# C_2008128EN.01000602.xml

| 24.5.2008 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 128/6 |
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24.5.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 128/6

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Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 1 April 2008 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bayerisches Verwaltungsgericht München (Germany)) — Tadao Maruko v Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen

(Case C-267/06) (1)

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(Equal treatment in employment and occupation - Directive 2000/78/EC - Survivors' benefits under a compulsory occupational pensions scheme - Concept of ‘pay’ - Refusal because the persons concerned were not married - Same-sex partners - Discrimination based on sexual orientation)

(2008/C 128/09)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Bayerisches Verwaltungsgericht München

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Tadao Maruko

Applicant:

Defendant: Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen

Defendant:

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Bayerisches Verwaltungsgericht München — Interpretation of Articles 1, 2(2)(a), 3(1)(c) and (3) of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ 2000 L 303, p. 16) — Meaning of pay — Registered partner excluded from receipt of a survivor's pension

Operative part of the judgment

| 1) | A survivor's benefit granted under an occupational pension scheme such as that managed by the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen falls within the scope of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation; |
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1)

A survivor's benefit granted under an occupational pension scheme such as that managed by the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen falls within the scope of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation;

| 2) | The combined provisions of Articles 1 and 2 of Directive 2000/78 preclude legislation such as that at issue in the main proceedings under which, after the death of his life partner, the surviving partner does not receive a survivor's benefit equivalent to that granted to a surviving spouse, even though, under national law, life partnership places persons of the same sex in a situation comparable to that of spouses so far as concerns that survivor's benefit. It is for the referring court to determine whether a surviving life partner is in a situation comparable to that of a spouse who is entitled to the survivor's benefit provided for under the occupational pension scheme managed by the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen. |
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2)

The combined provisions of Articles 1 and 2 of Directive 2000/78 preclude legislation such as that at issue in the main proceedings under which, after the death of his life partner, the surviving partner does not receive a survivor's benefit equivalent to that granted to a surviving spouse, even though, under national law, life partnership places persons of the same sex in a situation comparable to that of spouses so far as concerns that survivor's benefit. It is for the referring court to determine whether a surviving life partner is in a situation comparable to that of a spouse who is entitled to the survivor's benefit provided for under the occupational pension scheme managed by the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen.

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(1)  OJ C 224, 16.9.2006.

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