Baumbast,[104] a key case on EU Citizenship, established that persons do not necessarily have to be economically active, that is, be a worker or self-employed in order to exercise their directly effective free movement rights under 18 EC Treaty (now Article 20 of TFEU). In Baumbast[105]it was specifically stated that:
‘A Citizen of the European Union who no longer enjoys a right of residence as a migrant worker in the host Member State can, as a Citizen of the Union, enjoy there a right of residence by direct application of Article 18(1) EC.’
This in turn implies that Citizens migrating from their home country to a host Member State may be eligible to apply for social benefits in the form of SNCBs which include, income support, income-based jobseekers allowance, state-pension credit, housing benefit, and council tax benefit, etc. When denying such benefits to a Citizen the host Member State needs to ensure that effect of the measures taken are not discriminatory against someone invoking their free movement rights. The host Member State must apply the principle of proportionality and also take into consideration all of the relevant personal circumstances of the applicant wishing to reside in the host Member State. Also, rights of residence are subject to withdrawal when the EU Citizen becomes an ‘unreasonable burden’ on the host Member State’s finances.
Now that it is established who the beneficiaries of free movement rights are, we can conclude that a general Treaty right under EU law is that Citizens who are invoking their free movement rights shall not be discriminated on the basis of their nationality. The most extensive rights to social benefits are bestowed on EU Citizens who take part, in the so called ‘economic market’. However, as there is not a statutory definition of a worker, Member States may fail to recognize a ‘genuine’ or ‘real link’ so as to bestow a person with ‘worker’ status, who will in turn be denied the social rights flowing thereunder. The real link criteria will be analysed in chapter three below.
[1] Case C-184/99 Grzelczyk v Centre Public d'Aide Sociale d'Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve [2001] ECR I-6193, para 32 [2] F Pennings, ‘EU Citizenship: Access to Social Benefits in Other EU Member States’ (2012) 28(3) IJCLLIR 307 [3] Chalmers and Davies and Monti, European Union Law (4th edn, Cambridge University Press 2010) 447 [4] CEE countries consist of the following: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia who joined EU joined the EEC following enforcement of the Accession Treaty on 1st May 2004 (also referred to as EU10); whereas Romania and Bulgaria joined the EEC on 1st January 2007 (also referred to as EU2) [5] P Larkin, ‘The Limits to European Social Citizenship in the United Kingdom’ (2005) 68(3) MLR 435, 446 [6] Chalmers (n 3) 449 [7] A host Member State is defined as ‘the Member State to which a Union Citizen moves in order to exercise his/her right of free movement and residence’ as per article 2(3) of Directive 2004/38EC [8] Article 14 of Directive 2004/38EC [9] Emphasis added [10]M Dougan and E Spaventa, ‘Educating Rudy and the non-English patient: a double bill on residency rights under Article 18 EC’ (2003) 28(5) ELR 699 [11] K Puttick, ‘Paying their way? Contesting "Residence", self-sufficiency, and economic inactivity barriers to EEA nationals' social benefits: proportionality and discrimination’ (2011) 25(3) JIANL 280, 282 [12] A Wiesbrock, ‘Union Citizenship and the Redefinition of the "Internal Situations" Rule: The Implications of Zambrano’ (2011) 12(11) GLR 2077, 2081 [13] Consolidated Version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union [2008] OJ C115/47 [14] The European Parliament and Council Directive 2004/38/EC of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States [2004] OJ L158/77 [15] Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom (also referred to as ‘EU10’ countries) [16] European Citizen Action Service, ‘Who’s afraid of the EU’s latest enlargement? The Impact of Bulgaria and Romania joining the Union on Free Movement of Persons’ (2008) Sixth Framework Research Programme Liberty and Security <http://www.libertysecurity.org/IMG/pdf_ECAS_REPORT_free_movement_in_2007.pdf> accessed 3 March 2015 [17] P Goodman, ‘Under this Government, we have what Gordon Brown called for during his – ‘British jobs for British workers’ (2013) Consevative Home <‘http://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2013/02/by-paul-goodmanthe-most-convincing-explanation-of-why-the-economys-rickety-condition-is-marching-in-step-with-booming-emplo.html> accessed 