Request for a preliminary ruling from the Østre Landsret (Denmark) lodged on 6 July 2023 – Slagelse Almennyttige Boligselskab - Afdeling Schackenborgvænge, XM, ZQ, FZ, DL, WS, JI, PB, VT, YB, TJ, RK v MV, EH, LI, AQ, LO, Social-, Bolig- og Ældreministeriet

(Case C-417/23, Slagelse Almennyttige Boligselskab - Afdeling Schackenborgvænge)

Language of the case: Danish

Referring court

Østre Landsret

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Slagelse Almennyttige Boligselskab - Afdeling Schackenborgvænge, XM, ZQ, FZ, DL, WS, JI, PB, VT, YB, TJ, RK

Defendants: MV, EH, LI, AQ, LO, Social-, Bolig- og Ældreministeriet

Questions referred

Must the term ‘ethnic origin’ in Article 2(2)(a) and (b) of Directive 2000/43 ¹ be interpreted as meaning that that term, in circumstances such as those in the present case – where, under the Danish Law on social housing, there must be a reduction in the proportion of social family housing in ‘transformation areas’, and where it is a condition for categorisation as a transformation area that more than 50% of residents in a housing area are ‘immigrants and their descendants from non-Western countries’ – covers a group of persons defined as ‘immigrants and their descendants from non-Western countries’?

If the answer to the first question is wholly or partly in the affirmative, must Article 2(2)(a) and (b) be interpreted as meaning that the scheme described in this case constitutes direct or indirect discrimination?

____________

¹ Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ 2000 L 180, p. 22).