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Current status of the case

The European Commission stated already in 2004 that, based on the evidence I had provided, it could ascertain a violation of EC law on free movement of workers, as foreigners could not access regular employment contracts in Max-Planck Institutes for their doctoral work. After the (formal) change of the internal rules of the MPG, the European Commission considered (link to be inserted) that there was no more discrimination between German and foreign PhD students. The Commission also stated that any financial compensation for the losses experienced due to the discriminatory policy of the MPG would have to be claimed at a national Court.

My claim at the Labor Court in Bonn was submitted in December 2003. Despite of all evidences (including statements signed by the MPG President, Prof. Gruss [link to be inserted]), in Court the MPG kept denying there had ever been any discriminatory policy. In November 2004 the Labor Court decided to refer the case to the European Court of Justice, which was then done only in January 2007. The European Court ruled on the case (C-94/2007) in July 2008. The case came back to the Labor Cort in Bonn, where a new judge ruled on the case against me. I now have to decide until the end of January 2009 whether to appeal against this decision.