24/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Court of Justice of the European Communities has found against Luxembourg for its car registration rules. Articles 92-96 of the Grand Duchy Decree of 23 November 1955 demands that, if the car is a second-hand vehicle bought from an professional salesman, any request for registration must be accompanied by an extract from the trade register of the previous seller. The Court says that it is often difficult or costly to obtain these documents for cars bought in another member state - and sometimes impossible within the time limit set by the SNCT (Société Nationale de Contrôle Technique), i.e. at most one month before the request for registration. The Court ruled that this bureaucratic obstacle could discourage consumers from buying second-hand cars in another member state and “constitutes a restriction on the free movement of goods under the terms of Article 28 EC”. (C.D.)