Official Journal of the European Union

C 38/25

(Case C-568/15)

(2016/C 038/36)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Zentrale zur Bekämpfung unlauteren Wettbewerbs Frankfurt am Main e.V.

Defendant: comtech GmbH

Questions referred

1.Is the first paragraph of Article 21 of Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights to be interpreted as meaning that, where a trader operates a telephone line for the purpose of consumers contacting the trader by telephone in relation to contracts concluded with the trader, a consumer contacting the trader by telephone must not incur higher charges than those that the consumer would incur for calling a standard (geographic) fixed or mobile number?

2.Does the first paragraph of Article 21 of Directive 2011/83/EU preclude national legislation according to which, where a trader operates a shared-cost service on an 0180 number for the purpose of consumers contacting the trader by telephone in relation to contracts concluded with the trader, a consumer must pay that which the telecommunications service provider charges the consumer for the use of that telecommunications service, even where those charges exceed those which the consumer would incur for calling a standard (geographic) fixed or mobile number? Does the first paragraph of Article 21 of Directive 2011/83/EU not preclude such national legislation where the telecommunications service provider does not pass on to the trader part of the charges that he receives from the consumer for contacting the trader on the 0180 number?

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 (OJ 2011 L 304, p. 64).

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