Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 1 December 2021 –
KY v Court of Justice of the European Union

(Case T‑433/20)

(Civil service – Officials – Pensions – Pension rights acquired before entry into the service of the EU – Transfer to the EU scheme – Crediting of additional pensionable years – Refund of the amount of pension rights not taken into account in the EU’s pension annuity scheme – Article 11(2) of Annex VIII to the Staff Regulations – The ‘minimum subsistence figure’ rule – Unjust enrichment)

1.      Officials – Pensions – Pension rights acquired before entry into the service of the EU – Transfer to the EU scheme – Additional years of pensionable service – Refusal to refund the person concerned the amount of pension entitlements not taken into account in the scheme for calculating EU pension annuities – Possibility for the person concerned to bring an action for unjust enrichment against the European Union

(Arts 268 and 340 TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 47; Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex VIII, Art. 11(2))

(see paras 35, 36)

2.      Officials – Pensions – Pension rights acquired before entry into the service of the EU – Transfer to the EU scheme – Additional years of pensionable service – Refusal to refund the person concerned the amount of pension entitlements not taken into account in the scheme for calculating EU pension annuities – Unjust enrichment of the European Union – Conditions

(Staff Regulations of Officials, Annex VIII, Arts 2 and 11(2))

(see paras 38-48)

Re:

Application under Article 270 TFEU for annulment of the implied decision, confirmed by the express decision of 10 October 2019, rejecting the request for refund of the non-credited part of the pension rights acquired by the applicant before she took up her duties on transfer to the EU pension scheme.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders KY to pay the costs.