James Wood v Fonds de garantie des victimes des actes de terrorisme et d’autres infractions.

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Celex Number: 62007CJ0164
• ECLI: ECLI:EU:C:2008:321
• Date: 05 June 2008
• Court: Court of Justice (European Union)
• Procedure Type: Reference for a preliminary ruling
• Docket Number: C-164/07

Case C-164/07

James Wood

v

Fonds de garantie des victimes des actes de terrorisme et d’autres infractions

(Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Commission d'indemnisation des victimes d'infractions du tribunal de grande instance de Nantes)

(Article 12 EC – Discrimination on grounds of nationality – Compensation awarded by the Fonds de garantie des victimes des actes de terrorisme et d’autres infractions – Not included)

Summary of the Judgment

Community law – Principles – Equal treatment – Discrimination on grounds of nationality

(Art. 12 EC)

Community law precludes legislation of a Member State which excludes nationals of other Member States who live and work in its territory from the grant of compensation intended to make good losses resulting from offences against the person where the crime in question was not committed in the territory of that State, on the sole ground of their nationality.

(see para. 16, operative part)

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Second Chamber)

5 June 2008 (*)

(Article 12 EC – Discrimination on grounds of nationality – Compensation awarded by the Fonds de garantie des victimes des actes de terrorisme et d’autres infractions – Not included)

In Case C‑164/07,

REFERENCE for a preliminary ruling under Article 234 EC, by the Commission d’indemnisation des victimes d’infractions du Tribunal de Grande Instance de Nantes (France), made by decision of 16 March 2007, received at the Court on 27 March 2007, in the proceedings

James Wood

v

Fonds de garantie des victimes des actes de terrorisme et d’autres infractions,

THE COURT (Second Chamber),

composed of C.W.A. Timmermans, President of the Chamber, K. Schiemann, J. Makarczyk (Rapporteur), J.-C. Bonichot and C. Toader, Judges,

Advocate General: J. Kokott,

Registrar: K. Sztranc-Sławiczek, Administrator,

having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 31 January 2008,

after considering the observations submitted on behalf of:

– Mr Wood, by J.-E. Robiou du Pont, avocat,

– the Fonds de garantie des actes de terrorisme and d’autres infractions, by M. Bonnely, avocat,

– the French Government, by G. de Bergues, B. Messmer and O. Christmann, acting as Agents,

– the Italian Government, by I.M. Braguglia, acting as Agent, assisted by D. Del Gaizo, avvocato dello Stato,

– the Portuguese Government, by L. Fernandes and I. Azevedo, acting as Agents,

– the Commission of the European Communities, by D. Maidani, acting as Agent,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 28 February 2008,

gives the following

Judgment

1 The reference for a preliminary ruling concerns the interpretation of the first paragraph of Article 12 EC. The reference was made in the course of proceedings brought by Mr Wood, a British national, against the Fonds de garantie des victimes des actes de...