Flux européens

Crossborder, the website of the Group of interest on private international law established within the Italian Society of International Law and EU Law (SIDI), hosts a debate on the draft decree adopted by the Italian Government on 4 October 2016 to implement Law No 76 of 20 May 2016, on registered partnerships, as regards, specifically, private international law issues (regarding the decrees, see further here). The contributions published so far (in Italian) have been provided by Giacomo Biagioni (Univ. Cagliari), Cristina Campiglio (Univ. Pavia) and Francesco Pesce (Univ. Genova).

Further contributions and comments from academics and practitioners are welcomed (in Italian, English, French or Spanish). For further information, please refer to Fabrizio Marongiu Buonaiuti (Univ. Macerata), the forum coordinator (f1.marongiubuonaiuti@unimc.it). 

Crossborder, il sito web del Gruppo di interesse della SIDI sul diritto internazionale privato e processuale, ospita in questi giorni un forum dedicato ai decreti attuativi della legge 20 maggio 2016 n. 76, recante la regolamentazione delle unioni civili tra persone dello stesso sesso e disciplina delle convivenze, che il Consiglio dei Ministri ha approvato in sede di esame preliminare il 4 ottobre 2016 (si veda in proposito questo post). Sono sin qui intervenuti Giacomo Biagioni (Univ. Cagliari), Cristina Campiglio (Univ. Pavia) e Francesco Pesce (Univ. Genova). I pratici e gli studiosi interessati a contribuire al dibattito sono invitati a pubblicare un commento a uno dei post usciti sin qui, compilando il campo che compare in calce al post stesso. In alternativa, è possibile contattare Fabrizio Marongiu Buonaiuti (Univ. Macerata), che coordina il forum (f1.marongiubuonaiuti@unimc.it).

Chi fosse interessato ad iscriversi al Gruppo di interesse può consultare questo indirizzo (occorre essere soci della SIDI, in regola col pagamento della quota di iscrizione). Per l’iscrizione alla mailing list di Crossborder (che non richiede la previa iscrizione alla SIDI), basta compilare il modulo a cui si accede cliccando su Iscriviti alla mailing list di Crossborder nella colonna di destra di ogni pagina del sito.

Hemming
Liberté d'établissement
La directive services s’oppose à l’exigence du paiement, au moment de l’introduction d’une demande d’autorisation, de coûts liés à la gestion et à la police du régime d’autorisation concerné

La directive sur le droit d’auteur s’oppose à une réglementation nationale autorisant la reproduction numérique des livres indisponibles dans le commerce en méconnaissance des droits exclusifs des auteurs

On 8 November 2016, the European Court of Human Rights rendered its judgment in Naku v. Lithuania and Sweden. The applicant, a Lithuanian national, had sued the Swedish embassy in Vilnius before the Lithuanian courts, complaining of unlawful dismissal. Lithuanian courts had upheld the defense raised by Sweden and stated that they lacked jurisdiction in accordance with the rules on State immunity.

The European Court found that in the instant case Lithuania had violated Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court noted that the case turned around the issue of whether the applicant performed particular functions in the exercise of governmental authority, for the purposes of the customary rule reflected in Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on jurisdictional immunities of States.

In the Court’s view, ‘by plainly considering that everyone who worked in a diplomatic representation of a foreign State … by virtue of that employment alone in one way or another contributed to the meeting of the sovereign goals of a represented State …, and thus upholding an objection based on State immunity and dismissing the applicant’s claim without giving relevant and sufficient reasons that the applicant in the instant case in reality performed specific duties in the exercise of governmental authority …, the Lithuanian courts impaired the very essence of the applicant’s right of access to a court’.

L’8 novembre 2016, la Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo ha pronunciato la sentenza relativa al caso Naku c. Lituania e Svezia. La ricorrente, cittadina lituana, aveva convenuto l’Ambasciata di Svezia a Vilnius di fronte ai giudici lituani, lamentando di essere stata licenziata da questa in modo illegittimo. I giudici lituani, accogliendo l’eccezione della Svezia, hanno affermato di non potersi pronunciare sulle domande della ricorrente in ragione dell’immunità spettante alla convenuta.

La Corte europea ha ritenuto che la Lituania avesse violato l’art. 6 della Convenzione europea dei diritti dell’uomo. La Corte ha rilevato che il caso di specie si imperniava, fondamentalmente, sulla questione tesa a stabilire se il rapporto litigioso comportasse, per la ricorrente, lo svolgimento di mansioni connesse all’esercizio di prerogative sovrane dello Stato convenuto, agli effetti della norma consuetudinaria che si riflette nell’art. 11della Convenzione delle Nazioni Unite sulle immunità giurisdizionali degli Stati.

