# C_2005093EN.01001602.xml

| 16.4.2005 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 93/16 |
| --------- | -- | -------------------------------------- | ------- |

---

Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y León, Sala de lo Social, by order of that court of 28 January 2005 in Anacleto Cordero Alonso v Fondo de Garantía Salarial

(Case C-81/05)

(2005/C 93/30)

Language of the case: Spanish

Reference has been made to the Court of Justice of the European Communities by order of the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y León, Sala de lo Social (High Court of Justice of Castille and León, Social Chamber) (Spain) of 28 January 2005, which was received at the Court Registry on 18 February 2005, for a preliminary ruling in the case of Anacleto Cordero Alonso against Fondo de Garantía Salarial.

The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y León, Sala de lo Social, asks the Court of Justice to give a preliminary ruling on the following questions:

| 1. | Do the obligation imposed on the Member States to take all appropriate measures, whether general or particular, to ensure fulfilment of the obligations arising out of the Treaty establishing the European Community or resulting from action taken by the institutions of the Community (Article 10 EC), and the principle of the primacy of Community law over national law imply, of themselves and without the need for specific provisions of national law, that national courts have the power to disapply all provisions of national law which are contrary to Community law, irrespective of the status of such provisions in the hierarchy of norms (regulations, laws and even a constitution)? |
| -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| 2. | (a)
Where Spanish administrative and judicial institutions are required to rule on the right of an employee whose employer has been declared insolvent to receive, from the Fondo de Garantía Social, the compensation owed to him as a result of the termination of a contract of employment which, under national legislation, is guaranteed in the event of insolvency, are they applying Community law notwithstanding that Articles 1 and 3 of Directive 80/987/EEC( 1 ) do not specifically provide for compensation in the event of the termination of the contract? (b)
If so, when applying Directive 80/987/EC and the provisions of national law transposing the content thereof, are the Spanish administrative and judicial institutions bound by the principle of equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination deriving from Community law, as defined by the interpretation thereof given by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, notwithstanding that that interpretation does not coincide with the interpretation in the case-law of the Spanish Constitutional Court of the equivalent fundamental right which is enshrined in the Spanish Constitution? (c)
If so, does the fundamental right of equality before the law deriving from Community law impose an obligation to treat equally cases where the right of an employee to be compensated for the termination of his contract has been laid down in a court judgment and cases where that right is the result of an agreement between the employee and the employer, entered into under the supervision and with the approval of a court? | (a) | Where Spanish administrative and judicial institutions are required to rule on the right of an employee whose employer has been declared insolvent to receive, from the Fondo de Garantía Social, the compensation owed to him as a result of the termination of a contract of employment which, under national legislation, is guaranteed in the event of insolvency, are they applying Community law notwithstanding that Articles 1 and 3 of Directive 80/987/EEC( 1 ) do not specifically provide for compensation in the event of the termination of the contract? | (b) | If so, when applying Directive 80/987/EC and the provisions of national law transposing the content thereof, are the Spanish administrative and judicial institutions bound by the principle of equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination deriving from Community law, as defined by the interpretation thereof given by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, notwithstanding that that interpretation does not coincide with the interpretation in the case-law of the Spanish Constitutional Court of the equivalent fundamental right which is enshrined in the Spanish Constitution? | (c) | If so, does the fundamental right of equality before the law deriving from Community law impose an obligation to treat equally cases where the right of an employee to be compensated for the termination of his contract has been laid down in a court judgment and cases where that right is the result of an agreement between the employee and the employer, entered into under the supervision and with the approval of a court? |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| (a) | Where Spanish administrative and judicial institutions are required to rule on the right of an employee whose employer has been declared insolvent to receive, from the Fondo de Garantía Social, the compensation owed to him as a result of the termination of a contract of employment which, under national legislation, is guaranteed in the event of insolvency, are they applying Community law notwithstanding that Articles 1 and 3 of Directive 80/987/EEC( 1 ) do not specifically provide for compensation in the event of the termination of the contract? | | | | | | |
| (b) | If so, when applying Directive 80/987/EC and the provisions of national law transposing the content thereof, are the Spanish administrative and judicial institutions bound by the principle of equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination deriving from Community law, as defined by the interpretation thereof given by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, notwithstanding that that interpretation does not coincide with the interpretation in the case-law of the Spanish Constitutional Court of the equivalent fundamental right which is enshrined in the Spanish Constitution? | | | | | | |
| (c) | If so, does the fundamental right of equality before the law deriving from Community law impose an obligation to treat equally cases where the right of an employee to be compensated for the termination of his contract has been laid down in a court judgment and cases where that right is the result of an agreement between the employee and the employer, entered into under the supervision and with the approval of a court? | | | | | | |

