Official Journal of the European Union

C 131/23

(Case C-32/19)

(2019/C 131/29)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: AT

Defendant: Pensionsversicherungsanstalt

Questions referred

1.Is Article 17(1)(a) of Directive 2004/38/EC (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, amending Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 and repealing Directives 64/221/EEC, 68/360/EEC, 72/194/EEC, 73/148/EEC, 75/34/EEC, 75/35/EEC, 90/364/EEC, 90/365/EEC and 93/96/EEC to be interpreted as meaning that workers who, at the time when they stop working, have reached the age laid down by the law of the State of employment for entitlement to an old age pension must have been working in the State of employment for at least the preceding 12 months and must have resided in the State of employment continuously for at least three years in order to acquire the right of permanent residence before completion of a five-year residence period?

2.If Question 1 is answered in the negative: Do workers have the right of permanent residence pursuant to the first alternative in Article 17(1)(a) of Directive 2004/38/EC if they take up employment in another Member State at a point in time at which it is foreseeable that they will be able to engage in their employment for only a relatively short period of time before they reach the statutory retirement age and, because of low income, will in any event be dependent on the host Member State’s social assistance after they stop working?

(1) OJ 2004 L 158, p. 77.