Judgment_paragraph 46 · Miasto Łowicz v Skarb Państwa – Wojewoda Łódzki and Prokurator Generalny v VX and Others (C-558/18, C-563/18)

46The Court has thus repeatedly held that 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 by way of a request 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 (judgments of 21 April 1988, Pardini, 338/85, EU:C:1988:194, paragraph 11; of 4 October 1991, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children Ireland, C‑159/90, EU:C:1991:378, paragraphs 12 and 13; and of 27 February 2014, Pohotovosť, C‑470/12, EU:C:2014:101, paragraph 28 and the case-law cited).