Opinion of the Advocate General — ECLI:EU:C:2019:333
Date: 2019-04-30
Language of the case: Bulgarian
Subject matter: Energy;Consumer protection;Approximation of laws
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling
Origin: Bulgaria

Request for a preliminary ruling from the Rayonen sad Asenovgrad (Bulgaria) lodged on 19 December 2017 — EVN Bulgaria Toplofikatsia EAD v Nikolina Stefanova Dimitrovа (Case C-708/17) Language of the case: Bulgarian Referring court Rayonen sad Asenovgrad Parties to the main proceedings Applicant: EVN Bulgaria Toplofikatsia EAD Defendant: Nikolina Stefanova Dimitrovа Questions referred Does Article 13(2) of Directive 2006/32/EC 1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 preclude the possibility of the district heating supplier demanding consideration for the consumed thermal energy released by the system supplied with district heating of a building in co-ownership in proportion to the heatable volume of the apartments according to the floor plan, without taking account of the quantity of thermal energy actually released in the individual apartment? Is a national provision that obliges consumers who are owners of apartments in buildings subject to the provisions on co-ownership to provide consideration for the thermal energy that is not used but is supplied by the building’s system provided with district heating, if they have ceased the use of the thermal energy by removing the radiators in their apartments or as a result of employees of the district heating supplier having rendered the radiator technically incapable of releasing heat at their request, compatible with Article 27 of Directive 2011/83/EU? 2 Does such a national provision give rise to an unfair commercial practice within the meaning of Directive 2005/29/EC 3 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council? ____________ 1 Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive 93/76/EEC (Text with EEA relevance), OJ 2006 L 114, p 64. 2 Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance), OJ 2011 L 304, p 64. 3 Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘Unfair Commercial Practices Directive’) (Text with EEA relevance), OJ 2005 L 149, p. 22.