The European Court of Justice recently ruled that the term ‘spouse’ within the meaning of the provisions of EU law on freedom of residence for EU citizens and their family members, includes spouses of the same sex.
“Although the Member States have the freedom whether or not to authorise marriage between persons of the same sex, they may not obstruct the freedom of residence of an EU citizen by refusing to grant his same-sex spouse, a national of a country that is not an EU Member State, a derived right of residence in their territory.”