Agrégateur de flux

The European Commission adopted today a proposal for the EU’s accession to the Hague 2019 Judgement Convention. The proposal is available at https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/proposal_eu_accession_judgments_convention_and_annex_en.pdf

The Court of Justice delivered yesterday (15 July 2021) its decision in case C‑30/20 (RH v AB Volvo, and alii), which is about Article 7(2) Brussels I bis and the private enforcement of competition law

“Article 7(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 […] must be interpreted as meaning that, within the market affected by collusive arrangements on the fixing and increase in the prices of goods, either the court within whose jurisdiction the undertaking claiming to be harmed purchased the goods affected by those arrangements or, in the case of purchases made by that undertaking in several places, the court within whose jurisdiction that undertaking’s registered office is situated, has international and territorial jurisdiction, in terms of the place where the damage occurred, over an action for compensation for the damage caused by those arrangements contrary to Article 101 TFEU”.

Source: https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=244190&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=2220107

The Court of Justice delivered yesterday (15 July 2021) its decision in joined Cases C‑152/20 and C‑218/20 (DG, EH v SC Gruber Logistics SRL (C‑152/20), and Sindicatul Lucrătorilor din Transporturi, DT v SC Samidani Trans SRL (C‑218/20)), which is about the law applicable to employment contracts:

“1. Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 […]  must be interpreted as meaning that, where the law governing the individual employment contract has been chosen by the parties to that contract, and that law differs from the law applicable pursuant to paragraphs 2, 3 or 4 of that article, the application of the latter law must be excluded with the exception of ‘provisions that cannot be derogated from by agreement’ under that law within the meaning of Article 8(1) of that regulation, provisions that can, in principle, include rules on the minimum wage.

2. Article 8 of Regulation No 593/2008 must be interpreted as meaning that:

–  first, the parties to an individual employment contract are to be regarded as being free to choose the law applicable to that contract even if the contractual provisions are supplemented by national labour law pursuant to a national provision, provided that the national provision in question does not require the parties to choose national law as the law applicable to the contract, and

– secondly, the parties to an individual employment contract are to be regarded as being, in principle, free to choose the law applicable to that contract even if the contractual clause concerning that choice is drafted by the employer, with the employee merely accepting it”.

Source: https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=244192&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=2220107

Non lieu à renvoi

The CJEU held yesterday in C-30/20 Volvo Trucks. I reviewed Richard de la Tour AG’s Opinion here.

After having noted the limitation of the questions referred to locus damni [30]  (excluding therefore the as yet unsettled locus delicti commissi issues) the CJEU confirms first of all [33] that Article 7(2) clearly assigns both international and territorial jurisdiction. The latter of course subject to the judicial organisation of the Member State concerned. If locus damni x has no court then clearly the Regulation simply assigns jurisdiction to the legal district of which x is part. However the Court does not rule out [36] per CJEU Sanders and Huber that a specialised court may be established nationally for competition law cases.

The Court then [39] applies C‑343/19 Volkswagen (where goods are purchased which, following manipulation by their producer, are of lower value, the court having jurisdiction over an action for compensation for damage corresponding to the additional costs paid by the purchaser is that of the place where the goods are purchased) pro inspiratio: place of purchase of the goods at artificially inflated prices will be locus damni, irrespective of whether the goods it issue were purchased directly or indirectly from the defendants, with immediate transfer of ownership or at the end of a leasing contract [40].

The Court then somewhat puzzlingly adds [40] that ‘that approach implies that the purchaser that has been harmed exclusively purchased goods affected by the collusive arrangements in question within the jurisdiction of a single court. Otherwise, it would not be possible to identify a single place of occurrence of damage with regard to the purchaser harmed.’

Surely it must mean that if purchases occurred in several places, Mozaik jurisdiction will ensue rather than just one locus damni (as opposed to the alternative reading that locus damni jurisdiction in such case will not apply at all). However the Court then also confirms [41 ff] its maverick CDC approach of the buyer’s registered office as the locus damni in the case of purchases made in several places.

Here I am now lost and the simply use of vocabulary such as ‘solely’, ‘additionally’ or ‘among others’ would have helped me here. Are we now to assume that the place of purchase of the goods is locus damni only if there is only one place of purchase, not if there are several such places (leaving a lot of room for Article 7(2) engineering both by cartelists and buyers); and that, conversely, place of registered office as locus damni only applies in the event of several places of purchase, therefore cancelling out the classic (much derided) Article 7(2) Mozaik per Shevill and Bier – but only in the event of competition law infringement? This, too, would lead to possibility of forum engineering via qualification in the claim formulation.

I fear we are not yet at the end of this particular road.

Geert.

EU Private International Law, 3rd ed. 2021, Heading 2.2.12.2.8.

Just out #CJEU Volvo Trucks https://t.co/fkCqdk015C
Location of damage in competition law follow-on damages suits: locus damni A7(2) BIa.
Seems to confirm AGs opinion which I reviewed here https://t.co/CvpU5bFR2U More analysis soon.

