(Finance) – The European Commission decided today to refer Italy to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not ending the discrimination against foreign teachers (in English lecturers). According to the EU executive, Italy does not adequately apply the rules of domestic law which implement the EU provisions on the free movement of workers.
Although Italian law provides for an acceptable regime for the so-called career reconstruction of foreign lecturers in Italian universities, the most Italian universities have not taken the necessary measures for a correct reconstruction of the readers’ career.
This includes the adjustment of remuneration, seniority and the corresponding benefits to those of a researcher on a part-time contract, as well as the right to arrears payments from the start of the employment relationship: as a result, the majority of foreign lecturers have not yet received the money and benefits they he has the right.
The Commission has initiated the infringement procedure against Italy in 2021 and followed it up with a reasoned opinion in January 2023. Despite the rules of Italian national legislation and the Court’s ruling, foreign readers continue to be discriminated against: the Commission has therefore decided to refer the Italy to the Court of Justice of the EU.