Discrimination against religion teachers. A commentary on the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 13 January 2022 (C-282/19)
Agnieszka Parol
John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4354-680X
Abstract
This commentary analyzes the preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the case C-282/19, YT and Others v. MIUR and Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Campania, issued 13 January 2022. The referring court made a request for a preliminary ruling, questioning the compliance of Italian law with EU law. The infringement of EU law was allegedly due to the abuse of successive fixed-term employment contracts and lack of effective measures to prevent discrimination of Italian Catholic religion teachers on the grounds of religion. When interpreting the law, the Court of Justice confirmed that the national norms excluding Catholic religion teachers in public education establishments from the scope of the provisions intended to penalise abuse of successive fixed-term contracts – where there is no other effective measure in the domestic legal system – constitute a breach of EU law. The Court also stated that the obligation to hold missio canonica cannot constitute an objective reason precluding the prohibition of employment discrimination. The commented judgment is one of many cases concerning the abuse of workers’ rights in the Italian public sector, in which the Court basically continues the previous line of jurisprudence. A novelty in the commented case is the interpretation of the prohibition of discrimination based on religion in employment and occupation. Contrary to the interpretation made by the national court, the Court of Justice did not confirm direct discrimination based on religion, which is prohibited under Directive 2000/78 and Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The extremely balanced and restrained position of the Court seems to result from the desire to maintain the broadest possible neutrality in the area closely related to the status of churches and other religious communities, which remains within the exclusive competence of member states, as established by Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of European Union.
Keywords:
discrimination on the grounds of religion, discrimination, religious discrimination, fixed-term employment contract, public sector, article 17 TFEU, Catholic religion teachers, Court of Justice of the European Union, Treaty on the Functioning of European UnionReferences
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John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Dr, Katedra Prawa Międzynarodowego i Prawa Unii Europejskiej, Wydział Prawa, Prawa Kanonicznego i Administracji, Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II, Al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin
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