European Union – Consumer protection. Council Directive (EEC) 93/13, read together with the principle of equivalence, had to be interpreted as meaning that it precluded national legislation, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which prevented a consumer protection organisation from intervening, in the interests of the consumer, in proceedings seeking an order for payment concerning an individual consumer and to lodge an objection in the absence of a challenge to that order by the consumer if that legislation in fact subjected intervention by consumer associations in disputes falling within the scope of Union law to less favourable conditions than those applicable to disputes exclusively within the scope of national law, which was for the referring court to ascertain. The Court of Justice of the European Union so held, among other things, on a reference for a preliminary ruling, concerning a claim for payment of outstanding amounts due under a consumer credit agreement.