8.9.2014

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 303/27

(Case C-312/14)

2014/C 303/34

Language of the case: Hungarian

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Banif Plus Bank Zrt.

Defendants: Márton Lantos, Mártonné Lantos

Questions referred

1.Must it be held that, pursuant to Article 4(1)(2) (investment services and activities), Article 4(1)(17) (financial instruments) and Annex I, Section C, point (4) (forward currency contracts, derivative instruments) of Directive [2004/39/EC] (1) (‘the directive’), the offer of an (exchange rate) transaction to a client which, under the legal form of a foreign currency denominated loan agreement, consists of a spot transaction at the time of the advance of the loan and a forward transaction at the time of repayment, which is carried out by converting into forints a registered amount of foreign currency and which exposes the client’s loan to the effects and risks (currency risk) of capital markets, constitutes a financial instrument?

2.Must it be held that, pursuant to Article 4(1)(6) (dealing on own account) and Annex I, Section A, point (3) (dealing on own account) of the directive, the carrying out of proprietary trading in respect of the financial instrument described in the first question constitutes an investment service or activity?

3.Must the financial institution perform the suitability check required by Article 19(4) and (5) of the directive, taking into account that the forward currency contract — which is an investment service relating to financial derivative instruments — was offered as part of another financial product (namely a loan agreement) and that the derivative instrument in itself constitutes a complex financial instrument? Must it be held that Article 19(9) of the directive is not applicable because, as the risks assumed by the client with regard to the loan and to the financial instrument are fundamentally different, the suitability assessment is essential inasmuch as the transaction contains a derivative instrument?

4.Does the circumvention of Article 19(4) and (5) of the directive lead to the annulment of the loan agreement between the bank and the client?

(1) 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 (OJ 2004 L 145, p. 1).