Case C-542/16: Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 31 May 2018 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Högsta domstolen — Sweden) — Länsförsäkringar Sak Försäkringsaktiebolag v Dödsboet efter Ingvar Mattsson, Jan-Erik Strobel and Others v Länsförsäkringar Sak Försäkringsaktiebolag (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Directive 2002/92/EC — Scope — Concept of insurance mediation — Directive 2004/39/EC — Scope — Concept of ‘investment advice’ — Advice given in insurance mediation concerning the placement of capital in the context of capital life assurance — Classification of the activity of an insurance agent in the absence of his intention to conclude a genuine insurance contract)

Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 31 May 2018 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Högsta domstolen — Sweden) — Länsförsäkringar Sak Försäkringsaktiebolag v Dödsboet efter Ingvar Mattsson, Jan-Erik Strobel and Others v Länsförsäkringar Sak Försäkringsaktiebolag

(Case C-542/16) ( 1 )

‛(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Directive 2002/92/EC — Scope — Concept of insurance mediation — Directive 2004/39/EC — Scope — Concept of ‘investment advice’ — Advice given in insurance mediation concerning the placement of capital in the context of capital life assurance — Classification of the activity of an insurance agent in the absence of his intention to conclude a genuine insurance contract)’

Referring court

Högsta domstolen

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Länsförsäkringar Sak Försäkringsaktiebolag, Jan-Erik Strobel, Mona Strobel, Margareta Nilsson, Per Nilsson, Kent Danås, Dödsboet efter Tommy Jönsson, Stefan Pramryd, Stefan Ingemansson, Lars Persson, Magnus Persson, Anne-Charlotte Wickström, Peter Nilsson, Ingela Landau, Thomas Landau, Britt-Inger Ruth Romare, Gertrud Andersson, Eva Andersson, Rolf Andersson, Lisa Bergström, Bo Sörensson, Christina Sörensson, Kaj Wirenkook, Lena Bergquist Johansson, Agneta Danås, Hans Eriksson, Christina Forsberg, Christina Danielsson, Per-Olof Danielsson, Ann-Christin Jönsson, Åke Jönsson, Stefan Lindgren, Daniel Röme, Ulla Nilsson, Dödsboet efter Leif Göran Erik Nilsson

Defendants: Dödsboet efter Ingvar Mattsson, Länsförsäkringar Sak Försäkringsaktiebolag

Operative part of the judgment

1. Article 2, point 3, of Directive 2002/92/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 December 2002 on insurance mediation must be interpreted as meaning that the concept of ‘insurance mediation’ includes work preparatory to the conclusion of an insurance contract, even in the absence of any intention on the part of the insurance intermediary concerned to conclude a genuine insurance contract.

2. Financial advice relating to the placement of capital in the context of insurance mediation relating to the conclusion of a capital life assurance contract falls within the scope of Directive 2002/92 and not that of Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on markets in financial instruments amending Council Directives 85/611/EEC and 93/6/EEC and Directive 2000/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 93/22/EEC.

( 1 ) OJ C 14, 16.1.2017.