Article 21 - Non-discrimination
Article 34 - Social security and social assistance
Key facts of the case:
The applicant is a Ukrainian citizen holding a temporary protection status in Bulgaria. She is a single parent and her child is in primary education age. The child had been enrolled as student in a local school for the academic year 2023 – 2024. The mother applied for a one-off benefit for pupils having been enrolled in first, second, third and fourth grade as provided by Article 10a of the Family Allowances for Children Act (Закон за семейните помощи за деца). On 19 September 2023, the Director of the Social Assistance Directorate – L. issued an order declining the request with motives that the applicant was not eligible under Article 3 (5) of the Family Allowances for Children Act which provided that “pregnant women - foreign citizens and families of foreign nationals residing permanently and raising their children in this country” are entitled to family allowances “if receipt of such allowances is envisaged in another law or international agreement to which the Republic of Bulgaria is party”. Hence, the defendant rejected the application on the grounds that foreign citizens under temporary protection did not fall within the scope of the respective legal provision. In turn, the applicant claimed that this legal provision is in collision with Article 39 of the Asylum and Refugees Act (Закон за убежището и бежанците), which transposed the right to social assistance of foreign citizens holding a temporary protection as laid down in Article 13 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and requested the court to set aside the order of the Director of the Social Assistance Directorate – L.
Key legal question raised by the Court:
The key legal question raised by the court was whether the social benefits provided in the Family Allowances for Children Act should be considered as part of the national social assistance system, hence, whether it is mandatory for the state to provide access to these benefits for persons holding a temporary protection status as required by Directive 2001/55/EC.
Outcome of the case:
The court ruled that persons enjoying a temporary protection status should have access to the social aid provided under the Family Allowances for Children Act, particularly a one-off financial benefit for pupils enrolled in first, second, third and fourth grade stemming from Article 10a. Therefore, it ruled that the order of the Director of the Social Assistance Directorate – L. was unlawful and returned the applicant’s application for a family allowance for reconsideration. The court required the defendant to revise their response in accordance with the interpretation of the law as laid down in the court decision. Regarding the right to social assistance of persons holding a temporary protection status, the court noted that the Asylum and Refugees Act is the legal act introducing the provisions of Directive 2001/55/EC in the Bulgarian legal system, including the obligations of Member States to provide access to their national social assistance systems. The court noted that the EU law defines the minimum standards for the implementation of temporary protection, and if Member States’ national schemes provide more favourable conditions, then these should be also available to persons enjoying temporary protection on their territory, as required by Directive 2001/55/EC, Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382, and in compliance with the principle of non-discrimination enshrined in Article 21 of the Charter. Concerning the legal question of the belonging of family allowances to the scope of social assistance system, the court noted that Article 1 of the Family Allowances for Children Act defines the family allowances as “resources in cash and/or in kind supporting the raising of children in a family environment by their parents or by the persons taking care of them”.
Moreover, the family allowance at hand, is intended to support parents to cover the expenses for basic school supplies and clothes for children enrolled from the first to fourth grade, under the condition that the children are residing in the country and are not accommodated in foster care. In this sense, the court stressed that family allowances should be treated as part of the social assistance system. In addition, the court pointed out that Article 2 of the Social Assistance Act (Закон за социалното подпомагане) regulates the right to access to social assistance for persons enjoying temporary protection status, and there are no limitations such as those listed in the contested provision of the Family Allowances for Children Act. The court highlighted the obligations of the state stemming from international treaties and the EU law. Particularly, it highlighted that the Director’s order did not fully comply with the principle of the best interests of the child and non-discrimination referring to the relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Charter and the European Social Charter. The court ruled that Article 3 of the Family Allowances for Children Act instating the eligibility criteria shall be interpreted only with consideration to the obligations for implementation of temporary protection deriving from Directive 2001/55/EC and the relevant provisions of the Asylum and Refugees Act. The implementation of temporary protection should also consider the safeguarding of fundamental rights, including the prohibition of discrimination ensured by Article 21 of the Charter. Hence, the court ruled that any other interpretation of the contested legal provision of the Family Allowances for Children Act would constitute a violation of the right to non-discrimination and failure to fulfil the obligations and the objectives established by Directive 2001/55/EC.
