Greece is being referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union over national rules that the European Commission says discriminate against fixed-term teachers in public schools.
Greek law gives fixed-term teachers less favourable employment conditions than permanent teachers, including on maternity leave and sick leave, the Commission informed in a statement on Wednesday.
The case relates to the EU’s Directive on fixed-term work (Directive 1999/70/EC), which sets rules to prevent the misuse of successive short-term contracts and requires fixed-term staff to be treated equally with permanent workers unless different treatment is objectively justified.
What happened next
The Commission said it began infringement proceedings in July 2024 by sending Greece a letter of formal notice — the first step in an EU legal process used when a country is believed to be breaching EU law.
It added that Greece’s reply did not adequately justify the difference in treatment.
A reasoned opinion, a formal request to comply before court action, was sent to Greece in May 2025,.
The Commission said it is now referring Greece to the EU’s top court because it considers the concerns have not been addressed.