— Geert van Calster (@GAVClaw) July 15, 2021

 

According to a press release, the EU Commission has proposed for the EU to join the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention. So far, the Convention has been signed, but not yet ratified, by three states (Israel, Ukraine, Uruguay).

The full statement reads as follows:

International Justice: The Commission proposes for the EU to join the Hague Judgments Convention

Today, the Commission has adopted a proposal for the EU’s accession to the Hague Judgement Convention, an international treaty that facilitates the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters in foreign jurisdictions. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, said: “Having one’s rights enforced in a country outside of the EU can be very cumbersome, both for private persons and for businesses. The EU joining the Hague Judgments Convention would improve legal certainty and save citizens and companies time and money. The average length of proceedings would decrease considerably.” Currently, EU citizens and businesses that want to have a judgment given in the EU to be recognised and enforced in a non-EU country face numerous legal issues due to the absence of an international framework. This legal uncertainty as well as the associated costs may cause businesses and citizens to give up on pursuing their claims or decide not to engage in international dealings altogether. The Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters, adopted in July 2019, offers a comprehensive legal framework with clear rules as to the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. The Commission’s proposal will now have to be adopted by the Council, with the European Parliament’s consent, for the EU to join the Convention. More information on the International Cooperation on Civil Justice is available here. (For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 229 62253; Katarzyna Kolanko – Tel.: +32 229 63444; Jördis Ferroli – Tel.: +32 229 92729)

According to Frank Woud (e-CODEX Community and External Relations Manager, Ministry of Justice and Security, The Netherlands):

The full potential of the European e-commerce market has not yet been reached. While consumers feel safer buying from online stores within the borders of their own country rather than from other European countries, European traders experience a range of challenges of their own, such as the lack of a level playing field and the overwhelming complexity of the legal and judicial system. Justice is the sine qua non for trade, and e-commerce will only be able to reach its full potential in Europe when justice permeates the digital realm. e-CODEX, the digital platform for cross-border legal data exchange within the European Union (EU), plays an important role in this regard. The mission of e-CODEX is to make cross-border justice accessible for all citizens and businesses within the EU.

To further this pursuit, e-CODEX hosted on 25 November 2020 an online roundtable discussion about e-justice as an enabler for cross-border e-commerce in Europe. The webcast of the roundtable discussion can be viewed here.

The e-Commerce Meets Justice White Paper is a representation of the facts and opinions expressed by the panel members. The panel was composed of Margarita Touch (Information Officer at DG JUST), Luca Cassetti (Secretary General of Ecommerce Europe), Marco Velicogna (Researcher at Institute of Legal Informatics and Judicial Systems of the National Research Council of Italy), and Hans van Grieken (Senior Technology Researcher at Capgemini, Gartner and Deloitte).

Their contributions to the White Paper discuss: e-commerce and developments triggered by the pandemic, the SMEs heavy reliance on platforms for cross-border e-commerce, the legal aspects of inter-European e-commerce, alternative dispute resolution means, and the role of e-justice in supporting cross-border e-commerce and building consumers’ trust.

More information on e-CODEX can be found here.

La Cour de justice de l’Union européenne se penche sur une action engagée par un ressortissant polonais alléguant que le contenu d’un article diffusé sur un site internet d’un journal allemand porte atteinte à son identité de citoyen polonais et à sa dignité, bien qu’il ne soit pas nommément visé par l’article.

en lire plus

La Cour européenne des droits de l’homme a déclaré, le 8 juillet, irrecevables les recours de Mme Quintanel et de quatorze anciens fonctionnaires qui contestaient le traitement par les juridictions administratives françaises de leurs demandes d’indemnisation pour violation du droit de l’Union européenne.

en lire plus

 

Problemy Prawa Prywatnego Mi?dzynarodowego is the leading Polish periodical in the field of private international law. While most of its articles are in Polish, Vol. 26 (2020) offers a treat to those of us not fluent in Polish: a collection of articles, most in English (one in French, three in Polish), by leading European scholars, and dedicated to one topic: EU Regulation 650/12 of 4 July 2012, the Succession Regulation. The contributions emerge from a conference held in Katowice in 2019 (a conference report is included). What makes the treat particularly sweet: the whole issue, as well as the individual articles, are available online!

