21.3.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 106/10


Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hof van beroep te Antwerpen (Belgium) lodged on 14 December 2015 — Loterie Nationale — Nationale Loterij NV v Paul Adriaensen and Others

(Case C-667/15)

(2016/C 106/14)

Language of the case: Dutch

Referring court

Hof van beroep te Antwerpen

Parties to the main proceedings

Appellant: Loterie Nationale — Nationale Loterij NV

Respondents: Paul Adriaensen, Werner De Kesel, The Right Frequency VZW

Question referred

Does the application of paragraph 14 of Annex I to Directive 2005/29/EC (1) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council require that a prohibited pyramid promotional scheme exists only if the realisation of the financial promise to existing members:

depends primarily or mostly on the direct transfer of the contributions of the new members (‘direct link’),

or

does it suffice that the realisation of the financial promise to existing members depends primarily or mostly on an indirect payment through the contributions of existing members, i.e. existing members do not obtain their compensation primarily or mostly from their own sale or their own consumption of goods or services, but depend for the realisation of the financial promise primarily or mostly on the subscription and contributions of new members (‘indirect link’)?


(1)  OJ 2005 L 149, p. 22.