Arrears and foreclosure
Article 28
1. Member States shall adopt measures to encourage creditors to exercise reasonable forbearance before foreclosure proceedings are initiated. 2. Member States may require that, where the creditor is permitted to define and impose charges on the consumer arising from the default, those charges are no greater than is necessary to compensate the creditor for costs it has incurred as a result of the default. 3. Member States may allow creditors to impose additional charges on the consumer in the event of default. In that case Member States shall place a cap on those charges. 4. Member States shall not prevent the parties to a credit agreement from expressly agreeing that return or transfer to the creditor of the security or proceeds from the sale of the security is sufficient to repay the credit. 5. Where the price obtained for the immovable property affects the amount owed by the consumer Member States shall have procedures or measures to enable the best efforts price for the foreclosed immovable property to be obtained. Where after foreclosure proceedings outstanding debt remains, Member States shall ensure that measures to facilitate repayment in order to protect consumers are put in place.