same way as value added tax; which was intended with value added tax to form part of an inseparable whole; and where there was no tax evasion or tax avoidance?
2. Is Article 33 of the Sixth ... Directive ... to be interpreted so as to prevent a Member State from introducing a tax on insurance premiums which is calculated by reference to the services supplied; which is proportional to the price of the services supplied; which is charged at the final stage of sale to the consumer; which is passed on to the final consumer in a manner characteristic of value added tax so that the burden of tax rests on the final consumer; which applies to the whole territory of the United Kingdom; but which does not apply generally to all transactions relating to goods and services?
3. Is Article 87(1) EC to be interpreted so that an aid is to be held to affect trade between Member States only if it has, or is capable of having, an appreciable effect on trade between Member States

If so, what are the criteria for determining whether or not a measure has such an effect?
4. Is Article 87(1) EC to be interpreted so that an aid is to be held to affect trade between Member States if as a result of that aid (1) traders in one Member State reduce the volumes of the goods they import from other Member States; or (2) a trader who rents domestic appliances to customers in one Member State has a number of its rental contracts discontinued and disposes of those appliances in another Member State; or (3) insurance companies in one Member State, which provide insurance connected with the sales of domestic appliances, are placed at a competitive disadvantage with companies which sell direct insurance some of which are subsidiaries of companies in other Member States?
5. If, in the light of the answers to Questions 3 and 4, the higher rate of insurance premium tax constitutes a State aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) EC, is Article 88 EC to be interpreted so that, where the Commission is not informed of any plans to grant such aid, the legislative measures introducing the aid should be disapplied and any tax paid under those measures should be repaid?