Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal Supremo (Spain) lodged on 6 July 2022 — Caixabank, SA and Others v ADICAE and Others

(Case C-450/22)

(2022/C 408/42)

Language of the case: Spanish

Referring court

Tribunal Supremo

Parties to the main proceedings

Appellants: Caixabank SA, Caixa Ontinyent SA, Banco Santander SA, successor to the rights and obligations of Banco Popular Español SA y Banco Pastor SA, Targobank, SA, Credifimo SAU, Caja Rural de Teruel SCC, Caja Rural de Navarra SCC, Cajasiete Caja Rural SCC, Liberbank SA, Banco Castilla La Mancha SA, Bankia SA, successor to the rights and obligations of Banco Mare Nostrum SA, Unicaja Banco, SA, Caja Rural de Asturias SA, Caja de Arquitectos SCC (Arquia Bank SA), Nueva Caja Rural de Aragón SC, Caja Rural de Granada SCC SA, Caja Rural del Sur SCC, Caja Rural de Jaén, Barcelona y Madrid SCC, Caja Rural de Albacete, Ciudad Real y Cuenca SCC (Globalcaja), Caja Laboral Popular SCC (Kutxa), Caja Rural Central SCC, Caja Rural de Extremadura SCC, Caja Rural de Zamora SCC, Banco Sabadell SA, Banca March SA, Ibercaja, Banca Pueyo SA

Respondents: ADICAE, M.A.G.G., M.R.E.M., A.B.C., Óptica Claravisión, S.L., A.T.M., F.A.C., A.P.O., P.S.C., J.V.M.B., legal successor of C.M.R.

Questions referred

1.

For the purposes of a review of transparency in the context of a collective action, is an abstract assessment of terms used by more than one hundred financial institutions in millions of banking contracts, without taking into account the level of pre-contractual information offered on the legal and financial burden of the term or the other circumstances occurring in each case at the time when the contract was concluded, covered by Article 4(1) of Directive 93/13/EEC, (1) where it refers to the circumstances attending the conclusion of the contract, and by Article 7(3) of that directive, where it refers to similar terms?

2.

Is the possibility of conducting an abstract review of transparency from the perspective of the average consumer, where a number of the contracts offered are aimed at different specific groups of consumers or where numerous financial institutions having, economically and geographically, very different business areas were using standard terms and conditions over a very long period of time during which public awareness of such terms was developing, compatible with Articles 4(2) and 7(3) of Directive 93/13/EEC?

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(1)  Council Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993 on unfair terms in consumer contracts (OJ 1993 L 95, p. 29).