Overview
- The European Court of Justice, which issued its ruling on Thursday, September 10, 2026, said the European Electronic Communications Code does not itself give telecoms firms a standalone right to change ongoing contracts.
- The court explained the directive only creates a special consumer right to terminate after a proposed change and that any power to alter terms must come from other laws and meet consumer‑protection rules on transparency, balance and good faith.
- The decision strengthens the legal position of the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv) in its cases against Vodafone but stops short of deciding individual claims, leaving questions about the AGB clause and repayments to German courts.
- More than 116,000 people have registered for the Sammelklage and can still join by using the vzbv’s free Klagecheck and registering in the federal Klageregister to preserve potential claims.
- If the Oberlandesgerichte in Düsseldorf and Hamm find Vodafone’s clause or the spring 2023 price increases unlawful, affected fixed‑line and cable customers could win repayments with interest and the ruling could limit how providers rely on broad change clauses.