Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 16 October 2008 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof — Germany) — Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände — Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband eV v deutsche internet versicherung AG

(Case C-298/07) (1)

(Directive 2000/31/EC - Article 5(1)(c) - Electronic commerce - Internet service provider - Electronic mail)

(2008/C 313/11)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Bundesgerichtshof

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände — Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband eV

Defendant: deutsche internet versicherung AG

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Bundesgerichtshof — Interpretation of Article 5(1)(c) of Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’) (OJ 2000 L 178, p. 1) — Service provider offering such services exclusively via the internet by indicating on his website only his electronic mail address and providing recipients with a field in which to ask written questions — Whether this service provider also has to provide a telephone number

Operative part of the judgment

Article 5(1)(c) of Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the internal market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’) must be interpreted as meaning that a service provider is required to supply to recipients of the service, before the conclusion of a contract with them, in addition to its electronic mail address, other information which allows the service provider to be contacted rapidly and communicated with in a direct and effective manner. That information does not necessarily have to be a telephone number. That information may be in the form of an electronic enquiry template through which the recipients of the service can contact the service provider via the internet, to whom the service provider replies by electronic mail except in situations where a recipient of the service, who, after contacting the service provider electronically, finds himself without access to the electronic network, requests the latter to provide access to another, non-electronic, means of communication.

(1)  OJ C 223, 22.9.2007.