Reports of Cases

2006 I-04325

Subject-matter

Interpretation of Articles 48, 49, 50, 55 and 152(5) EC and Article 22 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community – Conditions for reimbursement of the costs of hospital treatment incurred without prior authorisation in a Member State other than that of the competent authority

Systematic classification scheme

Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 46 : paragraphs 104, 105
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 48 : paragraphs 1, 42, 43
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 49 : paragraphs 1, 42, 43, 46, 48, 49, 51, 59, 60, 63, 64, 80 - 82, 85, 89, 90, 113, 123, 124, 128, 129, 138 - 140, 143 - 145, 147, 148
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 50 : paragraphs 1, 42, 43
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 152 -P5 : paragraphs 1, 42, 144, 146, 148
• Regulation 1408/71 : paragraph 137
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22 : paragraphs 1, 3, 43, 46, 47, 49, 51, 53, 60, 64, 65, 122, 124, 136, 138, 144, 145, 147, 148
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22P1LCPT1 : paragraphs 4, 42, 48, 54, 70, 79, 125, 127, 129, 130, 134, 135, 143
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22P2L2 : paragraphs 51 - 79, 135
• Regulation 1408/71 -A36 : paragraphs 126, 127, 136
• Decision 94/604 : paragraph 4
• Regulation 118/97 : paragraph 1
• Regulation 883/2004 : paragraph 65
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -286/82 : paragraph 87
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -159/90 : paragraph 86
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -381/93 : paragraphs 94, 100
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -158/96 : paragraphs 47, 86, 94, 100, 103 - 105
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -160/96 : paragraph 137
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -368/98 : paragraphs 54, 86, 125, 126, 129, 135, 138
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -376/98 : paragraph 147
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -157/99 : paragraphs 59, 61, 62, 68, 71, 86, 89, 92, 94, 98, 100, 103 - 107, 111, 114 - 116
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -385/99 : paragraphs 59, 61 - 63, 68, 71, 74, 86, 89, 92, 98, 103 - 105, 114 - 116, 121, 147
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -56/01 : paragraphs 48, 54, 55, 59, 61, 62, 68, 86, 92, 117, 125, 135
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -156/01 : paragraph 53
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -8/02 : paragraph 142
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -145/03 : paragraphs 53, 54, 125

Operative part

• Interprets : EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 49
• Interprets : EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 152 -P5
• Interprets : Regulation 1408/71 -A22
• Interprets : Regulation 1408/71 -A22P1LCPT1
• Interprets : Regulation 1408/71 -A22P2L2

Opinion

• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 10 : point 74
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 46 : point 83
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 48 : point 17
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 49 : points 1, 2, 17, 24, 26, 28, 36, 38 - 63, 65, 69, 74, 76, 77, 82, 90, 93, 98, 101 - 106, 111, 115, 118, 120, 124, 128, 129
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 50 : points 17, 41, 43, 46, 48, 58, 60
  
• EC Treaty (Amsterdam), Article 152 -P5 : points 3, 17, 120, 123, 126, 128
  
• Regulation 1408/71 : point 117
  
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22 : points 1, 4, 17, 24, 27, 28, 31 - 33, 41, 102, 106, 111, 113, 115, 118 - 120, 128
  
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22P1LC : points 17, 29, 31, 93, 101, 105, 112, 129
  
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22P2 : points 34, 36, 103, 127
  
• Regulation 1408/71 -A22P2L2 : points 30, 31
  
• Regulation 1408/71 -A36 : points 29, 34, 112
  
• Regulation 574/72 : point 73
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -286/82 : point 46
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -263/86 : points 41, 59, 60
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -41/90 : point 56
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -159/90 : point 46
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -159/91 : point 41
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -120/95 : point 24
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -265/95 : point 75
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -158/96 : points 1, 24, 32, 46, 58, 124
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -184/96 : point 75
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -368/98 : points 24, 29, 31, 32, 35, 102, 113, 114
  
• Court of Justice - Opinion C -157/99 : point 21
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -157/99 : points 1, 22, 24, 40, 41, 43, 46, 47, 51, 54, 58, 65, 69, 70, 83, 87, 99, 101, 124
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -385/99 : points 1, 24, 40, 41, 43, 46, 47, 50, 51, 53, 72, 73, 84, 87, 98, 99, 101, 115, 117, 124
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -56/01 : points 24, 40, 101
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -8/02 : points 45, 118
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -145/03 : point 22
  

Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

• 27/08/2004

Date of the Opinion

• 15/12/2005

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

16/05/2006

References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 273 from 06.11.2004, p.15

