CELEX: 62015CA0568
Language: en
Date: 2017-03-02 00:00:00
Title: Case C-568/15: Judgment of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 2 March 2017 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Landgericht Stuttgart — Germany) — Zentrale zur Bekämpfung unlauteren Wettbewerbs Frankfurt am Main eV v comtech GmbH (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Consumer protection — Directive 2011/83/EU — Article 21 — Communication by telephone — Operation of a telephone line by a trader to enable consumers to contact him in relation to a contract concluded — Prohibition on applying a rate higher than the basic rate — Concept of ‘basic rate’)

18.4.2017   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 121/5
            
         Judgment of the Court (Seventh Chamber) of 2 March 2017 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Landgericht Stuttgart — Germany) — Zentrale zur Bekämpfung unlauteren Wettbewerbs Frankfurt am Main eV v comtech GmbH
   (Case C-568/15) (1)
   
   ((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Consumer protection - Directive 2011/83/EU - Article 21 - Communication by telephone - Operation of a telephone line by a trader to enable consumers to contact him in relation to a contract concluded - Prohibition on applying a rate higher than the basic rate - Concept of ‘basic rate’))
   (2017/C 121/06)
   Language of the case: German
   
      Referring court
   
   Landgericht Stuttgart
   
      Parties to the main proceedings
   
   
      Applicant: Zentrale zur Bekämpfung unlauteren Wettbewerbs Frankfurt am Main eV
   
      Defendant: comtech GmbH
   
      Operative part of the judgment
   
   The concept of ‘basic rate’ referred to in Article 21 of 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, must be interpreted as meaning that call charges relating to a contract concluded with a trader to a telephone helpline operated by the trader may not exceed the cost of a call to a standard geographic landline or mobile telephone line. Provided that that limit is respected, the fact that the relevant trader makes or does not make a profit through that telephone helpline is irrelevant.
   
      (1)  OJ C 38, 1.2.2016.