Agrégateur de flux

Entreprises en difficulté (loi du 26 juillet 2005)

Apologies for late reporting. Bot AG opined end of October in C‑210/16 Fansites. [The official name of the case is Unabhängiges Landeszentrum für Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein v Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein GmbH, in the presence of Facebook Ireland Ltd, Vertreter des Bundesinteresses beim Bundesverwaltungsgericht. It’s obvious why one prefers calling it Fansites].

The Advocate-General summarises (para 2-3) the case as involving ‘proceedings between the Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein GmbH, a company governed by private law and specialising in the field of education (‘the Wirtschaftsakademie’), and the Unabhängiges Landeszentrum für Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein, a regional data-protection authority in Schleswig-Holstein (‘ULD’) concerning the lawfulness of an order issued by the latter against the Wirtschaftsakademie requiring it to deactivate a ‘fan page’ hosted on the website of Facebook Ireland Ltd. The reason for that order was the alleged infringement of the provisions of German law transposing Directive 95/46. Specifically, visitors to the fan page were not warned that their personal data are collected by the social network Facebook (‘Facebook’) by means of cookies that are placed on the visitor’s hard disk, the purpose of that data collection being to compile viewing statistics for the administrator of the fan page and to enable Facebook to publish targeted advertisements.’

The case ought to clarify the extent of the powers of intervention of supervisory authorities such as ULD with regard to the processing of personal data which involves the participation of several parties (at 13). I had flagged earlier that this case is relevant to the jurisdictional and applicable law issues involving datr cookies.

Whatever the outcome of the case, its precedent value will be limited by the imminent entry into force of the new General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR. The GDPR clearly introduces a ‘one-stop principle’ with only one lead authority (in FB’s case, Ireland’s data protection agency) having the authority to act (see also the AG’s observation of same in para 103).

As prof Lorna Woods in excellent analysis observes, the issue comes down to the interpretation of the phrase from Art. 4(1)(a), ‘in the context of the activities of an establishment’. Dan Svantesson has most superb analysis of Article 4(1)(a) here, anyone interested in the issue will find his insight most helpful.

Now, the Advocate-General leans heavily on Weltimmo however I would suggest its precedent value for the Fanpages case is constrained. Weltimmo concerned a company set up in Slovakia but with no relevant activities at all in that Member State. Indeed as the Court itself observed (at 16-18) , the company was effectively male fide (my words, not the CJEU’s) moving its servers and creating fog as to its exact whereabouts. In other words a case of blatant abuse. There is no suggestion of abuse in Fanpages. Moreover according to the CJEU in C-230/14 Weltimmo the phrase ‘in the context of the activities of an establishment’ cannot be interpreted restrictively (AG’s reference in para 87), yet that CJEU holding in Weltimmo cross-refers to Google Spain in which the crucial issue was whether EU data protection laws apply at all. That is very different in Weltimmo and in Fanpages. That EU authorities have jurisdiction and that EU privacy law applies is not at issue.

There is sufficient argument to find in the Directive, even before its transformation into the GDPR, that in cases such as these the same processing operation ought to be governed by the laws of just one Member State. It would be good for the CJEU to recognise that even before the entry into force of the GDPR.

Geert.

(Handbook of) EU Private International Law, 2nd ed. 2016, Chapter 2, Heading 2.2.8.2.5.

 

 

Au regard de l’article 7 du règlement portant création d’un titre exécutoire européen pour les créances incontestées, une décision exécutoire sur le montant des frais de justice, contenue dans un jugement ne portant pas sur une créance incontestée, ne peut pas être certifiée en tant que titre exécutoire européen.

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La Cour européenne des droits de l’homme (CEDH) énonce que les États signataires bénéficient d’une « marge d’appréciation étendue » pour déterminer si un mariage entre homosexuels contracté à l’étranger peut être enregistré comme tel en droit interne. 

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Séparation des pouvoirs

Majeur protégé

Vega González
SOPO
Un travailleur à durée déterminée élu à une fonction parlementaire doit pouvoir bénéficier, en vue d’exercer son mandat politique, du même congé spécial que celui accordé à un fonctionnaire

Vaditrans
Transport
Dans le secteur des transports routiers, les conducteurs ne peuvent pas prendre le temps de repos hebdomadaire normal auquel ils ont droit à bord de leur véhicule

By the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)

Register your interest now at www.HCCH125.org, and receive all the latest information about the global conference “HCCH 125 — Ways Forward: Challenges and Opportunities in an Increasingly Connected World”.

This global conference gathers world-leading experts who will discuss the opportunities for, and challenges to, private international law. Through interactive “Davos Style” sessions, participants will not only hear from these experts, but can also participate actively in each session.

The key note speaker Prof Jürgen Basedow, emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, will be joined by a stellar cast of confirmed moderators and speakers, including Sir Lawrence Collins, Lord Collins of Mapesbury; Professor Richard Fentiman; Professor Linda Silberman and many other distinguished authorities, hailing from practice, judiciary and government. The up-to-date list of all experts will be available soon on the website.

