---
title: "Case C-667/21: judgment of 21 December 2023"
canonical: "https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-667-21"
source: "https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-667/21&language=en"
source_note: "Only the judgment as published by the Court of Justice is authoritative."
text_as_of: "2026-10-28"
last_reviewed: "2026-10-29"
language: "en"
publisher: "DPO School"
---

Court of Justice judgment · Case C-667/21

# ZQ v Medizinischer Dienst der Krankenversicherung Nordrhein, Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts

[Reviewed by Sergio Maldonado Elvira on 29 October 2026](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/about#review)

- **Case:** C-667/21
- **Court:** Court of Justice
- **Date of judgment:** 21 December 2023
- **ECLI:** ECLI:EU:C:2023:1022
- **Instrument:** Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR)
- **Provisions:** [Article 9(2)(h)](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/9#2-h), [Article 9(3)](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/9#3), [Article 6(1)](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/6#1), [Article 82](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/82)

## Holding (summary, not the official text)

A medical service may process an employee's health data to assess work capacity under Art. 9(2)(h), but it also needs an Art. 6(1) basis; compensation under Art. 82 is compensatory, not punitive, and requires fault-based liability with a presumption of fault.

## Official source

- [Case C-667/21 on CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-667/21&language=en)
- [Judgment on EUR-Lex (CELEX 62021CJ0667)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62021CJ0667)

Checked against the official source on 28 October 2026.

Only the judgment as published by the Court of Justice is authoritative. This is reference material, not legal advice.

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