Official Journal of the European Union

C 77/5

(Case C-578/18) (<span class="super note-tag">1</span>)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Internal market in electricity - Directive 2009/72/EC - Article 3 - Consumer protection - Article 37 - Tasks and powers of the regulatory authority - Out-of-court dispute settlement - Concept of ‘party’ - Right to appeal against a decision of the regulatory authority - Complaint made by a household customer against an electricity distribution system operator)

(2020/C 77/06)

Language of the case: Finnish

Referring court

Parties to the main proceedings

Intervener: A, Caruna Oy

Operative part of the judgment

Article 37 of Directive 2009/72/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC must be interpreted as meaning that it does not require Member States to confer competence on the regulatory authority to settle disputes between household customers and system operators and, consequently, to grant household customers who have lodged a complaint with the regulatory authority against a system operator the status of ‘party’ within the meaning of that provision, and the right to appeal against the decision taken by that authority following that complaint.

Language of the case: Finnish.

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(<span class="super">1</span>) OJ C 427, 26.11.2018.