Request for a preliminary ruling from the Niedersächsisches Oberverwaltungsgericht (Germany) lodged on 10 July 2025 – Kuhlmann Lebensmittelmärkte e.K. v Land Niedersachsen and Landesbetrieb für Mess- und Eichwesen

(Case C-453/25, Kuhlmann)

(C/2025/5076)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Niedersächsisches Oberverwaltungsgericht

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant and appellant on a point of law: Kuhlmann Lebensmittelmärkte e.K.

Defendants and respondents on a point of law: Land Niedersachsen, Landesbetrieb für Mess- und Eichwesen

Question referred

Does an instrument that is connected with a non-automatic price-computing weighing instrument with a maximum capacity not greater than 100 kg, and that is used with that connection for direct sales to the public, fulfil the requirements of Article 4 of Directive 2014/31/EU, (1) read in conjunction with points 10 and 14 of Annex I to that directive, if it does not necessarily print out for the customer a physical ticket reproducing the essential elements of the weighing operation, but instead only gives the customer the possibility of choosing between the printing of a physical ticket and the provision of a purely electronic ticket identical with the physical ticket using a QR code?

(1)  Directive 2014/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of non-automatic weighing instruments (recast) (OJ 2014 L 96, p. 107).