Tuesday 28th November 2023
Religious neutrality of public service employees: EU Court Judgment in Case C-148/22 Commune d’Ans
(Employment – Discrimination)
An employee of the municipality of Ans (Belgium), who performs her duties as an office manager without any contact with public service users, was banned from wearing an Islamic headscarf in the workplace. In the wake of this, the municipality amended its working regulations and now requires its employees to observe strict neutrality: any form of proselytising is prohibited, and the wearing of conspicuous signs of ideological or religious affiliation is banned. The interested party seeks a declaration that her freedom of religion has been infringed and that she is a victim of discrimination.
The case was referred to the Liège Labour Court, which considered whether the neutrality rule gave rise to unjustified indirect discrimination. It informed the Court of Justice of its doubts as to the conformity with Union law of such an obligation of neutrality for all employees of a public administration, including those who are not in contact with the public service users.
Urteil des Gerichtshofs (Große Kammer) in der Rechtssache C‑148/22 Commune d’Ans
Muslimische Kopfbedeckung
Eine Mitarbeiterin einer belgischen Gemeinde hat nach fünf Jahren den Wunsch geäußert, auf der Arbeit die muslimische Kopfbedeckung zu tragen. Die Gemeinde hat ihr dies verwehrt.
Das von der Betroffenen angerufene belgische Gericht möchte vom Gerichtshof insbesondere wissen, ob das Unionsrecht der öffentlichen Verwaltung erlaubt, ein vollständig neutrales Verwaltungsumfeld zu gestalten und folglich dem gesamten Personal unabhängig davon, ob ein direkter Kontakt im Publikumsverkehr besteht, das Tragen von Zeichen bestimmter Überzeugungen zu verbieten.
In seinen Schlussanträgen schlug Generalanwalt Collins dem Gerichtshof vor zu entscheiden, dass eine Bestimmung der öffentlichen Verwaltung, die ihren Arbeitnehmern das Tragen von sichtbaren Zeichen politischer oder religiöser Überzeugungen verbietet, keine unmittelbare Diskriminierung darstellt, wenn diese Vorschrift allgemein mit dem Ziel der Neutralität am Arbeitsplatz angewandt wird. Die Beweislast obliegt dem Arbeitgeber.
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