“The provision of Article 3 (5) of the Family Allowances for Children Act exists in the wording as of State Gazette No 69/2004. Therefore, in the context of the obligations under Article 1 and Article 3 (2) of Directive 2001/55/EC, the provision of Article 39 (4) of the and the prohibition of discrimination under Article 21(2) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (the Charter), [the provision] should be interpreted and applied in a manner which ensures the full implementation of Article 12 of the Temporary Protection Directive and its purpose.”
“As part of the general system of social rights, with regard to the right to a standard of living and to social security recognised under Article 27 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child it should also be respected the general requirements concerning the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the European Social Charter, ratified by law adopted by the 38th National Assembly on 29.03.2020, State Gazette No 30/11.04.2000 - specifically in Articles 13 and 16 of the European Social Charter, and the provisions of the Charter.”
“According to Article 34 (1) of the Charter, the Union recognises and respects the entitlement to social security benefits and social services providing protection in cases such as maternity, illness, industrial accidents, dependency or old age, and in the case of loss of employment, in accordance with the rules laid down by Union law and national laws and practices.”
“According to Article 21 (1) of the Charter, any form of discrimination based particularly on sex, race, color, ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics, language, religion or belief, political or other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation is prohibited. According to § 2 of the same provision, corresponding to Article 18 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, any form of discrimination on grounds of nationality shall be prohibited in the field of application of the Treaties and without prejudice to their specific provisions.”
“The aid referred to in Article 10a (1) of the Family Allowances for Children Act is one-time aid for families whose children are enrolled in the first grade or are enrolled or continue their education in the second, third and fourth grades. It is granted without an income test and indented to cover the costs at the beginning of the school year - parents to purchase without difficulties some of the basic supplies and clothing needed by the students - and is received provided that the children live permanently in the country and are not placed for care outside the family under Article 26 of the Child Protection Act.
The allowance prescribed this way, although regulated by the Family Allowances for Children Act and not by the Social Assistance Act - which law in its Articles 1, 3 and 6 also confers entitlement to social assistance on persons enjoying temporary protection, and which does not contain a limitation such as that in Article 3 § 5 of the Family Allowances for Children Act, is undoubtedly part of the general system of social assistance, and as such it falls entirely within the scope of Article 16 of the European Social Charter and should be interpreted as part of the obligations which the States have assumed under Article 27 § 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, or as part of the obligations of the Member States under Article 12 of Directive 2001/55/EC - in so far as it follows from recital 16 to the Directive and Article 3 § 2 thereof that the Member States are obliged to apply the temporary protection regime in strict compliance with fundamental rights and freedoms and with the obligations arising from the instruments of international law to which they are party and which prohibit discrimination. Consequently, the provision of Article 3(5) of the Family Allowances for Children Act must be interpreted in a sense that the access to the assistance provided under Article 10a of the Family Allowances for Children Act must also be granted to the persons enjoying temporary protection under Directive 2001/55/EC, in order to ensure the correct application of the provision of Article 12 of Directive 2001/55/EC, as well as the direct application of Article 27 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 5(4) of the Constitution of Republic of Bulgaria. A different interpretation would be in direct violation of the prohibition of discrimination introduced by Article 2 (2) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 21 (2) of the Charter, Article E of Part V of the European Social Charter and Recital 16 in conjunction with Article 3 (2) of Directive 2001/55/EC."
