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European Court of Justice (ECJ), July 8, 2021
ECJ 8 July 2021, case C-71/20 (VAS Shipping), Work and Residence Permit
Criminal proceedings against VAS Shipping ApS, Danish Case

Summary

A Member State may impose legislation which require a work permit for third-country national crew members of a vessel flying the flag of a Member State, owned by a company in another Member State.

Question

Must Article 49 TFEU be interpreted as precluding legislation of a first Member State which provides that third-country national crew members of a vessel flying the flag of that Member State and owned, directly or indirectly, by a company whose registered office is in a second Member State, must hold a work permit in that first Member State, unless the vessel concerned has called at ports in the first Member State no more than 25 times in one year.

Ruling

Article 49 TFEU, read in the light of Article 79(5) TFEU, must be interpreted as not precluding legislation of a first Member State which provides that crew members, who are third-country nationals, of a vessel flying the flag of that Member State and owned, directly or indirectly, by a company with its head office in a second Member State must hold a work permit in that first Member State, unless the vessel concerned has made no more than 25 calls to ports in the first Member State in one year.