Bulgaria / Supreme Administrative Court / No 7864/2024

P.R.S v Registry Agency
Deciding body type
National Court/Tribunal
Deciding body
Supreme Administrative Court
Type
Decision
Decision date
23/04/2025
  • Bulgaria / Supreme Administrative Court / No 7864/2024

    Key facts of the case:

    The case concerns an employee (civil servant) of the Registry Agency who was unlawfully dismissed. After the unlawfulness of his dismissal was established and he was reinstated in his position, the applicant requested the director of the Registry Agency to allow him to take his paid annual leave, to which he was entitled, for the period from his unlawful dismissal to his reinstatement, totalling 35 days, and to carry it over to the following year. The director of the Agency refused to recognise and grant the taking of this paid annual leave. The applicant challenged the refusal before the Administrative Court, referring to a decision of the CJEU interpreting Article 31 of the Charter and provisions of the Working Time Directive (Directive 2003/88/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 November 2003 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time), specifying that although it referred to ‘workers’, the legislation was also applicable in this case. The director, on his part, referred to the practice of the Supreme Court of Cassation, which supported the opposite view, namely that the claimant was not entitled to paid annual leave as he did not work during that period. The Administrative Court referred to EU law and decided in favour of the applicant, revoking the director’s refusal to recognise and grant him the requested paid annual leave.

    Key legal question raised by the court:

    The key legal question raised by the court was whether an unlawfully dismissed civil servant had the right to paid annual leave for the period between the date of their unlawful dismissal and the date of their reinstatement. 

    Outcome of the case:

    The Supreme Administrative Court upheld the Administrative Court’s decision granting the applicant the requested paid annual leave for the time of his unlawful dismissal. 

    Finding EU law to be applicable, the Court considered that civil servants are entitled to paid annual leave. The Court referred to Article 31 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which regulates the rights of workers, and the Directive, highlighting that the Directive further develops the provisions of Article 31 of the Charter, as well as the practice of the CJEU.

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter

    Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time (Published in OJ C 109 of 24 March 2023) - The Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) replaces the first directive of general application in the field of working time - Directive 93/104/EC, adopted 30 years ago. It establishes individual rights for every worker in the EU and thus gives concrete expression to Article 31 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which recognises as part of ‘primary EU law’ The 1993 Directive was adopted 30 years ago in a society where labour relations were generally more homogeneous and the organisation of work was less flexible. The 1993 Directive was adopted 30 years ago in a society where labour relations were generally more homogeneous and the organisation of working time more standardised, based on the commonly accepted ‘9 to 5’ working day. In recent decades, however, working time regulations have increasingly had to adapt to new forms of employment and new ways of organising work, due to the rise of so-called remote work, mobile work, on-call work, platform work and multiple employment relationships. The new directive also considers the practice of the Court of Justice of the EU, including regarding its personal scope. Although the directive does not contain a specific article defining its personal scope, the operational provisions refer to ‘workers’.

    With regard to paid annual leave, there is extensive case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union covering various aspects, from the obligation to grant workers the right to carry over unused paid annual leave to the following year when they have not been able to exercise that right, for example due to sick leave, to the clarification that the principle of paid annual leave, enshrined in Article 31(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, has horizontal and vertical direct effect, i.e. it can be invoked as a basis in proceedings between private individuals, as well as between private individuals and public authorities (Judgment of 6 November 2018, Stadt W. v M. E. B. and Volker Willmeroth v Martina BroЯonn, joined cases C-569/16 and C-570/16, ECLI: EU: C: 2018: 871; paragraphs 80, 85 and 92.

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter (original language)

    Директивата на Европейския парламент и на Съвета относно някои аспекти на организацията на работното време (Обн. C ОВ. бр. 109 от 24 март 2023 г.) - Директива за работното време (2003/88/ЕО) замества първата директива с общо приложение в областта на работното време - Директива 93/104/ЕО, приета преди 30 години. В нея се установяват индивидуални права за всеки работник в ЕС и по този начин се дава конкретен израз на член 31 от Хартата на основните права на Европейския съюз, в който се признава като част от "първичното право на ЕС" правото на всеки работник на "условия на труд, които опазват неговото здраве и сигурност и зачитат достойнството му", както и на "ограничаване на максималната продължителност на труда, на периоди на дневна и седмична почивка, както и на платен годишен отпуск". Директивата от 1993 г. е приета преди 30 години в общество, в което трудовите правоотношения като цяло са били по-еднородни и организацията на работното време по-стандартизирана, на основата на общоприетия работен ден "от 9 до 5". През последните десетилетия обаче нормативната уредба относно работното време все по-често се налага да отговаря на нови форми на заетост и нови способи за организация на труда, вследствие на увеличаването на т. нар. работа от разстояние, мобилна работа, работа на повикване, работа през платформа или на заетостта по няколко трудови правоотношения. Новата директива съобразява и практиката на Съда на ЕС, в това число и по отношение нейния персонален обхват. Въпреки че директивата не съдържа конкретен член, в който да се определя персоналният обхват, оперативните разпоредби се отнасят за "работници".

    По отношение на платения годишен отпуск е налична обширна съдебна практика на Съда на ЕС, която обхваща различни аспекти, от задължението на работниците да се предоставя правото да прехвърлят за следващата година неизползвания платен годишен отпуск, когато не са имали възможността да упражнят това свое право, например поради отпуск по болест, до разяснението, че принципът на платения годишен отпуск, прогласен в член 31, параграф 2 от Хартата на основните права на Европейския съюз, има хоризонтално и вертикално пряко действие, т. е. може да бъде изтъкнат като основание в производства между частни лица, както и между частни лица и носители на публичната власт (Решение от 6 ноември 2018 г., Stadt W. /M. E. B. и Volker Willmeroth/Martina BroЯonn, съединени дела C-569/16 и C-570/16, ECLI: EU: C: 2018: 871; т. 80, 85 и 92.