The event, which will be held in Hong Kong SAR, China, from 18 -20 April 2018, and is organised by the HCCH with the generous support of the Department of Justice of Hong Kong SAR, will give all participants the unique opportunity to hear from world-leading experts and contribute actively to a discussion of the future of private international law and the evolution of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, which celebrates its 125th Anniversary in 2018.

You can also keep up-to-date with the HCCH in its quasquicentennial year by following the Organisation’s dedicated Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HCCH125/) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hcch-125/) pages.

Gusa
Sécurité sociale des travailleurs migrants
Un citoyen de l’Union qui, au bout de plus d’un an, a cessé d’exercer une activité indépendante dans un autre État membre du fait d’un manque de travail causé par des raisons indépendantes de sa volonté conserve la qualité de travailleur non salarié et, par conséquent, un droit de séjour dans cet État membre

Eni e.a.
Énergie
Les États membres ne peuvent pas obliger les fournisseurs de gaz naturel à détenir exclusivement sur le territoire national des stocks de gaz naturel suffisants pour satisfaire aux obligations prévues par le règlement de l’Union sur la sécurité de l’approvisionnement en gaz

Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco et Itelazpi / Commission
Aide d'État
La Cour annule la décision de la Commission ordonnant la récupération de l’aide d’État octroyée par l’Espagne aux opérateurs de la plate-forme de télévision terrestre

Schlömp
Espace de liberté, sécurité et justice
Dans les situations où le recours à une procédure de conciliation est obligatoire, une autorité de conciliation suisse chargée de traiter des requêtes en matière civile constitue une juridiction au sens de la convention de Lugano II

Nowak
Rapprochement des législations
Les réponses écrites fournies lors d’un examen professionnel et les éventuelles annotations de l’examinateur relatives à ces réponses constituent des données à caractère personnel du candidat auxquelles il a, en principe, un droit d’accès

Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne
Agriculture
Une glace peut être vendue sous la dénomination « Champagner Sorbet » si cette glace a, comme caractéristique essentielle, un goût généré principalement par le champagne

Schweppes
Rapprochement des législations
La société espagnole Schweppes ne peut pas s’opposer à l’importation de bouteilles d’eau tonique revêtues de la marque « Schweppes » en provenance du Royaume-Uni si elle a elle-même donné l’impression qu’il s’agit d’une marque unique et globale

Sahyouni
Espace de liberté, sécurité et justice
Le règlement Rome III ne détermine pas la loi applicable aux divorces privés

I explained the issue in [2017] EWHC 3104 (Pat) Eli Lily v Genentech in my posting on Chugai v UCB. A defendant in a patent infringement case often tries to make the case that the suit is about patent infringement really: for this obliges the court per GAT v Luk to refer (only the) invalidity issue to the court with exclusive jurisdiction under Article 24(4) Brussels I Recast.

Here, Eli Lily seek a declaration of non infringement of a bundle of European patents held by Genentech, a US-incorporated firm.

Birss J in the case summarises all relevant precedent, including Chugai, to reach the conclusion that the suit can stay in the UK.

Of note is his holding on costs. The English courts do not just review whether the case is currently about validity but also what the likelihood is that it will become one on validity. For if it does later on, Birss J suggests ‘this entire exercise will have been something of a charade‘ (at 84). (Which is not quite the case: even if the validity issue needs to be temporarily outsourced to different courts, the infringement issue may later return to the courts of England).

On this point, Eli Lilly refuse to disclose whether they may seek a ruling on the validity of the patents: they would rather wait to see Genentech’s defence. Not an unacceptable position, but one, High Court does warn, which will have an impact on costs. At 87: ‘I am satisfied that these unusual circumstances mean that it would not be fair to pre-empt what each party may decide to do. There are sufficient uncertainties that the right thing to do is wait and see what happens. However in my firm but necessarily provisional view that wait should be at Lilly’s risk as to costs. If Genentech does counterclaim for infringement, and validity of the non-UK patents is put in issue (here or abroad) in response, then it is very likely that Lilly should bear the whole costs of this application even if they win it in its form today.‘

That latter point is interesting. It’s twice now this week that judgments come to my attention where jurisdictional considerations are clothed in costs implications.

Geert.

(Handbook of ) European Private International Law, 2nd ed. 2016, Chapter 2, Heading 2.2.6.7.

 

As part of a research, financed by an Action Grant of the European Commission, on the amendments of the Brussels I-bis Regulation and the functioning in legal practice, questionnaire are available. The research is conducted by the Asser Institute (the Hague), Erasmus School of Law and the Leibniz Institute (Amsterdam). The researchers are extremely grateful if you could fill these out or forward these to others that might be interested.

The survey is available in Dutch, English, French and German.

 

 

 

Les États membres de l’Union doivent adopter des sanctions dissuasives pour lutter contre les fraudes à la TVA, mais cette lutte ne doit pas entraîner une violation du principe de légalité des délits et des peines. 

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