15 March 2015 [18] M Jouen and C Papant, ‘Social Europe in the throes of enlargement’ (2005) Policy Papers No 15 Notre Europe Etudes & Recherches <http://www.institutdelors.eu/media/policypaper15-en-jouen-palpant-europesocialandenlargement.pdf?pdf=ok > accessed 3 March 2015 [19] Ibid [20] V Mitsilgas ‘Free movement of workers, EU citizenship and the enlargement: the situation in the UK’ (2007) 21(3) JIANL 223, 225 [21] B Smith, ‘Eastern European immigrants 'overwhelming benefit UK economy’ (2013) The Telegraph <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10484225/Eastern-European-immigrants-overwhelming-benefit-UK-economy.html> accessed 7 March 2015 [22] Ibid (n 4) on for full list of countries [23] See (n 15) for full list [24] See Article 24, Act of Accession [2003] OJ L236/33 refers to a series of Annexes that contain the details of the transitional arrangements in respect of each accession Member State. For example, in relation to Poland see Annex XII [2003] OJ L236/875 [25] S Currie, ‘Challenging the UK rules on the rights of EU8 workers’ (2009) 31(1) JSWFL 47, 48 [26] The Accession (Immigration and Worker Authorisation) Regulations 2006, s 6(1) [27] HM Revenue and Customs, ‘CBTM10070 - Residence and immigration: residence - right to reside in the UK’ (2015) <http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/cbtmanual/cbtm10070.htm> accessed 7 March 2015 [28] Ibid [29] Part II (Articles 18-25) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) [30] Ibid (n 27) [31] C O’Brien, ‘Real links, abstract rights and false alarms: the relationship between the ECJ's ‘real link’ case law and national solidarity’ (2008) 33(5) ELR 643 [32] K Puttick (n11) 284 [33] Article 4 of The European Parliament and Council Regulation 883/2004/EC of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems [2004] OJL 116 [34] E Guild and S Carrera and K Eisele, Social benefits and migration: A Contested relationship and policy challenge in the EU (Centre for European Policy Studies) (2013) 9 [35]Article 2 of The Treaty of Rome 1947 [36] Zalewska v Department for Social Development [2008] UKHL 67 [2009] 1 CMLR 24 [37] Kaczmarek v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2008] EWCA Civ 1310 [2009] 2 CMLR 3 [38] Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2011] UKSC 11 [2011] 1 WLR 783 [39] Case C-507/12 Jessy Saint Prix v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2014] PTSR 1448 [40] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [41]C Barnard, The Substantive Law of the EU - The Four Freedoms (4th edn, Oxford University Press 2010) 223 [42] The Treaty on European Union (TEU) was signed in Maastricht on 7 February 1992 and came into force on 1 November 1993 [43] The European Parliament and Council Directive 2004/38/EC of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States [2004] OJ L158/77 [44] A Wiesbrock, ‘Union Citizenship and the Redefinition of the "Internal Situations" Rule: The Implications of Zambrano’ (2011) 12(11) GLR 2077, 2081 [45] Case C-378/97 Wijsenbeek [1999] ECR I-6207, Opinion of A.G. Cosmas, paras 86 [46] S O'Leary, ‘Putting Flesh on the Bones of European Union Citizenship’ (1999) 24 ELR 68, 68 [47] Article 20 (1) of TFEU [48] Case C-212/06 Flemish Insurance [2008] ECR I-1683, para 33 [49] Case C-175/78 Saunders [1979] ECR I- 1129, para 11 [50] Case C-127/08 Metock v Minister for Justice [2008] ECR I - 6241, para 78 [51] This was implemented in the UK by the Immigration (EEA) Regulation 2006 (SI 2006/1003) [52] Article 1 of Directive 2004/38EC [53] Article 288 of the TFEU [54] Article 14(2) of Directive 2004/38EC [55] Case C-34/09 Ruiz Zambrano [2011], para 42 [56] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [57] Case C-209/03 Bidar [2005] ECR I-2119 [58] Ibid para 51 [59] Recital 23 of Directive 2004/38EC [60] Case C-85/96 Martínez Sala v Freistaat Bayern [1998] [61] F Weiss and C Kaupa, European Union Internal Market Law (1st edn, Cambridge University Press 2014) 115 [62] Article 24 of Directive 2004/38EC [63] Case C-406/04 De Cuyper v Office national de l’emploi [2006] para 42 [64] Ibid para 43 [65] Case C-145/09 Land Baden-Wurttemberg v Tsakouridis [2010] ECR I-11979, para 50 [66] Case C-138/02 Collins v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2004] ECR I -2703, para 30 [67] Ibid 40 [68] R White, ‘Free movement, equal treatment, and Citizenship of the Union’ (2005) 54(4) ICLQ 885, 897 [69] Article 6(2) of 2004/38EC [70] Article 6(1) of Directive2004/38EC [71] Article 16(1) of Directive2004/38EC [72] Article 3(i) of Treaty of Rome 1947 [73] Ex Article 39 TEC [74] Case C-334/94 Commission v France – Registration of Vessels [1996] ECR I-1307, para 21 [75] Case C-66/85 Lawrie-Blum [1986] ECR I-2121; see also Case C-196/87 Steymann [1988] ECR I-6159 [76] Case C-413/01 Ninni-Orasche [2003] ECR I-13187, para 32 [77]Case C-14/09 Genc v Land Berlin Case [2010] 2 CMLR 44 [78] Case C-41/71 Van Duyn v Home Office [1971] ECR I -1337, 1352 [79] Ibid [80] REGULATION (EU) No 492/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 5 April 2011 on freedom of movement for workers within the Union (codification) (Text with EEA relevance) [2011] OJ L141 [81] The European Parliament and Council Regulation 1612/68 on freedom of movement for workers within the Community [1968] OJ L257/2 [82] Article 7(1) workers regulation 492/2011 [83] Article 9 of workers regulation 492/2011EC [84] Ibid, Article 7(2) [85] Ibid [86] Case C-507/12 Jessy Saint Prix v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2014] PTSR 1448 [87] Case Analysed in-depth in Chapter 5 [88] Case C-507/12 Jessy Saint Prix v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2014] PTSR 1448, para 24 [89] Article 14 of Directive 2004/38EC [90] Case C-363/89 Danielle Roux v Belgian State [1991] ECR I-273, 16 [91] Article 3(2)(a) of 2004/38EC [92] Ibid [93] Ibid, Article 24 [94] Case C-34/09 Ruiz Zambrano [2011] ECR I-01177 [95] A TCN is someone who is not an EU Citizen [96] Case C-34/09 Ruiz Zambrano [2011] ECR I-01177, para 44 [97] Article 7(3)(b) of Directive 2004/38EC [98] Article 45(2) of TFEU [99] Article 24(2) of Directive 2004/38EC [100] Ibid, Article 14(4)(b) [101] Case C-138/02 Collins v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2004] ECR I -2703 [102] Ibid, para 63 [103] Case C-209/03 R(Bidar) v Ealing London Borough Council[2005] QB 812 [104] Case C-413/99 Baumbast and R v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2002] ECR 1-7091 [105] Ibid, para 94 [106] Article 8(4) of Directive 2004/38EC [107] Article 8(4) of Directive 2004/38EC [108] Ibid, Article 14(3) [109] Ibid [110] Recital 23 of Directive 2004/38EC [111] Ibid, Article 14 [112] Ibid, Recital 16 [113] P Minderhoud, ‘Legislative Comment-Directive 2004/38 and access to social assistance benefits’ [2011] 18(4) JSSL 153, 156 [114] C O’Brien, ‘Real links, abstract rights and false alarms: the relationship between the ECJ's ‘real link’ case law and national solidarity’ (2008) 33(5) ELR 643 [115] Ibid, 643 [116] Ibid,663 [117] Ibid, 663 [118] Case C-184/99 Grzelczyk v Centre Public d'Aide Sociale d'Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve [2001] ECR I-6193, para 32 [119] Ibid, 652 [120] C O’Brien, ‘Real links, abstract rights and false alarms: the relationship between the ECJ's ‘real link’ case law and national solidarity’ (2008) 33(5) ELR 643 [121] Ibid, 655 [122] Recital 37 of 883/2004EC [123] Rectal 1 of 883/2004EC [124] Ibid [125] Ibid, Recital 24 [126] Case C-456/02 Trojani v Centre publique d'Aide sociale de Bruxelles [2004] ECR I-7573 [127] Ibid para 37 [128] K Puttick (n 11) 284 [129] F Weiss and C Kaupa, European Union Internal Market Law (1st edn, Cambridge University Press 2014) 135 [130] Case C-22/08 Vatsouras v ARGE Nürnberg [2009] ECR I-04585 [131] Case C-140/12 Pensionsversicherungsanstalt v Brey [2014] ECR 00000 [132] Ibid, para 77 [133] Ibid, para 80 [134] Article 14 of Directive 2004/38EC [135] Case C-184/99 Grzelczyk v Centre Public d'Aide Sociale d'Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve [2001] ECR I-6193, para 43 [136] C-140/12 Pensionsversicherungsanstalt v Brey [2014] paras 39 [137] Ibid, para 77 [138] Strict conditions are regulated by Title III, Chapter 6, Articles 61-65 of Regulation 883/2004EC [139] Case C-333/13 Dano v Leipzig [2014] [140] Ibid, para 78 [141] Recital 37 of Regulation 883/2004EC [142] Lenaerts and Heremans, ‘Contours of a European Social Union in the Case-Law of the European Court of Justice’ (2006) 2 Eur. Consititut. Law Rev. 101. [143] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [144] Regulation 6(1) of Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 ‘worker, self-employed, jobseeker, self-sufficient person or student’ [145] Model example is given in Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 21AA where a list of ‘persons not from abroad’ [146] Article 13(3)(b) of Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 [147] Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004 (Introductory text) [148] S Currie (n 25) 53 [149] K Puttick (n 11) 282 [150] P Larkin, ‘A policy of inconsistency and hypocrisy: United Kingdom social security policy and European Citizenship’ (2010) 31(1) JSWFL 33, 35 [151] Ibid, 39 [152] Ibid, 37 [153] Ibid [154] Ibid [155] S Currie (n 25) 56 [156] P Larkin, (n150) 42 [157] For the full accurate list please see paragraph 17 of Schedule 7 to the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 [158] P Minderhoud ‘Legislative Comment-Directive 2004/38 and access to social assistance benefits’ [2011] 18(4) JSSL 153, 156 [159] Nessa v Chief Adjudication Officer (1999) 4 All ER [160] P Larkin, (n150) 37 [161] Trojani para 18 [162] Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2011] UKSC 11 [2011] 1 WLR 783, para 61 [163] Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2011] UKSC 11 [2011] 1 WLR 783 para 46 [164] Case C-456/02 Trojani v Centre publique d’Aide sociale de Bruxelles [2004] ECR I-7573 [165] Case C-456/02 Trojani v Centre publique d’Aide sociale de Bruxelles [2004] ECR I-7573, para 71 [166] Case C-333/13 Dano v Leipzig [2014], para 76 [167] EU Commission Notice IP/10/1418 Free Movement of Workers: Commission Requests UK to End Discrimination on other Nationals' Right to Reside as Workers (Brussels: 28 October 2010) [168] Puttick (n 11) 292 [169] Accession Monitoring Report 2004-2008 (Home Office/UKBA et al, 2008) p 23 [170] Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the Application of Directive 2004/38/EC on the Right of Citizens of the Union and their Family Members to Move and Reside Freely within the Territory of the Member States', Brussels 10.12.09 COM (2008) 840 Final [171] Case C-413/99 Baumbast and R v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2002] ] ECR 1-7091 [172] F Weiss and C Kaupa, European Union Internal Market Law (1st edn, Cambridge University Press 2014) 201 [173] Zalewska v Department for Social Development [2008] UKHL 67 [2009] 1 CMLR 24, para 69 [174] Kaczmarek v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2008] EWCA Civ 1310 [2009] 2 CMLR 3 [175] Case C-507/12 Jessy Saint Prix v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2014] PTSR 1448 [176] Section 17 of Schedule of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 [177] Section 5 of Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000. [178] Article 16(3) of Directive 2004/38EC [179] Zalewska v Department for Social Development [2008] UKHL 67 [2009] 1 CMLR 24 [180] Regulation 2(4) of Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004 [181] Section 5 of The Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004 [182] Zalewska v Department for Social Development [2008] UKHL 67 [2009] 1 CMLR 24 para 36 [183] Ibid para 39 [184] Ibid para 44 [185] Ibid para 44 [186]Zalewska v Department for Social Development [2008] UKHL 67 [2009] 1 CMLR 24 Para 79 [187] Ibid para 29 [188] Ibid para 49-56 [189] Ibid para 48 [190] S Currie (n 25) 54 [191] Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2011] UKSC 11; [2011] 1 WLR 783 [192] SI 2002/1792 [193] Ibid reg (4) that ‘A person is not to be treated as not in Great Britain if he is - (a) a worker … (b) a self-employed person…’ and is otherwise within the scope of the directive. [194] Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2011] UKSC 11; [2011] 1 WLR 783 para 20 [195] Regulation 2 of 2002 states A person is to be treated as not in Great Britain if he is not habitually resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland, [196] Case C-73/08 Bressol v Gouvernement de la Communaute Francaise [2010] 3 CMLR 20 [197] Ibid para 60-62 [198] Ibid para 104 [199] Ibid para 103 [200] Case C-456/02 Trojani v Centre publique d’Aide sociale de Bruxelles [2004] ECR I-7573 [201] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [202] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [203] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [204] S Currie (n 25) 56 [205] S Currie (n 25) 57 [206] S Currie (n 25) 57 [207] S Currie (n 25) 52 [208] Case C-53/81 Levin [1982] ECR-I 1035 [209] S Currie ‘”Free" movers? The post-accession experience of accession-8 migrant workers in the UK’ (2006) 31(2) ELR 207, 226 [210] K Puttick (n 11) 284 [211] Article 4 of 883/2004EC [212] Article 2 of The Treaty of Rome 1947 [213] Case C-333/13 Dano v Leipzig [2014], para 74 [214] Case C-34/09 Ruiz Zambrano [2011], Opion of AG Eleanor Sharpston para 127-129 [215] K Puttick (n 11) 292 [216] Accession Monitoring Report 2004-2008 (Home Office/UKBA et al, 2008
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