Ad avviso della Corte, le autorità lituane, per il fatto di ritenere meccanicamente che chiunque lavori presso la rappresentanza diplomatica di uno Stato straniero contribuisca, per ciò solo, allo svolgimento delle funzioni sovrane di tale Stato, pervenendo così ad affermare l’immunità dello Stato in questione senza motivare adeguatamente in ordine alla natura delle mansioni del prestatore di lavoro nelle circostanze considerate, abbiano intaccato l’essenza stessa del diritto all’accesso alla tutela giurisdizionale, garantito dall’art. 6 della Convenzione europea.

Salaberria Sorondo
Principes du droit communautaire SOPO
L’exclusion des candidats âgés de plus de 35 ans d’un concours visant à recruter des agents de police destinés à assumer des fonctions opérationnelles et exécutives est compatible avec le droit de l’Union

Ann Laquer Estin, International Family Law, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016, ISBN 9781784719852, 1.768 pp., GBP 490,50.

This collection canvasses the growing literature on international family law, extending from the traditional private law governing cross-border families, to multi-lateral treaties on subjects such as child abduction and intercountry adoption, to the framework of international human rights law that shapes domestic and international family law systems. Volume I explores the internationalization of family law and considers adult relationships, whilst Volume II examines parent–child relationships. All of the articles are tied together in the Editor’s introductory essay, which provides a useful and insightful overview.

The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union suggested on 11 November 2016 to correct an obvious error detected in all the linguistic versions of Article 84(1) of Regulation 2015/848 concerning insolvency proceedings. It did so pursuant to the procedure set out in the Statement entered in the Council minutes of 3 December 1975 on the adoption of corrigenda, annexed to document R/2521/75 (JUR 149) (available here, at p. 158 ff.).

Article 84(1), as it appears in the Official Journal, provides that the Regulation ‘shall apply only to insolvency proceedings opened after 26 June 2017’. According to the corrigendum, the provision should rather read as follows: ‘The provisions of this Regulation shall apply only to insolvency proceedings opened from 26 June 2017’, that is, to insolvency proceedings opened either on 26 June 2017 or after that date.

Il Segretariato generale del Consiglio dell’Unione ha suggerito, l’11 novembre 2016, di rettificare un errore materiale rinvenuto in tutte le versioni linguistiche dell’art. 84, par. 1, del regolamento 2015/848 relativo alle procedure di insolvenza. L’iniziativa si inquadra nella procedura disciplinata dalla Dichiarazione del Consiglio del 3 dicembre 1975 per l’adozione delle rettifiche, allegata al documento R/2521/75 (JUR 149) (consultabile qui, a p. 158 ss.).

L’art. 84, par. 1, nel testo apparso sulla Gazzetta ufficiale, prevede che le disposizioni del regolamento si applicano soltanto alle procedure di insolvenza aperte “successivamente al 26 giugno 2017”, mentre, secondo la rettifica, dovrebbe stabilire che tali disposizioni si applicano alle procedure di insolvenza aperte “a decorrere dal 26 giugno 2017”, cioè anche a quelle aperte nel giorno ora indicato.

Case C-613/14 James Elliott illustrates that the EU’s ‘New Approach’ to harmonisation is alive and well more than 30 years after its launch. The judgment is best read in its entirety and against the background of the New Approach, following the Court’s judgment in Cassis de Dijon and the introduction of qualified majority voting in the European Single Act.

The Court confirms the important place which CEN-standards occupy in EU law, despite them being private standards, and clarifies the exact impact which these standards have in private relations.

One for harmonisation anoraks.

Geert.

 

The conclusions and recommendations of the Special Commission which met met from 2 to 4 November 2016 to review the the practical operation of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents are available here.

Le conclusioni e raccomandazioni della Commissione speciale riunitasi tra il 2 e il 4 novembre 2016 per discutere del funzionamento della Convenzione dell’Aja del 5 ottobre 1961 sulla soppressione del requisito della legalizzazione per gli atti pubblici stranieri possono essere consultate qui.

