62020TJ0374_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 24 March 2021 –KM v Commission
(Case T‑374/20)
(Civil Service – Officials – Surviving spouse – Survivor’s pension – Articles 18 and 20 of Annex VIII to the Staff Regulations – Conditions for eligibility – Duration of the marriage – Plea of illegality – Equal treatment – Principle of non-discrimination on grounds of age – Proportionality)
1.
Actions brought by officials – Action against a decision rejecting a complaint – Admissibility – Obligation to rule on claims directed against the decision rejecting the complaint – Claims lacking independent content or purely confirmatory decision – None
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Arts 90 and 91)
(see paras 21, 22)
2.
Actions brought by officials – Subject matter – Directions to the administration – Inadmissibility
(Arts 266(1) and 270 TFEU; Staff Regulations of Officials, Art. 91)
(see paras 23, 24)
3.
Officials – Equal treatment – Meaning – Comparability of the situations at issue – Criteria for assessment
(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Arts 20, 21(1) and 52(1))
(see paras 36-41)
4.
Officials – Pensions – Survivor’s pension – Conditions for granting – Discretion of the EU legislature – Judicial review – Scope
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex VIII, Arts 18 and 20)
(see para. 42)
5.
Officials – Pensions – Survivor’s pension – Conditions for granting – Minimum duration of marriage – Difference in the treatment of surviving spouses depending on whether they married before or after termination of the deceased official’s service – Condition giving rise to a disadvantage for couples who married following the official’s retirement – Difference in treatment based indirectly on the age of the former official – Unlawful – Justification – Combating fraud – None
(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex VIII, Arts 18 and 20)
(see paras 44-54, 58-62, 67-73, 77-81)
Re:
Application based on Article 270 TFEU seeking, first, annulment of the Commission’s decision of 7 October 2019, refusing the request to grant a survivor’s pension to the applicant and, second, an order that the Commission adopt a new decision and grant a survivor’s pension to the applicant.
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the decision of the European Commission of 7 October 2019, refusing the request to grant a survivor’s pension to KM;
2.
Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
3.
Orders the Commission to bear its own costs and to pay the costs incurred by KM;
4.
Orders the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union each to bear its own costs.