COMMISSION NOTICE – Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive…

COMMISSION NOTICE – Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market

guidance · European Union · 52021XC1229(05)

884 provisions in 1709 nodes

Defined terms · All instruments · EU Member State · EU law · Internet · Pre-contract information · Right of withdrawal · TRIPS · Unfair contract terms · VAT

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COMMISSION NOTICE –

Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.1. Material scope of application

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1.1.1. National legislation concerning commercial practices but protecting interests other than consumers’ economic interests

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1.1.2. Commercial practices which relate to a business-to-business transaction or which harm only competitors’ economic interests

1.2. Interplay between the Directive and other EU law

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1.2.1. Relationship with other EU legislation

1.2.2. Information established by other EU law as ‘material’ information

1.2.3. Interplay with the Consumer Rights Directive

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1.2.4. Interplay with the Unfair Contract Terms Directive

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Relationship between unfair contract terms and unfair commercial practices

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Ex officio assessment

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1.2.5. Interplay with the Price Indication Directive

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1.2.6. Interplay with the Misleading and Comparative Advertising Directive

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1.2.7. Interplay with the Services Directive

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1.2.8. Interplay with the e-Commerce Directive

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1.2.9. Interplay with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive

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1.2.10. Interplay with the General Data Protection Regulation and the e-Privacy Directive

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1.2.11. Interplay with Articles 101-102 TFEU (EU competition rules)

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1.2.12. Interplay with the EU Charter of fundamental rights

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1.2.13. Interplay with Articles 34-36 TFEU

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1.2.14. Interplay with the Platform-to-Business Regulation

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1.3. The relationship between the UCPD and self-regulation

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1.4. Enforcement and redress

1.4.1. Public and private enforcement

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1.4.2. Penalties

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Criteria for the application of penalties

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Penalties in the context of CPC coordinated enforcement actions

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1.4.3. Consumer redress

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1.4.4. Application of the UCPD to traders established in third countries

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2. MAIN CONCEPTS OF THE UCPD

2.1. The functioning of the UCPD – Directive flowchart

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2.2. The concept of trader

2.3. The concept of commercial practice

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2.3.1. After-sales practices, including debt collection activities

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2.3.2. Traders buying products from consumers

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2.4. Transactional decision test

2.5. Average consumer

2.6. Vulnerable consumers

2.7. Article 5 - professional diligence

2.8. Article 6 - misleading actions

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2.8.1. General misleading information

2.8.2. Price advantages

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2.8.3. Confusing marketing

2.8.4. Non-compliance with codes of conduct

2.8.5. ‘Dual quality’ marketing

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Subject matter and traders concerned

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Establishing the differences and whether the goods are marketed as being ‘identical’

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Case-by-case assessment and ‘significance’ of the difference

2.9. Article 7 - misleading omissions

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2.9.1. Material information

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2.9.2. Hidden marketing/failure to identify commercial intent

2.9.3. Material information provided in an unclear manner

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2.9.4. The factual context and limits of the communication medium used

2.9.5. Material information in invitations to purchase – Article 7(4)

Invitations to purchase

2.9.6. Free trials and subscription traps

2.10. Articles 8 and 9 - aggressive commercial practices

3. BLACK LIST OF COMMERCIAL PRACTICES (ANNEX I)

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3.1. Products which cannot legally be sold – No 9

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3.2. Pyramid schemes – No 14

3.3. Products which cure illnesses, dysfunctions and malformations – No 17

3.4. Use of the claim ‘free’ – No 20

3.5. Reselling events tickets acquired by automated means – No 23a

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3.6. Persistent marketing by a remote tool – No 26

3.7. Direct exhortations to children – No 28

4. APPLICATION OF THE UCPD TO SPECIFIC FIELDS

4.1. Sustainability

4.1.1. Environmental claims

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4.1.1.1. Interplay with other EU legislation on environmental claims

4.1.1.2. Main principles

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4.1.1.3. Application of Article 6 of the UCPD to environmental claims

4.1.1.4. Application of Article 7 of the UCPD to environmental claims

4.1.1.5. Application of Article 12 of the UCPD to environmental claims

4.1.1.6. Application of Annex I to environmental claims

4.1.1.7. Comparative environmental claims

4.1.2. Planned obsolescence

4.2.1. Online platforms and their commercial practices

Transparency obligations

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Professional diligence

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4.2.2. Intermediation of consumer contracts with third parties

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4.2.3. Transparency of search results

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Information about ranking parameters

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Disclosure of paid-for advertising and ranking

Information about the handling of the reviews

4.2.6. Influencer marketing

4.2.7. Data-driven practices and dark patterns

4.2.8. Pricing practices

4.2.10. Use of geo-localisation techniques

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4.2.11. Consumer lock-in

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4.3. Travel and transport sector

4.3.1. Cross-cutting issues

4.3.2. Package travel

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4.3.3. Timeshare contracts

4.3.4. Issues relevant in particular to air transport

4.3.5. Issues relevant in particular to car rental

4.3.6. Issues relevant in particular to travel booking websites

4.4. Financial services and immovable property

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4.4.1. Cross-cutting issues

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4.4.2. Issues specific to immovable property

4.4.3. Issues specific to financial services

List of Court cases mentioned in this Notice

(arranged by the year of the judgment)

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