Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 15 April 2010 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof (Germany)) — Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen eV v Handelsgesellschaft Heinrich Heine GmbH

(Case C-511/08) (1)

(Directive 97/7/EC - Consumer protection - Distance contracts - Right of withdrawal - Consumer charged with the cost of delivering the goods)

2010/C 148/09

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Bundesgerichtshof

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen eV

Defendant: Handelsgesellschaft Heinrich Heine GmbH

Re:

Preliminary ruling — Bundesgerichtshof — Interpretation of Article 6(1), second sentence, and Article 6(2) of Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts (OJ 1997 L 144, p. 19) — National legislation which allows the costs of delivering the goods to be charged to the consumer if he withdraws from the contract

Operative part of the judgment

Article 6(1), first subparagraph, second sentence, and Article 6(2) of Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts are to be interpreted as precluding national legislation which, in the context of a distance contract, requires the cost of delivering the goods to be charged to the consumer after he exercises his right of withdrawal.

(1)  OJ C 32, 7.2.2009.