Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Juzgado Contencioso-Administrativo de Valladolid (Spain) lodged on 3 November 2011 — María Jesús Lorenzo Martínez v Dirección Provincial de Educación Valladolid

(Case C-556/11)

(2012/C 25/62)

Language of the case: Spanish

Referring court

Juzgado Contencioso-Administrativo de Valladolid

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: María Jesús Lorenzo Martínez

Defendant: Dirección Provincial de Educación Valladolid

Question referred

Does the fact that an individual is an established (career) civil servant and, as such, belongs to one of the staff groups into which the public teaching service is organised constitute an objective ground sufficient to justify the individual ‘continuing-professional-education’ component of the special increment (also commonly referred to as the ‘sexenio’ or six-yearly increment) being paid — once it is demonstrated that they have satisfied the relevant requirements — only to established civil servants forming part of the public teaching service?