Case law

  • Case Details
    • National ID: E2S-987-580/2016
    • Member State: Lithuania
    • Common Name:link
    • Decision type: Court decision in appeal
    • Decision date: 22/03/2016
    • Court: Vilnius County Court
    • Subject:
    • Plaintiff: Asociacija “Už sąžiningą bankininkystę”
    • Defendant: AB DNB bankas
    • Keywords: cessation order, injunction, qualified entity
  • Directive Articles
    Injunctions Directive, link Injunctions Directive, Article 2, 1., (a) Injunctions Directive, Article 3
  • Headnote
    (1) A qualified entity, which is bringing a claim for the protection of consumers’ interest regarding nullification of bond subscription agreements, is obliged to determine the amount of the claim as well as identify consumers who have material interest in the claim.

    (2) Such qualified entity may not ask for cessation of infringement and prohibition of actions constituting an infringement in the future, if there is no evidence that the infringement is on-going at the time of filing a claim.
  • Facts
    The plaintiff brought a claim for the protection of public interests of consumers and asked to (i) declare bond subscription agreements between the defendant and consumers null and void; (ii) prohibit the defendant to distribute analogous bonds in the future.

    The court of first instance refused to accept a claim on the grounds that the plaintiff (i) did not specify the amount of the claim; (ii) did not indicate persons (consumers) concerned with the outcome of the case.

    The plaintiff appealed and argued that it could not have identified every consumer who concluded the agreement with the defendant because the total number of them was 640. Furthermore, the plaintiff argued that its’ claim for the protection of consumers’ interests was aimed at cessation of infringement and prohibition of actions constituting an infringement in the future, therefore the claim must be regarded as non-pecuniary.
  • Legal issue
    (1) The court stated that the claim was pecuniary as it concerned bond subscription agreements and upon satisfaction of the claim, the legal status of consumers would have been financially affected. Moreover, the court stated that the plaintiff was able to identify at least 25 consumers having material interest in the claim since 25 consumers were members of plaintiff’s association. Thus, it was possible for the plaintiff to indicate at least some of the consumers affected by defendant’s actions.

    (2) Lastly, the court stated that the plaintiff did not show any evidence that the defendant was distributing analogous bonds at the time of filing a claim. Thus, the plaintiff did not specify an on-going infringement of the consumers’ rights. Without any evidence of an on-going infringement, plaintiff’s request to prohibit the defendant to distribute such bonds in the future was rejected as unfounded.

    The court refused to accept a claim and noted that the plaintiff would be able to bring a modified claim in the future if it eliminated the defects of the claim.
  • Decision

    (1) Is the qualified entity, which is bringing a claim for the protection of consumers’ interest regarding nullification of bond subscription agreements, obliged to determine the amount of the claim as well as identify consumers who have material interest in the claim?

    (2) Can such qualified entity ask for cessation of infringement and prohibition of actions constituting an infringement in the future, if there is no evidence that the infringement is on-going at the time of filing a claim?

    URL: http://liteko.teismai.lt/viesasprendimupaieska/tekstas.aspx?id=ea130ff7-c5ce-47b8-b856-06092afbe2e5

    Full text: Full text

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  • Result
    The court rejected plaintiff’s appeal.