14.5.2018
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 166/8
Judgment of the Court (Tenth Chamber) of 15 March 2018 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y León — Spain) — Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS), Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS) v José Blanco Marqués
(Case C-431/16) (1)
((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Social security for migrant workers - Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 - Articles 12 and 46a to 46c - Benefits of the same kind - Definition - Rule against overlapping - Definition - Conditions - National rule providing for a supplement to the total permanent incapacity pension for workers of at least 55 years of age - Suspension of the supplement in the event of employment or receipt of a retirement pension))
(2018/C 166/10)
Language of the case: Spanish
Referring court
Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla y León
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicants: Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS), Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS)
Defendant: José Blanco Marqués
Operative part of the judgment
1.
A national rule, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, pursuant to which the supplement to a total permanent incapacity pension is suspended during the period in which the beneficiary of that pension receives a retirement pension in another Member State or in Switzerland, constitutes a provision on reduction of benefit for the purposes of Article 12(2) 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, as amended and updated by Council Regulation (EC) No 118/97 of 2 December 1996, as amended by Regulation (EEC) No 592/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008.
2.
Article 46a(3)(a) of Regulation No 1408/71, as amended and updated by Regulation No 118/97, as amended by Regulation No 592/2008, must be interpreted as meaning that the concept of ‘legislation of the first Member State’ in that article is to be interpreted as including the interpretation of a provision of national law made by a supreme national court.
3.
A supplement to a total permanent incapacity pension granted to a worker under the law of a Member State, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, and a retirement pension acquired by that same worker in Switzerland must be regarded as being of the same kind within the meaning of Regulation No 1408/71, as amended and updated by Regulation No 118/97, as amended by Regulation No 592/2008.
4.
Article 46b(2)(a) of Regulation No 1408/71, as amended and updated by Regulation No 118/97, as amended by Regulation No 592/2008, must be interpreted as meaning that a national rule to prevent overlapping, such as that in Article 6 of Decreto 1646/1972 para la aplicación de la ley 24/1972, de 21 de junio, en materia de prestaciones del Régimen General de la Seguridad Social (Decree 1646/1972 on the Implementation of Law 24/1972 of 21 June 1972 concerning general social security system benefits), of 23 June 1972, is not applicable to a benefit calculated in accordance with Article 46(1)(a)(i) of that regulation when that benefit is not referred to in Annex IV, part D, to that regulation.
(1) OJ C 402, 31.10.2016.
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