Judgment: OJ C 165 from 15.07.2006, p.6

Name of the parties

Watts

Notes on Academic Writings

1. Mok, M.R.: Nederlandse jurisprudentie ; Uitspraken in burgerlijke en strafzaken 2006 nº 361 (NL)
2. Bieback, Karl-Jürgen: Neue Rechtsprechung des EuGH zur grenzüberschreitenden Beanspruchung von Gesundheitsleistungen, Zeitschrift für europäisches Sozial- und Arbeitsrecht 2006 p.241-246 (DE)
3. Dettling, Heinz-Uwe: Ethisches Leitbild und EuGH-Kompetenz für die Gesundheitssysteme?, Europäische Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht 2006 p.519-524 (DE)
4. Schneider, Uwe K.: Patientenmobilität und Wartelistenmedizin in der EG, European Law Reporter 2006 p.342-353 (DE)
5. Stergiou, H.M.: Op één been kan men niet lopen. Het arrest Watts een stap dichterbij harmonisatie van patiëntenmobiliteit? Bespreking van het arrest Watts van HvJ EG d.d. 16 mei 2006, Nederlands tijdschrift voor Europees recht 2006 p.219-226 (NL)
6. Martin, Denis ; Mavridis, Prodromos: L'actualité de la jurisprudence communautaire et internationale, Revue de jurisprudence sociale 2006 p.664-665 (FR)
7. Schiano, R.: La jurisprudence de la Cour de justice et du Tribunal de première instance. Chronique des arrêts. Arrêt "Yvonne Watts", Revue du droit de l'Union européenne 2006 nº 2 p.457-462 (FR)
8. Azoulai, Loïc: En attendant la justice sociale, vive la justice procédurale! A propos de la libre circulation des patients dans l'Union (CJCE 16 mai 2006, Watts, aff. C-372/04), Revue de droit sanitaire et social 2006 p.843-851 (FR)
9. Idot, Laurence: Nouvelle étape vers la libre circulation des soins médicaux, Europe 2006 Juillet Comm. nº 212 p.20-22 (FR)
10. Pogáčová, Juliana: Rozsudok "ROZHODOVACIA PRAX SÚDNEHO DVORA A SÚDU PRVÉHO STUPŇA", Výber z rozhodnutí Súdneho dvora Európskych spoločenstiev 2006 p.60-82 (SK)
11. Conti, Roberto ; Foglia, Raffaele: Rimborsabilità delle cure all'estero, Il Corriere giuridico 2006 p.1137-1139 (IT)
12. Hrádek, Jiří: Případ Watts - volný pohyb služeb a úhrada nákladů na nemocniční péči, Jurisprudence : specialista na komentování judikatury 2006 p.58-65 (CS)
13. Van Raepenbusch, Sean: L'état de la jurisprudence de la CJCE relative au libre accès aux soins de santé à l'intérieur de l'Union européenne après l'arrêt du 16 mai 2006, Watts, C-372/04, Gazette du Palais 2006 nº 342-343 Dossier p.8-14 (FR)
14. Petroglou, A.: Epitheorisis Dikaiou Koinonikis Asfaliseos 2006 p.528-529 (EL)
15. Lhernould, Jean-Philippe: Droit social 2006 p.945-946 (FR)
16. Mento, Sandro: I sistemi sanitari nazionali e il principio di libera circolazione dei servizi nella Comunità europea, Giornale di diritto amministrativo 2006 p.1310-1317 (IT)
17. Adobati, Enrica: La Corte di giustizia precisa che per le cure prestate in un altro Stato membro sono rimborsabili solo le spese sostenute in ospedale e non quelle per il trasferimento e il soggiorno, Diritto comunitario e degli scambi internazionali 2006 p.524-526 (IT)
18. Broussy, Emmanuelle ; Donnat, Francis ; Lambert, Christian: Sécurité sociale, L'actualité juridique ; droit administratif 2006 p.2277-2279 (FR)
19. Cavallini, Joël: Les libertés de circulation: marchandises, capitaux, prestation de services et établissement (juillet 2005 à juin 2006), Revue du marché commun et de l'Union européenne 2006 p.621-623 (FR)
20. Anthimos, A.: Armenopoulos 2006 p.2036-2037 (EL)
21. Koncewicz, Tomasz Tadeusz ; Nyka, Maciej: Zwrot kosztów leczenia przeprowadzanego poza granicami państwa członkowskiego - w poszukiwaniu kompromisu, Palestra: Pismo Adwokatury Polskiej 2006 Vol. 11-12 p.186-191 (PL)
22. Verdonck, Inge: The Columbia Journal of European Law 2007 p.489-500 (EN)
23. Cousins, Mel: Patient Mobility and National Health Systems. Case C-372/04, The Queen on the application of Yvonne Watts v Bedford Primary Care Trust and Secretary of State for Health, judgment of the European Court of Justice, 16 May, 2006, [2006] ECR I-4325., Legal Issues of Economic Integration 2007 p.183-193 (EN)
24. Francq, Stéphanie: Chronique de jurisprudence du Tribunal et de la Cour de justice des Communautés européennes. Circulation des personnes et des services, Journal du droit international 2007 p.643-650 (FR)
25. Tacconi, Flaminia: Freedom of Health and Medical Care Services within the European Union - Recent Jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice, with Particular Reference to Case C-372/04 Yvonne Watts, 16 May 2006, Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht 2008 p.195-207 (EN)
26. Širicová, Ľubica: Rozsudok "Watts", Výber z rozhodnutí Súdneho dvora Európskych spoločenstiev 2010 nº 4-5 p. 101-104 (SK)
27. Allikmets, Sille: Kas ravi välismaal on igaühe teoreetiline õigus või praktiline võimalus? - Euroopa Parlamendi ja nõukogu direktiivi 2011/24/EL Eesti õigusesse ülevõtmise mudel, Juridica: Tartu Ülikooli õigusteaduskonna ajakiri 2014 nº V p.351-360 (ET)
28. Janeckaitė, Rūta: Sveikatos priežiūra pagal Europos Sąjungos vidaus rinkos teisę, Teisė mokslo darbai 2015 nº 97 p.135-150 (LT)
29. Braico, Gilda: Part-time verticale e indennità di disoccupazione: quale parità di tratamento?, Rivista italiana di diritto del lavoro 2018 n° 1 p.100-110 (IT)

Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Court of Appeal (England & Wales) (Civil Division) - United Kingdom

Subject-matter

• Social security
  
• Freedom to provide services
  
• Public health
  

Provisions of national law referred to

National Health Service Act 1977, sections 1 et 3

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

• Reference for a preliminary ruling
  

Formation of the Court

grande chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Lenaerts

Advocate General

Geelhoed

Language(s) of the Case

• English
  

Language(s) of the Opinion

• English