European Court of Justice rules against Bulgaria on gender recognition for mobile EU citizens

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that a member state cannot refuse to recognize the gender change of a citizen who has exercised their right to free movement within the European Union. The case involved a Bulgarian national registered as male at birth who now identifies as a woman and resides in Italy. After undergoing hormonal treatment, the individual sought to update their civil records in Bulgaria, but Bulgarian courts rejected the request based on national law interpreted by the Supreme Court of Cassation. The Bulgarian court's interpretation held that gender must be defined solely by biological criteria and that national moral and religious values outweigh individual interests in this matter. Despite this, the Bulgarian Supreme Court referred the case to the ECJ to verify compatibility with EU law. The ECJ stated that EU law prohibits national regulations that prevent the modification of gender markers in the civil register for citizens living in other member states. This decision aims to protect the rights of mobile EU citizens across all member countries.