Case C‑208/21

K.D.

v

Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń Ż S.A.

(Request for a preliminary ruling
from the Sąd Rejonowy dla Warszawy-Woli w Warszawie)

Judgment of the Court (Ninth Chamber) of 2 February 2023

(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Consumer protection – Directive 93/13/EEC – Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Article 5 – Obligation to draft contractual clauses in plain intelligible language – Directive 2005/29/EC – Unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices – Article 3 – Scope – Article 7 – Misleading omission – Article 13 – Penalties – ‘Unit-linked’ life assurance contracts linked to investment funds – Information on the nature and structure of the assurance product and the risks associated with that product – Misleading standard contracts – Entity that is responsible – Legal consequences)

1. Consumer protection – Unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices – Directive 2005/29 – Scope – Commercial practice – Concept – Consumer acceding to a group life assurance contract linked to an investment fund

   (European Parliament and Council Directives 2002/83, Art. 36(1), and 2005/29, Arts 5(4) and 7)

   (see paragraphs 53-60)

2. Consumer protection – Unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices – Directive 2005/29 – Unfair commercial practices – Concept – Group life assurance contract linked to an investment fund – Consumer acceding to the contract on the basis of a proposal from a second undertaking, the policyholder

   (European Parliament and Council Directive 2005/29, Arts 3(1), 5(4), and 7)

   (see paragraphs 63-67, 70-72, operative part 1)

3. Consumer protection – Unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices – Directive 2005/29 – Measures intended to combat such practices – Interpretation of national law which confers on a consumer the right to seek the annulment of a contract concluded as a result of an unfair commercial practice – Whether permissible – Conditions

   (European Parliament and Council Directive 2005/29, recital 9 and Arts 3(2), 5(1), 11 and 13)

   (see paragraphs 77-82, 85-89, operative part 2)

See the text of the decision.