Zentrale zur Bekämpfung unlauteren Wettbewerbs Frankfurt am Main
Rapprochement des législations PROT
Selon l’avocat général Szpunar, les coûts pour un appel vers un numéro téléphonique de service après-vente ne doivent pas excéder ceux pour un appel standard

Vereniging Openbare Bibliotheken
Liberté d'établissement SERV RAPL PROP
Le prêt d’un livre électronique (e-book) peut, sous certaines conditions, être assimilé au prêt d’un livre traditionnel

La Cour confirme que le régime de financement de la télévision publique espagnole (RTVE) est compatible avec les règles de l’Union en matière d’aides d’État

Simba Toys / EUIPO
Propriété intellectuelle et industrielle MARQ
La Cour annule l’arrêt du Tribunal et la décision de l’EUIPO qui validaient l’enregistrement de la forme du Rubik’s cube comme marque de l’Union

Commission / Grèce
Environnement et consommateurs
La Cour constate que la Grèce a manqué à son obligation de protéger les tortues marines Caretta caretta dans la baie de Kyparissia

The e-Justice portal, run by the Commission, features a dynamic form intended to help getting in touch with the national contact points of the European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters. To know more about the tasks of the contact points, the kind of requests they can handle and those entitled to address such requests to the contact points, reference must be made to the decision that established the Network (decision 2001/470/EC, as amended by decision 2009/568/EC: the consolidated version may be found here).

È disponibile sul portale e-Justice, gestito dalla Commissione, un modulo dinamico inteso a facilitare le comunicazioni con i punti di contatto nazionali della Rete giudiziaria europea in materia civile e commerciale. Le funzioni dei punti di contatto, il genere di richieste di cui essi possono fasi carico e i soggetti autorizzati a rivolgersi a loro si ricavano dalla decisione istitutiva della Rete (decisione 2001/470/CE, nel testo consolidato risultante dalle modifiche apportate con la decisione 2009/568/CE).

Home Credit Slovakia
Rapprochement des législations PROT
L’omission du prêteur d’un crédit à la consommation d’inclure dans le contrat certaines informations essentielles peut être sanctionnée par la déchéance du droit aux intérêts et aux frais

Lehman Brothers [2016] EWHC 2699 (Comm) does not involve conflict of laws. Yet its discussion of the notion of ‘close of business’ reminded me of the relevance of Article 12(2) Rome I:

In relation to the manner of performance and the steps to be taken in the event of defective performance, regard shall be had to the law of the country in which performance takes place.

Lex loci solutionis supplements lex contractus for factual considerations such as closing times.

In the case at issue, between parties, a notice had to be served ‘by close of business’. A relevant fax transmission started at 5:54 PM and ended at 6:02 PM. Close of business by sender, it was alleged, was understood to be 7 PM. Recipient claimed COB was 5 PM. Blair J in para 147 ff justifiably points to the intention of flexibility behind the notion of COB: had parties wanted a precise cut-off time, they would and should have specified it. The High Court therefore relied on the (little) evidence given as to COB and accepted that in the modern world of commercial banking and even leaving aside the near non-existence of closing hours for investment bankers and the like, more or less 7 PM should be considered COB. (It was specifically stated that no precedent value can be attached to that time slot).

Geert.

(Handbook of) EU Private international law, 2nd ed. 2016, Chapter 3.

The Universities of Genoa, Valencia, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Mainz, the Turība University, the Charles University in Prague, the Institute of Private International Law in Sofia, and IPR Verlag Munich are conducting a research project, co-funded by the European Union, to collect and develop private and procedural international law best practices in cross-border insolvency and pre-insolvency proceedings. Practitioners and academics are invited to answer (anonymously) to a questionnaire elaborated to this effect. The questionnaire is available here. 

Le Università di Genova, Valencia, Amsterdam, Glasgow, Magonza, la Biznesa augstskola Turība, la Charles University di Praga, l’Istituto di Diritto internazionale privato di Sofia e la casa editrice IPR Verlag di Monaco di Baviera stanno conducendo un progetto di ricerca,co-finanziato dall’Unione europea, volto alla collezione ed allo sviluppo di best practices di diritto internazionale privato e processuale in materia di insolvenza e pre-insolvenza transfrontaliera. Pratici ed accademici sono invitati a rispondere (in modo anonimo) a un questionario predisposto a questo fine.  Il questionario è disponibile qui.

A workshop is scheduled to take place at the European Parliament on 8 November 2016 to discuss the Commission’s proposal to recast Regulation No 2201/2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility. A compilation of the speakers’ briefings is available here.

Il Parlamento europeo ospita, l’8 novembre 2016, un seminario dedicato alla proposta della Commissione concernente la rifusione del regolamento n. 2201/2003 sulla competenza giurisdizionale, il riconoscimento e l’esecuzione delle decisioni in materia matrimoniale e di responsabilità genitoriale. Il testo delle relazioni è disponibile a questo indirizzo.

Dowling e.a.
Liberté d'établissement PEM
Le droit de l’Union ne s’oppose pas à l’augmentation du capital d’une banque sans l’accord de l’assemblée générale dans une situation de perturbation grave de l’économie et du système financier d’un État membre