Here is the table of contents:

 

Foreword Maciej Szpunar 7-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.01   PDF (English) STUDIA La réserve héréditaire dans le re`glement 650/2012 sur les successions Paul Lagarde 9-14 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.02   PDF (Français (France)) “Member States” and “Third States” in the Succession Regulation Jürgen Basedow 15-25 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.03   PDF (English) Application of the Succession Regulation by German courts — Selected Issues Christian Kohler 27-43 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.04   PDF (English) The Notion of “Court” under the Succession Regulation Michael Wilderspin 45-56 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.05   PDF (English) The Capacity and the Quality of Heir. Possible Interaction with Preliminary Questions Stefania Bariatti 57-70 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.06   PDF (English) The Regulation on Matrimonial Property and Its Operation in Succession Cases — Its Interaction with the Succession Regulation and Its Impact on Non-participating Member States Andrea Bonomi 71-89 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.07   PDF (English) The Influence of Bilateral Treaties with Third States on Jurisdiction and Recognition of Decisions in Matters on Succession — Polish Perspective Piotr Rylski 91-105 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.08   PDF (English) The Principle of a Single Estate and Its Role in Delimiting the Applicable Laws Krzysztof Pacu?a 107-123 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.09   PDF (English) Highlights and Pitfalls of the EU Succession Regulation Maksymilian Pazdan, Maciej Zachariasiewicz 125-187 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.10   PDF (English) Prawo w?a?ciwe dla czynno?ci prawnych zwi?zanych z zarz?dem sukcesyjnym Jacek Górecki 189-208 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.11   PDF GLOSY Glosa do postanowienia S?du Najwy?szego z dnia 23 marca 2016 r., sygn. akt: III CZP 112/15 Agata Kozio? 209-221 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.12   PDF Kolizyjnoprawna problematyka skuteczno?ci przelewu wierzytelno?ci wobec osób trzecich Glosa do wyroku Trybuna?u Sprawiedliwo?ci Unii Europejskiej z dnia 9 pa?dziernika 2019 r. w sprawie BGL BNP Paribas SA c/a TeamBank AG Nürnberg (C?548/18) Witold Kurowski 223-236 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.13   PDF VARIA Honorary Doctorate for Professor Paul Lagarde and the meeting of the European Group for Private International Law Maciej Szpunar, Maciej Zachariasiewicz, Krzysztof Pacu?a 237-240 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.14   PDF (English) Report from the conference ”Application of the Succession Regulation in the EU Member States”, Katowice 12 September 2019 Krzysztof Pacu?a 241-252 DOI: https://doi.org/10.31261/PPPM.2020.26.15   PDF (English)

 

Membership in the European Association of Private International Law entails the payment of a (small) annual fee. Fees are due on 31 January every year.

For more information (and practical details on how to pay), please visit this page.

Most of the 336 current members have already paid their fees for 2021. Those who haven’t are invited to do so as soon as practical. Thank you!

For any queries concerning the fees, please write an e-mail to the EAPIL Treasures, Apostolos Anthimos, at treasurer@eapil.org.

Thelen Technopark Berlin
Principes du droit communautaire
Selon l’avocat général Maciej Szpunar, une juridiction nationale saisie d’un litige entre particuliers ayant pour objet une demande fondée sur une disposition nationale fixant des tarifs minimaux applicables à des prestataires de services d’une manière contraire à la directive « services » doit laisser inappliquée cette disposition nationale

Commission / Espagne
Résidents fiscaux en Espagne : selon l’avocat général Saugmandsgaard Øe, sont contraires au droit de l’Union les amendes forfaitaires infligées en cas d’inexécution ou d’exécution tardive de l’obligation d’information concernant la détention de biens et droits à l’étranger 

Pologne / Parlement et Conseil
Selon l’avocat général Saugmandsgaard Øe, l’article 17 de la directive 2019/790 sur le droit d’auteur et les droits voisins dans le marché unique numérique est compatible avec la liberté d’expression et d’information garantie à l’article 11 de la charte des droits fondamentaux de l’Union européenne

Volvo e.a.
Espace de liberté, sécurité et justice
Entente sur les prix de vente des poids lourds : la Cour précise les juridictions compétentes pour statuer sur des actions en réparation

A (Soins de santé publics)
Citoyenneté européenne
La Cour confirme le droit des citoyens de l’Union économiquement inactifs, résidant dans un État membre autre que leur État membre d’origine, d’être affiliés au système public d’assurance maladie de l’État membre d’accueil

Commission / Landesbank Baden-Württemberg et CRU
Politique économique
La décision du Conseil de résolution unique sur le calcul des contributions ex ante au Fonds de résolution unique pour 2017 est annulée à l’égard de Landesbank Baden-Württemberg pour insuffisance de motivation

Tartu Vangla
Principes du droit communautaire
La réglementation estonienne prévoyant une impossibilité absolue de maintenir dans ses fonctions un agent pénitentiaire dont l’acuité auditive ne répond pas à des seuils de perception sonore minimaux sans permettre de vérifier s’il est en mesure de remplir ses fonctions est contraire au droit de l’Union

The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland
DISC
La réglementation britannique sur le crédit universel, qui prive de ce dernier les citoyens de l’Union disposant d’un droit de séjour sur la base du régime instauré dans le contexte du Brexit, mais ne satisfaisant pas à toutes les conditions de la directive 2004/38, est compatible avec le principe d’égalité de traitement garanti par le droit de l’Union