Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 23 October 2007 (references for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Aachen (Germany)) - Rhiannon Morgan (C-11/06) v Bezirksregierung Köln, Iris Bucher (C-12/06) v Landrat des Kreises Düren

(Joined Cases C- 11/06 and C-12/06) ¹

(Citizenship of the Union - Articles 17 EC and 18 EC - Refusal to award an education or training grant to nationals of Member States pursuing their studies in another Member State - Requirement of continuation between studies pursued in another Member State and those pursued previously for at least one year in an establishment in the student's Member State of origin)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Verwaltungsgericht Aachen

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Rhiannon Morgan (C-11/06), Iris Bucher (C-12/06)

Defendants: Bezirksregierung Köln (C-11/06), Landrat des Kreises Düren (C 12/06)

Re:

Preliminary ruling - Verwaltungsgericht Aachen - Interpretation of Articles 17 EC and 18 EC - Refusal to award an education or training grant ('Ausbildungsförderung') to a national who is residing and pursuing studies in another Member State on the ground that that national has not completed at least the first year of those studies in an established situated within the national territory

Operative part of the judgment

Articles 17 EC and 18 EC preclude, in circumstances such as those in the cases before the referring court, a condition in accordance with which, in order to obtain an education or training grant for studies in a Member State other than that of which the students applying for such assistance are nationals, those studies must be a continuation of education or training pursued for at least one year in the Member State of origin of those students.

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¹ - OJ C 121, 20.05.2006.