Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Hannover (Germany) lodged on 21 December 2012 — Pia Braun v Region Hannover

(Case C-603/12)

2013/C 101/13

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Verwaltungsgericht Hannover

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Pia Braun

Defendant: Region Hannover

Question referred

Does the right to freedom of movement and freedom of residence conferred on a Union citizen by Articles 20 and 21 TFEU preclude — in a case such as the present one, in which a student who still lives with her parents in a Member State neighbouring Germany and whose parents commute to Germany for work has applied for an education grant for studies in a third Member State — a regulatory system in national law under which German nationals with a permanent residence outside the Federal Republic of Germany may be awarded an education grant to attend an education establishment situated in a Member State of the European Union only if special circumstances of the individual case justify the grant and, pursuant to which, the approval of the grant is left, as to the remainder, to the discretion of the competent national authorities?