Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal Superior de Justicia of Castilla La Mancha (Spain) lodged on 2 October 2014 — Manuel Orrego Arias v Subdelegación del Gobierno en Ciudad Real

(Case C-456/14)

(2014/C 439/31)

Language of the case: Spanish

Referring court

Tribunal Superior de Justicia of Castilla La Mancha

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Manuel Orrego Arias

Defendant: Subdelegación del Gobierno en Ciudad Real

Question referred

The interpretation of the first paragraph of Article 3(1)(a) of Council Directive 2001/40/EC (1) of 28 May, and in particular on whether the term ‘offence punishable by a penalty involving deprivation of liberty of at least one year’, set out in that provision, refers to the penalty prescribed in abstracto for the offence in question or, on the contrary, to the actual term of imprisonment imposed on the convicted person and, in consequence, whether or not the decision of a Member State to expel a national of a third country sentenced to imprisonment of eight months would be recognised by other Member States.

(1)  Council Directive 2001/40/EC of 28 May 2001 on the mutual recognition of decisions on the expulsion of third country nationals

(OJ L 149, p. 34).