European Union – Freedom to provide services. The Court of Justice of the European Union gave a preliminary ruling, deciding that art 13(2) of Directive (EC) 2006/123 had to be interpreted as precluding, in circumstances such as those at issue in the main proceedings, the requirement for the payment of a fee, at the time of submitting an application for the grant or renewal of authorisation, part of which corresponded to the costs relating to the management and enforcement of the authorisation scheme concerned, even if that part was refundable if that application was refused.