| 3. | (a)
Where, prior to the entry into force of Directive 2002/74/EC, a Member State had already conferred on employees a statutory entitlement to protection by a guarantee institution in the event of an employer's insolvency with regard to compensation for the termination of a contract, is it possible to conclude that the Member State has been applying Community law since the entry into force of that directive on 8 October 2002, notwithstanding that the deadline for transposing the directive has not expired, where it governs the payment by the guarantee institution of such compensation for the termination of a contract in a case where an employer was declared insolvent after 8 October 2002? (b)
If so, when applying Directive [2002/74/EC] and the provisions of national law transposing the content thereof, are the Spanish administrative and judicial institutions bound by the principle of equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination deriving from Community law, as defined by the interpretation thereof given by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, notwithstanding that that interpretation does not coincide with the interpretation in the case-law of the Spanish Constitutional Court of the equivalent fundamental right which is enshrined in the Spanish Constitution? (c)
If so, does the fundamental right of equality before the law deriving from Community law impose an obligation to treat equally cases where the right of an employee to be compensated for the termination of his contract has been laid down in a court judgment and cases where that right is the result of an agreement between the employee and the employer, entered into under the supervision and with the approval of a court? | (a) | Where, prior to the entry into force of Directive 2002/74/EC, a Member State had already conferred on employees a statutory entitlement to protection by a guarantee institution in the event of an employer's insolvency with regard to compensation for the termination of a contract, is it possible to conclude that the Member State has been applying Community law since the entry into force of that directive on 8 October 2002, notwithstanding that the deadline for transposing the directive has not expired, where it governs the payment by the guarantee institution of such compensation for the termination of a contract in a case where an employer was declared insolvent after 8 October 2002? | (b) | If so, when applying Directive [2002/74/EC] and the provisions of national law transposing the content thereof, are the Spanish administrative and judicial institutions bound by the principle of equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination deriving from Community law, as defined by the interpretation thereof given by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, notwithstanding that that interpretation does not coincide with the interpretation in the case-law of the Spanish Constitutional Court of the equivalent fundamental right which is enshrined in the Spanish Constitution? | (c) | If so, does the fundamental right of equality before the law deriving from Community law impose an obligation to treat equally cases where the right of an employee to be compensated for the termination of his contract has been laid down in a court judgment and cases where that right is the result of an agreement between the employee and the employer, entered into under the supervision and with the approval of a court? |
| --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| (a) | Where, prior to the entry into force of Directive 2002/74/EC, a Member State had already conferred on employees a statutory entitlement to protection by a guarantee institution in the event of an employer's insolvency with regard to compensation for the termination of a contract, is it possible to conclude that the Member State has been applying Community law since the entry into force of that directive on 8 October 2002, notwithstanding that the deadline for transposing the directive has not expired, where it governs the payment by the guarantee institution of such compensation for the termination of a contract in a case where an employer was declared insolvent after 8 October 2002? | | | | | | |
| (b) | If so, when applying Directive [2002/74/EC] and the provisions of national law transposing the content thereof, are the Spanish administrative and judicial institutions bound by the principle of equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination deriving from Community law, as defined by the interpretation thereof given by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, notwithstanding that that interpretation does not coincide with the interpretation in the case-law of the Spanish Constitutional Court of the equivalent fundamental right which is enshrined in the Spanish Constitution? | | | | | | |
| (c) | If so, does the fundamental right of equality before the law deriving from Community law impose an obligation to treat equally cases where the right of an employee to be compensated for the termination of his contract has been laid down in a court judgment and cases where that right is the result of an agreement between the employee and the employer, entered into under the supervision and with the approval of a court? | | | | | | |

---

( 1 )  Council Directive 80/987/EEC of 20 October 1980 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer (OJ 1980 L 283, p. 23).

---