EN Official Journal of the European Union C 128/4

Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 1 April 2008 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle (formerly the Cour d'arbitrage) — Belgium) — Government of the French Community and Walloon Government v Flemish Government

(Case C-212/06) (1)

(Care insurance scheme established by a federated entity of a Member State - Exclusion of persons residing in part of the national territory other than that falling within the competence of that entity - Articles 18 CE, 39 EC and 43 EC - Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71)

(2008/C 128/06)

Language of the case: French

Referring court

Cour constitutionnelle (formerly Cour d'arbitrage)

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Government of the French Community and Walloon Government

Defendant: Flemish Government

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Cour constitutionnelle (formerly Cour d'arbitrage) (Belgium) — Interpretation of Articles 18 EC, 39 EC and 43 EC and Articles 2, 3, 4, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25 and 28 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community (OJ, English Special Edition 1971 (II), p. 416), as amended — Applicability of the Flemish care insurance scheme to persons employed in the Dutch-speaking region or in the bilingual region of Bruxelles-Capitale (Brussels Capital) and residing either in one of those regions or in another Member State, to the exclusion of persons residing in another part of the national territory.

Operative part of the judgment

1. Benefits provided under a scheme such as the care insurance scheme established by the Decree of the Flemish Parliament on the organisation of care insurance (Decreet houdende de organisatie van de zorgverzekering) of 30 March 1999, in the version contained in the Decree of the Flemish Parliament amending the Decree of 30 March 1999 (Decreet van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap houdende wijziging van het decreet van 30 maart 1999 houdende de organisatie van de zorgverzekering) of 30 April 2004, fall within the scope ratione materiae of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community, as amended and updated by Council Regulation (EC) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996, as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 307/1999 of 8 February 1999.

2. On a proper construction of Articles 39 EC and 43 EC, legislation of a federated entity of a Member State, such as that governing the care insurance scheme established by the Flemish Community by the decree of 30 March 1999, as amended by the Decree of the Flemish Parliament of 30 April 2004, limiting affiliation to a social security scheme and entitlement to the benefits provided by that scheme to persons either residing in the territory coming within that entity's competence or pursuing an activity in that territory but residing in another Member State, is contrary to those provisions, in so far as such limitation affects nationals of other Member States or nationals of the Member State concerned who have made use of their right to freedom of movement within the European Community.

3. On a proper construction of Articles 39 EC and 43 EC, legislation of a federated entity of a Member State limiting affiliation to a social security scheme and entitlement to the benefits provided by that scheme only to persons residing in that entity's territory is contrary to those provisions, in so far as such limitation affects nationals of other Member States working in that entity's territory or nationals of the Member State concerned who have made use of their right to freedom of movement within the European Community.

(1) OJ C 178, 29.7.2006.