European Union – Tax. The Court of Justice of the European Union, on a determination of a preliminary issue, ruled that art 18(c) of Council Directive (EC) 2006/112 had to be interpreted as meaning that, when a taxable person ceased to carry out a taxable economic activity, the retention of goods by that taxable person, where VAT on such goods became deductible upon their acquisition, could be treated as a supply of goods for consideration and be subject to VAT if the adjustment period laid down in art 187 of that Directive had passed.