European Union – Freedom of movement. Article 7(3)(b) of Directive (EC) 2004/38 should be interpreted as meaning that a national of a member state retained the status of self-employed person for the purposes of art 7(1)(a) of that directive where, after having lawfully resided in and worked as a self-employed person in another member state for approximately four years, that national had ceased that activity, because of a duly recorded absence of work owing to reasons beyond his control, and had registered as a jobseeker with the relevant employment office of the latter member state. The Court of Justice of the European Union so held in a preliminary ruling in proceedings between the applicant and the Minister for Protection (Ireland) and the Attorney General, concerning the refusal to provide the applicant with a jobseeker's allowance.