European Union – Freedom of movement. The Court of Justice gave a preliminary ruling, deciding that Directive (EC) 2003/109 precluded national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which required third-country nationals, when applying for the issue or renewal of a European residence permit in the member state concerned, to pay a fee which varied in amount between €80 and €200, inasmuch as such a fee was disproportionate in the light of the objective pursued by that Directive and was liable to create an obstacle to the exercise of the rights conferred by that Directive.