Request for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Lazio (Italy) lodged on 8 August 2023 – Trenitalia SpA v Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato

(Case C-510/23, Trenitalia)

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per il Lazio

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Trenitalia SpA

Defendant: Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato

Question referred

Must Article 11 of Directive 2005/29/EC ¹ of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005, read in the light of the principles of consumer protection and effectiveness of administrative action, be interpreted as meaning that it precludes national legislation, such as that arising from the application of Article 14 of legge 24 novembre 1981, n. 689 (Law No 689 of 24 November 1981) – as interpreted in the most recent case-law – which requires the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (National Competition Authority, Italy) to initiate the investigation procedure with a view to establishing an improper (unfair) commercial practice within a time limit of 90 days, starting from the moment the Authority has knowledge of the essential elements of the infringement, the latter of which may be met by the first report of the infringement?’

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¹     Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘Unfair Commercial Practices Directive’) (OJ 2005 L 149, p. 22).