Judgment of the Court 24 March 1992

In Case C-381/89, REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EEC Treaty by the Polimeles Protodikio Athinon for a preliminary ruling in the case pending before that court between

THE COURT, composed of: O. Due, President, R. Joliet and P. J. G. Kapteyn (Presidents of Chambers), G. F. Mancini, C. N. Kakouris, G. C. Rodríguez-Iglesias and M. Díez de Velasco, Judges, Advocate General: G. Tesauro, Registrar: D. Louterman-Hubeau, Principal Administrator,

after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of: the plaintiffs in the main proceedings, by G. I. Anastasopoulos, Dikigoros, with a right of audience before the Greek Court of Cassation, the Greek Government, represented by Panayotis Milonopoulos, Dikigoros, Lawyer, Legal Adviser of the Second Class in the Department for European Community affairs of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Constantinos Stavropoulos, Lawyer, also a Legal Adviser in that department, and Nicolaos Frangakis, Lawyer, acting as Agents, the Commission of the European Communities, represented by Antonio Caeiro, Legal Adviser, and Maria Patakia, a member of its Legal Service, acting as Agents, Organismos Ikonomikis Anasinkrotisis Epikhiriseon AE, represented by L. Georgakopoulos, Ethniki Trapeza tis Ellados AE, represented by K. Vordis, of the Athens Bar, Yeniki Trapeza tis Ellados AE, represented by L. Deligianni, of the Athens Bar, EUiniki Trapeza Viomikhanikis Anaptixeos AE, represented by S. Stratigis, of the Athens Bar, Ethniki Trapeza Ependiseon Viomikhanikis Anaptixeos AE, by P. Papanikolaou, of the Athens Bar,

having regard to the Report for the Hearing,

after hearing the oral observations of the plaintiffs in the main proceedings, represented by I. Anastasopoulu and G. I. Anastasopoulos, Dikigori, with a right of audience before the Greek Court of Cassation, of Organismos Ikonomikis Anasinkrotisis Epikhiriseon AE, represented by L. Georgakopoulos, Professor of Commercial Law, and A. Tsouderos, of the Athens Bar, of EUiniki Parketoviomikhania Adelfi Sotiropouli AE, represented by S. Felios and V. Karagiannis, of the Athens Bar, of Ethniki Trapeza tis Ellados AE, Emboriki Trapeza tis Ellados AE, and Ethniki Trapeza Ependiseon Viomikhanikis Anaptixeos AE, represented by I. Spyridakis, Professor of Civil Law, of the Greek Government, represented by N. Mavrikas, Assistant Legal Adviser to the State Attorney, and of the Commission of the European Communities, represented by D. Goulosis, Legal Adviser, acting as Agent, at the hearing on 20 November 1991,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 16 January 1992,

gives the following

Judgment

The scope of the Second Directive

The direct effect of Articles 25(1) and 29(1) of the Second Directive

Costs

1 Language of the case: Greek.