Case C-122/10: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 12 May 2011 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Marknadsdomstolen (Sweden)) — Konsumentombudsmannen v Ving Sverige AB (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Directive 2005/29/EC — Articles 2(i) and 7(4) — Commercial communication published in a newspaper — Meaning of invitation to purchase — Entry-level price — Information which an invitation to purchase has to contain)
Date: 2011-05-12
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: advertising, consumer information, interpretation of the law








C_2011204EN.01000902.xml










9.7.2011   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 204/9





Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 12 May 2011 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Marknadsdomstolen (Sweden)) — Konsumentombudsmannen v Ving Sverige AB
(Case C-122/10) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Directive 2005/29/EC - Articles 2(i) and 7(4) - Commercial communication published in a newspaper - Meaning of invitation to purchase - Entry-level price - Information which an invitation to purchase has to contain)
2011/C 204/17
Language of the case: Swedish

Referring court

Marknadsdomstolen

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicant: Konsumentombudsmannen

Defendant: Ving Sverige AB

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Marknadsdomstolen — Interpretation of Articles 2(7)(i) and 7(4)(a) of 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’) (OJ 2005 L 149, p. 22) — Advertisement, published in a newspaper, concerning a promotional offer intended for consumers relating to package travel to a specific destination during a specified period with indication of an entry-level price — Meaning of invitation to purchase — Requirements as to the information to be included in the marketing of a product

Operative part of the judgment







1.


The words ‘thereby enables the consumer to make a purchase’ in Article 2(i) of 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’) must be interpreted as meaning that an invitation to purchase exists as soon as the information on the product advertised and its price is sufficient for the consumer to be able to make a transactional decision, without it being necessary for the commercial communication also to offer an actual opportunity to purchase the product or for it to appear in proximity to and at the same time as such an opportunity.










2.


Article 2(i) of Directive 2005/29 must be interpreted as meaning that the requirement relating to the indication of the price of the product may be met if the commercial communication contains an entry-level price, that is to say the lowest price for which the advertised product or category of products can be bought, while the advertised product or category of products are available in other versions or with other content at prices which are not indicated. It is for the national court to ascertain, on the basis of the nature and characteristics of the product and the commercial medium of communication used, whether the reference to an entry-level price enables the consumer to take a transactional decision.










3.


Article 2(i) of Directive 2005/29 must be interpreted as meaning that a verbal or visual reference to the product makes it possible to meet the requirement relating to the indication of the product’s characteristics, and that includes a situation where such a verbal or visual reference is used to designate a product which is offered in many versions. It is for the national court to ascertain, on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature and characteristics of the product and the medium of communication used, whether the consumer has sufficient information to identify and distinguish the product for the purpose of taking a transactional decision.










4.


Article 7(4)(a) of Directive 2005/29 must be interpreted as meaning that it may be sufficient for only certain of a product’s main characteristics to be given and for the trader to refer in addition to its website, on the condition that on that site there is essential information on the product’s main characteristics, price and other terms in accordance with the requirements in Article 7 of that directive. It is for the national court to assess, on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the context of the invitation to purchase, the medium of communication used and the nature and characteristics of the product, whether a reference only to certain main characteristics of the product enables the consumer to take an informed transactional decision.










5.


Article 7(4)(c) of Directive 2005/29 must be interpreted as meaning that a reference only to an entry-level price in an invitation to purchase cannot be regarded, in itself, as constituting a misleading omission. It is for the national court to ascertain whether a reference to an entry-level price is sufficient for the requirements concerning the reference to a price, such as those set out in that provision, to be considered to be met. That court will have to ascertain, inter alia, whether the omission of the detailed rules for calculating the final price prevents the consumer from taking an informed transactional decision and, consequently, leads him to take a transactional decision which he would not otherwise have taken. It is also for the national court to take into consideration the limitations forming an integral part of the medium of communication used; the nature and the characteristics of the product and the other measures that the trader has actually taken to make the information available to consumers.






(1)  OJ C 113, 1.5.2010.