Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Conseil d’Etat (France) lodged on 29 December 2011 — SNC Doux Élevage and Société Coopérative Agricole UKL-ARREE v Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’alimentation, de la pêche, de la ruralité et de l'aménagement du territoire and Comité interprofessionnel de la dinde française (CIDEF)

(Case C-677/11)

2012/C 89/16

Language of the case: French

Referring court

Conseil d’Etat, France

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: SNC Doux Élevage, Société Coopérative Agricole UKL-ARREE

Defendants: Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’alimentation, de la pêche, de la ruralité et de l’aménagement du territoire, Comité interprofessionnel de la dinde française (CIDEF)

Question referred

Must Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, read in the light of Case C-345/02 Pearle BV and Others, be interpreted as meaning that a decision by which a national authority extends to all the traders in a sector an agreement which, like the agreement made within the Comité interprofessionnel de la dinde française (CIDEF), introduces the levying of a contribution in an inter-trade organisation recognised by that national authority, thus rendering that contribution compulsory, in order to make it possible to implement certain activities — publicity activities, promotional activities, external relations activities, quality assurance activities, research activities, activities in defence of the sector’s interests, and the use of studies and consumer panels — is, in view of the nature of the activities in question, the methods by which they are financed and the conditions of their implementation, related to State aid?