62023CJ0699_SUM
Case C‑699/23
FG
v
Caja Rural de Navarra SCC
(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Juzgado de Primera Instancia no 8 de Donostia – San Sebastián)
Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 30 April 2025
(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Consumer protection – Directive 93/13/EEC – Articles 3 to 5 – Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Mortgage loan agreements – Term concerning loan arrangement fees – Application seeking a declaration of invalidity of that term – Assessment of the unfairness of contractual terms – Plainness and intelligibility of the terms)
Consumer protection – Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Directive 93/13 – Unfair term within the meaning of Article 3 – Term requiring the consumer to pay an arrangement fee without including a detailed description of the nature of the services and indicating an hourly rate – Requirement of transparency – Bank not providing detailed invoices – National case-law considering such a term to be compatible with that requirement – Whether permissible – Condition – Consumer placed in a position to assess the economic consequences, to understand the nature of the services supplied and to ascertain that there is no overlap between the various costs or services
(Council Directive 93/13, Art. 5)
(see paragraphs 33-44, operative part 1)
Consumer protection – Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Directive 93/13 – Unfair term within the meaning of Article 3 – Term requiring the consumer to pay an arrangement fee – Requirement of transparency – Price of the services expressed in the form of a percentage applied to the amount of the loan granted – Whether permissible – Conditions – Consumer placed in a position to assess the economic consequences, to understand the nature of the services supplied and to ascertain that there is no overlap between the various costs or services – No significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations
(Council Directive 93/13, Arts 3 to 5)
(see paragraphs 47-57, operative part 2)
Consumer protection – Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Directive 93/13 – Unfair term within the meaning of Article 3 – Term requiring the consumer to pay an arrangement fee – Assessment of unfair nature by the national court – Criteria – Existence of a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations – No obligation for the seller or supplier to provide details of the nature of the services or their cost – Whether permissible – Condition – Effective review of the existence of the imbalance by the national court
(Council Directive 93/13, Arts 3 and 4(1))
(see paragraphs 59-67, operative part 3)
See the text of the decision.