Compass Banca

Provisional text OPINION OF ADVOCATE GENERALEMILIOUdelivered on 25 April 2024 (1)Case C‑646/22 Compass Banca Sp Av Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato,joined parties:Metlife Europe Dac,Metlife Europe Insurance Dac,Europ Assistance Italia Sp A(Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy))(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Consumer protection – Directive 2005/29/EC – Article 2(d)(e) and (j), and Articles 5, 6, 8 and 9 – Unfair business-to-consumer practices – Prohibition – Concept of ‘aggressive commercial practice’ – Cross-selling of loan products and unrelated insurance products – Absence of any lapse of time between the signing of the two contracts – Case by case assessment of the ‘aggressive’ character of the practice – Notion of ‘average consumer’ – Meaning of ‘reasonably well-informed and reasonably observant and circumspect’ – Directive (EU) 2016/97 – Article 24 – Decision of the administrative authority to impose a seven-day period between the signing of the two contracts – Absence of any conflict with that provision)I.      Introduction 1.        ‘In pure liberal logic, people are free, equal, and old enough to get along without the State getting involved … The law, however, takes into account reality, and the fact that, in reality, parties [to a loan contract] are not as free and equal as in liberal theory.’ (2)2.        Many of the texts adopted by the EU legislature in the field of consumer protection arise...