13 TRE TRAKTÖRER AKTIEBOLAG v. SWEDEN JUDGMENT Furthermore, the proceedings in question led to the withdrawal by the County Administrative Board on 18 July 1983 of the applicant company’s licence (see paragraph 20 above), and were thus directly decisive for the right at issue. (b) "Civil" character of the right at issue 41. According to the Court’s case-law, the concept of "civil rights and obligations" is not to be interpreted solely by reference to the respondent State’s domestic law. Article 6 para. 1 (art. 6-1) applies irrespective of the status of the parties, of the nature of the legislation which governs the manner in which the dispute is to be determined and of the character of the authority which has jurisdiction in the matter; it is enough that the outcome of the proceedings should be decisive for private rights and obligations (see notably the above-mentioned Benthem judgment, Series A no. 97, p. 16, para. 34, and the above-mentioned Pudas judgment, Series A no. 125-A, p. 15, para. 35). 42. According to the Government, a licence of the kind here at issue cannot be considered to confer a civil right within the meaning of Article 6 para. 1 (art. 6-1). They pointed to the non-transferable character of the licence and to the fact that it constituted one of the means of implementing the social policy regarding alcoholic beverages. In this context the Government stressed the paramount importance from a public policy point of view attached to questions related to the regulations concerning alcoholic beverages and their implementation. This was shown by the fact that distribution of alcoholic beverages is a State monopoly and by the licence system here at issue. They recalled that what is at stake is an important part of Swedish social policy and that the granting or withdrawal of a licence of this kind may even be said to fall within an essential field of public law. Finally, the Government argued that it had not been established that the licence in question was essential to the applicant’s entire activity and that, therefore, the effect of its revocation on TTA’s business had in fact been only "indirect or tenuous". 43. Like the Commission, the Court notes that the withdrawal of the licence had adverse effects on the goodwill and the value of the restaurant business run by TTA. Accordingly, it is satisfied that the maintenance in force of the licence to which the applicant claimed to be entitled was one of the principal conditions for carrying on its business activities in Le Cardinal. It is true that in Sweden the wholesale distribution of alcohol is a State monopoly; however, the serving of alcoholic beverages in restaurants and bars is entrusted mainly to private persons and companies through the issuing of licences (see paragraph 24 above). In such a case, the persons and companies concerned carry on a private commercial activity, which has the object of earning profits and is based on a contractual relationship between