JUDGMENT OF 16. 11. 1972 — CASE 15/72 NIEDERSACHSEN v LANDESVERSICHERUNGSANSTALT

In Case 15/72 Reference to the Court under Article 177 of the EEC Treaty by the IVth Senate of the Bundessozialgericht (Social Security Court) Kassel for a preliminary ruling in the action pending before that court between

THE COURT composed of: R. Lecourt, President, R. Monaco and P. Pescatore, Presidents of Chambers, A. M. Donner, A. Trabucchi (Rapporteur), J. Mertens de Wilmars and H. Kutscher, Judges, Advocate-General: H. Mayras Registrar: A. Van Houtte

gives the following

JUDGMENT

Issues of fact and of law

I — Facts and procedure

II — Observations submitted under Article 20 of the Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice may be summarized as follows:

1. Observations submitted by the Landesversicherungsanstalt Hannover

2. Observations of the Commission

A — The first question

(b) The question whether the benefits at issue are in the nature of social security payments

(c) The question whether Regulation No 3 contains a rule enabling the aggregation, in the main action, of the insurance periods completed in the different Member States

(d) Aggregation on the basis of Articles 26 and 27 of Regulation No 3

(e) Aggregation on the basis of Article 16 et seq. of Regulation No 3

B — The second question

3. Observations submitted by the Government of the Italian Republic

Grounds of judgment

Costs