The European Court of Justice gave victory to major beverage producers such as Coca-Cola by ordering Germany to change rules that place obstacles on imports from neighboring countries and protect domestic brands from competition. The decision by the court in Luxembourg on 14 December 2004, obliges Germany to change a policy which favors returnable containers such as glass bottles, and to allow the use of disposable containers such as plastic bottles and cans, which are easier to transport over long distances. The ruling was hailed as a victory for common sense by Julian Carroll, the managing director of Europen, a Brussels-based packaging association with 50 member companies including Coke, Nestle SA and Groupe Danone. "We've long believed that Germany's regulations are trade protection masquerading as environmental protection," Carroll said. Germany's rules were particularly resented by French mineral water importers, which first complained to the European Union Commission in 1992. The water companies said the rules forced them to make costly trips back to their springs to refill their empties, giving local German water bottlers a significant cost advantage.
