28Nevertheless, it is clear from both the wording and the scheme of Article 267 TFEU that a national court or tribunal is not empowered to bring a matter before the Court of Justice by way of a reference for a preliminary ruling unless a case is pending before it, in which it is called upon to give a decision which is capable of taking account of the preliminary ruling (see, to that effect, Joined Cases C-422/93 to C-424/93 Zabala Erasun and Others [1995] ECR I-1567, paragraph 28; Case C-314/96 Djabali [1998] ECR I-1149, paragraph 18; and Case C-225/02 García Blanco [2005] ECR I-523, paragraph 27).
Source: EUR-Lex, © European Union, 1998-2026. Reuse authorised under Decision 2011/833/EU.