General Report Study JLS/C4/2005/03
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RUPRECHT-KARLS-UNIVERSITÄT HEIDELBERG INSTITUT FÜR AUSLÄNDISCHES UND INTERNATIONALES PRIVAT- UND WIRTSCHAFTSRECHT Study JLS/C4/2005/03 Report on the Application of Regulation Brussels I in the Member States presented by Prof. Dr. Burkhard Hess Prof. Dr. Thomas Pfeiffer and Prof. Dr. Peter Schlosser (Munich) Final Version September 2007 Study JLS/C4/2005/03 I Report on the Application of the Regulation Brus- sels I in the Member States presented by Burkhard Hess, Thomas Pfeiffer and Peter Schlosser1 Table of Contents Table of Contents...................................................................................... I Bibliography ............................................................................................XI List of Abbreviations ......................................................................... XXIX A. Executive Summary ............................................................................ 1 B. Introduction.......................................................................................... 4 I. Methodology, Scope and Aim of the Study .................................... 4 II. Outline of the Study......................................................................... 6 1. The Different Parts......................................................................... 6 2. The Comparative Research........................................................... 6 C. Statistical Data on the Application of the Judgment Regulation in the Member States ................................................................................. 15 I. Availability of Statistical Data........................................................ 15 II. Available Information on the Application of the Judgment Regulation .......................................................................................... 16 1. The Application of the Jurisdictional Rules of the Judgment Regulation by National Courts ......................................................... 16 2. Decisions on the enforceability of foreign judgments................... 20 1 With the support of Dr. Gregor Vollkommer and Dr. Matthias Weller as well as David Bittmann, Frank Felgenträger and Veronika Gärtner. II Study JLS/C4/2005/03 D. Report on the Application of the Judgment Regulation in the Member States........................................................................................ 25 I. The Judgment Regulation in the Present European Law............ 25 1. The Judgment Regulation in the European Judicial Area ............ 25 2. New Instruments in European Procedural Law............................ 27 3. New Challenges for the Judgment Regulation in the European Judicial Area .................................................................................... 28 II. Scope of Article 1 JR ..................................................................... 34 1. Civil and Commercial Matters...................................................... 34 2. Excluded Matters, Article 1 (2) JR ............................................... 38 a) Family and Inheritance Matters ............................................... 38 b) Insolvency Proceedings .......................................................... 41 c) Arbitration and Mediation......................................................... 49 aa) The Comprehensive Exclusion of Arbitration, Article 1 (2) (d) JR ...................................................................................... 49 bb) Information Obtained from the National Reports............... 51 cc) Possible Ways Forward..................................................... 54 dd) The Judgments Regulation and Mediation........................ 65 3. Relationship to Special Conventions, Article 71 JR ..................... 67 III. Jurisdiction.................................................................................... 71 1. General Issues............................................................................. 71 a) Overall Satisfaction ................................................................. 71 b) Sufficiency of the Fact-Specific Grounds for Jurisdiction......... 73 c) Applicability of national law under Article 4 (2) JR................... 75 aa) Discrimination of Non-Member State Parties .................... 75 bb) Effect on EU claimants...................................................... 76 d) Examination ex officio ............................................................. 79 Study JLS/C4/2005/03 III aa) General Aspects................................................................ 79 bb) Relation between Article 26 JR and Article 19 of the Service of Documents Regulation 1348/2000 ...................................... 79 e) Infrastructural and organisational questions............................ 81 aa) Time and Money ............................................................... 81 bb) Procedural Framework – Separate and Preliminary Determination of Jurisdiction ................................................... 83 2. Specific Issues............................................................................. 85 a) Domicile – Determination Pursuant to Articles 2, 59 JR .......... 85 aa) General Evaluation............................................................ 85 bb) Domicile of Companies ..................................................... 88 b) Contractual Obligations. In particular: the Delineation from Matters relating to Torts and Quasi-Delicts ................................. 89 c) In particular: The Place of Performance .................................. 90 aa) General Aspects................................................................ 90 bb) Place of Performance under Article 5 (1) (b) – indent 1 JR91 cc) Place of Performance under Article 5 (1) ( b) – indent 2 JR95 d) Matters relating to Torts and Quasi-Delicts ............................. 95 aa) General Aspects................................................................ 95 bb) Multi-State Cases and the Shevill-Jurisdiction .................. 98 e) Jurisdiction in adhesion to criminal proceedings ................... 101 f) Co-defendants under Article 6 (1) JR..................................... 103 aa) Article 6 (1) JR too broad? .............................................. 103 bb) Article 6 (1) JR too narrow? ............................................ 104 g) Inapplicability of Article 6 (2) and Article 11 JR in Austria, Germany and Hungary (Article 65 JR)....................................... 106 aa) The Different Systems in the Member States.................. 106 IV Study JLS/C4/2005/03 (1) Third Party Proceedings under Article 6 (2) JR ........... 106 (2) Third Party Notice........................................................ 107 (3) Evaluation of the Different Models............................... 110 bb) Third Party Proceedings under the Judgment Regulation111 (1) The Legal Regime of Articles 6, 11 and 65 JR ............ 111 (2) Practical Impacts of Article 65 JR ................................ 113 cc) Possible Improvements ................................................... 116 h) Maritime Matters.................................................................... 121 aa) Introduction ..................................................................... 121 bb) Jurisdiction for General Limitation Proceedings .............. 122 (1) Jurisdiction for Setting up a Liability Fund ................... 122 (2) Limitation of Liability and Recognition of Foreign Judgments ........................................................................ 123 (3) Rules for Limitation Proceedings Ancillary to Individual Claims............................................................................... 126 cc) The Remaining Issues..................................................... 128 (1) Bills of Lading .............................................................. 128 (2) Provisional Seizure of Seagoing Vessels .................... 132 (3) Consolidation of Litigations.......................................... 134 (4) Actions based on Tort and Contract in particular......... 134 (5) Collision, Salvage and General Average ..................... 135 (6) Provisional and Protective Measures........................... 135 (7) Principal Place of Business of Ship Owners ................ 136 (8) Forum Arresti............................................................... 136 i) Insurance, Consumer and Employment Matters .................... 137 aa) Introduction ..................................................................... 137 bb) Section 3, Insurance Matters .......................................... 137 Study JLS/C4/2005/03 V cc) Section 4, Consumer Protection...................................... 139 dd) Section 5, Employment Matters ...................................... 148 3. Exclusive Jurisdiction................................................................. 154 a) General Aspects.................................................................... 154 b) Rights in Rem as to Immovable Property .............................. 154 aa) Exclusive Jurisdiction ...................................................... 155 bb) Holiday Homes................................................................ 156 c) Exclusive Jurisdiction over Company Matters (Article 22 (2) JR)157 aa) General Aspects.............................................................. 157 bb) Definition of the Seat....................................................... 157 4. Choice of Forum Agreements...................................................