The requirement to declare any cash sum above €10,000 applies in the international transit zones of airports located within the European Union, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled in a judgement returned on Thursday 4 May (case C-17/16).
In 2010, the Beninese company Intercontinental asked Mr Oussama El Dakkak to carry USD$1.6 million from Cotonou (Benin) to Beirut (Lebanon) by aeroplane, stopping over at the Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport (France). Whilst transiting through this airport, El Dakkak was checked by customs agents, who noted that he was carrying this money. He was questioned over his failure to declare a cash sum of more than €10,000 when crossing EU borders, as per Regulation 1889/2005. He and Intercontinental took the matter to court in France to claim compensation for the harm suffered.
Having had the matter referred to it by the French Court of Cassation, the Court of Justice found that the declaration requirement brought in by European legislation also applied to passengers simply transiting through the international zone of airports located within the EU, under a ticket from one third country to another. It states that this obligation aims to avoid illicit money being brought into the EU financial system and prevent this money from being invested, once laundered. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)