Protecting the interests and rights of consumers who have taken out Swiss franc-indexed loans

16.6.2015

Question for written answer E-009839-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Ruža Tomašić (ECR)

An association of Swiss franc-indexed loan holders has recently submitted a complaint to the Commission and to Parliament regarding the improper application of European law. The association comprises more than 60 000 Croatian citizens — largely young families — who have been harmed and denied their rights after arranging bank loans indexed to the Swiss franc.

With regard to Directives 2005/29/EC, 93/13/EEC, 2008/48/EC and 2014/17/EU, which are aimed at protecting consumers, as the weaker party, by preventing the stronger party from engaging in abuse, and given that related cases involving clearly unlawful business practices on the part of banks have arisen in other Member States, does the Commission plan to take more decisive steps in order to more effectively protect the interests of consumers who have taken out foreign currency-indexed loans?