Opinion of the Advocate General — ECLI:EU:C:2017:132
Date: 2017-02-16
Language of the case: Italian
Subject matter: Consumer protection;Approximation of laws
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling;Reference for a preliminary ruling - decision unnecessary
Origin: Italy

Summary — Judgment of the Court (First Chamber), 14 June 2017 Consumer protection — Consumer rights — Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures — Directive 2013/11 — National legislation requiring the use of a mediation procedure as a condition for the bringing of legal proceedings — Lawfulness — Condition — National legislation providing, in the context of a mediation procedure, that consumers must be assisted by a lawyer and that they may withdraw from the procedure only by demonstrating the existence of a valid reason in support of that decision — Not permissible (European Parliament and Council Directive 2013/11, Art. 2(1)) Directive 2013/11/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2009/22/EC (Directive on consumer ADR) must be interpreted as not precluding national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which prescribes recourse to a mediation procedure, in disputes referred to in Article 2(1) of that directive, as a condition for the admissibility of legal proceedings relating to those disputes, to the extent that such a requirement does not prevent the parties from exercising their right of access to the judicial system. On the other hand, that directive must be interpreted as precluding national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which provides that, in the context of such mediation, consumers must be assisted by a lawyer and that they may withdraw from a mediation procedure only if they demonstrate the existence of a valid reason in support of that decision. (see para. 71, operative part)