„Разпоредбата на чл. 3, т. 5 от ЗСПД съществува в редакцията към ДВ, бр. 69/2004 г., поради което в контекста на поетите задължения по чл.1 и чл. 3, §2 от Директива 2001/55/ЕО, на разпоредбата на чл. 39, ал.1, т. 4 от ЗУБ и на забраната за дискриминация по чл. 21, §2 от Хартата на основните права на ЕС (ХОПЕС), следва да се тълкува и прилага в смисъл, който да осигури в пълнота изпълнението на чл. 12 от Директивата за временна закрила и на нейната цел.“
„Като част от общата система на социалните права, по отношение на признатото по чл. 27, §1 от К. право на жизнен стандарт и на социална сигурност, следва да се спазват и общите изисквания във връзка с икономическите, социалните и културните права, които се съдържат в Европейската социална харта /Е./, ратифицирана със закон, приета от 38-мо НС на 29.03.2020 г., ДВ, бр. 30/11.04.2000 г. - конкретно в чл. 13 и чл. 16 Е., и в ХОПЕС.“
„Съгласно чл. 34, § 1 ХОПЕС, Съюзът признава и зачита правото на достъп до обезщетенията за социална сигурност и до социалните служби, които осигуряват закрила в случаи като майчинство, заболяване, трудова злополука, зависимо положение или старост, както и в случай на загуба на работа, в съответствие с правилата, установени от правото на Съюза и от националните законодателства и практики.“
„Съгласно чл. 21, § 1 ХОПЕС, забранена е всяка форма на дискриминация, основана по-специално на пол, раса, цвят на кожата, етнически или социален произход, генетични характеристики, език, религия или убеждения, политически или други мнения, принадлежност към национално малцинство, имотно състояние, рождение, увреждане, възраст или сексуална ориентация. Според § 2 от същата разпоредба, съответна на чл. 18, § 1 от Договора за функционирането на Европейския съюз, в областта на прилагане на Договорите и без да се засягат техните особени разпоредби, се забранява всяка форма на дискриминация, основана на гражданството.“
„Помощта по чл. 10а, ал.1 от ЗСПД е еднократна за семействата, чиито деца са записани в първи клас или са записани или продължават обучението си, във втори, трети и четвърти клас, е помощ, която се отпуска без доходен тест, за покриване на разходите в началото на учебната година – родителите да закупят без затруднения част от основните пособия и дрехи, необходими за учениците – и се получава при положение че децата живеят постоянно в страната и не са настанени за отглеждане извън семейството по реда на чл. 26 от ЗЗДт. Така регламентираната помощ, макар да е уредена в ЗСПД, а не в ЗСП - който закон съгласно чл. 2, ал. 1, 3 и 6 предоставя право на социални помощи и на лицата, ползващи се с временна закрила и в който не се съдържа изискване, като това в чл. 3, т. 5 от ЗСПД, без съмнение е част от част от общата система за социално подпомагане, като такава попада изцяло в обхвата на чл. 16 Е. и следва да се интерпретира като част от задълженията, които държавите са поели по силата на чл. 27, §3 от К., респ. като част от задълженията на държавите членки по чл. 12 от Директива 2001/55/ЕО - доколкото от съображение 16 към Директивата и чл. 3, § 2 от нея следва, че държавите членки са длъжни да прилагат режима на временна закрила при стриктно спазване на основните права и свободи, и при спазване на задълженията, произтичащи от инструментите на международното право, по които са страна и които забраняват дискриминацията. Ето защо, разпоредбата на чл. 3, т. 5 от ЗСПД следва да се тълкува в смисъл, че за да се осигури правилното прилагане на разпоредбата на чл.12 от Директива 2001/55/ЕО, както и на прякото прилагане на чл. 27, §1 от К., вр. Чл. 5, ал. 4 от КРБ, достъпът до помощта по чл. 10а от ЗСПД следва да се предостави и на лицата, ползващи се с временна закрила по силата на Директива 2001/55/ЕО. Различно тълкуване би било в пряко нарушение на забраната за дискриминация, въведена с чл.2, §2 от К., чл. 21, ал.2 от ХОПЕС, член Е от част V на Е. и съображение 16 във връзка с чл.3, §2 от Директива 2001/55/ЕО.“
