Gay couples should enjoy equal pension rights, says EU court

Members of same-sex civil partnerships should enjoy the same pension rights as heterosexual married couples, the European Court of Justice said in a judgement made on the 10 May 2011. The ruling was said to set an important precedent for the lesbian and gay community.

• Primary Source

ECJ: Press Release, No.44, 2011: Judgment in ECJ Case C-147/08 Jürgen Römer v Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2011-05/cp110044en.pdf

BBC News, 10.5.11: EU court backs German gay man's pension claim http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13352986

Deutsche Welle, 11.5.11: Gay couples are entitled to equal pension benefits, EU court rules http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15066843,00.html

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