Case C-280/24, Malicník: Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 5 June 2025 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Krajský súd v Prešove (Slovakia)) – A.B. v Slovenská sporiteľňa a.s. (Reference for a preliminary ruling – Consumer protection – Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Directive 93/13/EEC – Assessment of whether a term which has not been individually negotiated is unfair – Article 3(1) and Article 4(1) – Consumer credit agreement – Arrangement fee clause – Requirement of transparency – Article 4(2) and Article 5 – Clause not specifying the substance of the services supplied in exchange for that fee – Whether defining the fee borne by the consumer and indicating the specific amount of that fee is sufficient – Passing on to the consumer of all of the costs of the activities associated with the arrangement fee)
Date: 2025-06-05
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: consumer credit, consumer protection, cost of borrowing, unfair terms of contract








C_202504020EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/4020


28.7.2025






Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 5 June 2025 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Krajský súd v Prešove (Slovakia)) – A.B. v Slovenská sporiteľňa a.s.


(Case C-280/24,
                (1)
Malicník
                (2)
)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Unfair terms in consumer contracts - Directive 93/13/EEC - Assessment of whether a term which has not been individually negotiated is unfair - Article 3(1) and Article 4(1) - Consumer credit agreement - ‘Arrangement fee’ clause - Requirement of transparency - Article 4(2) and Article 5 - Clause not specifying the substance of the services supplied in exchange for that fee - Whether defining the fee borne by the consumer and indicating the specific amount of that fee is sufficient - Passing on to the consumer of all of the costs of the activities associated with the arrangement fee)
(C/2025/4020)
Language of the case: Slovak

Referring court

Krajský súd v Prešove

Parties to the main proceedings


Appellant and applicant at first instance: A.B.

Other party to the proceedings, defendant at first instance: Slovenská sporiteľňa a.s.

Operative part of the judgment







1.


Article 4(2) and Article 5 of Council Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on unfair terms in consumer contracts
must be interpreted as precluding national case-law pursuant to which a clause relating to an arrangement fee and included in a credit agreement concluded with a consumer meets the transparency requirement laid down in those provisions solely because (i) it follows from the definition of the fee that it covers activities by the lender that are necessary for the conclusion of the agreement and that form part of the lender’s internal management and (ii) the amount of that fee is clearly set out in that agreement.










2.


Article 3(1) and Article 4(1) of Directive 93/13
must be interpreted as meaning that, in order to meet the requirements laid down in those provisions, a clause relating to an ‘arrangement fee’ and included in a credit agreement concluded with a consumer must correspond to actual services or expenses reasonably forming part of activities which are performed by the lender in connection with, and which are necessary for, the conclusion of that agreement, there being no overlap either between the various fees or between the services for which those fees constitute remuneration. Such a clause cannot be regarded as unfair solely on the ground that it passes on to the consumer the costs of the financial institution’s business activity, provided that that clause does not require the consumer to pay a fee that is disproportionate in relation to (i) the expenses associated with the services concerned and (ii) the amount of the loan.






(1)  OJ C, C/2024/4710.

(2)  The name of the present case is a fictitious name. It does not correspond to the real name of any party to the proceedings.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/4020/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)