Comparative study on the situation in the 27 Member States as regards the law applicable to non-contractual obligations arising out of violations of privacy and rights relating to personality. JLS/2007/C4/028. Final Report COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE SITUATION IN THE 27 MEMBER STATES AS REGARDS THE LAW APPLICABLE TO NON-CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS ARISING OUT OF VIOLATIONS OF PRIVACY AND RIGHTS RELATING TO PERSONALITY Customer: European Commission Directorate General Justice and Home Affairs Directorate C: Civil Justice, Rights and Citizenship Date: February 2009 Our Reference: Privacy Study. Final Report. 1 Comparative study on the situation in the 27 Member States as regards the law applicable to non-contractual obligations arising out of violations of privacy and rights relating to personality. JLS/2007/C4/028. Final Report Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................4 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................5 2 FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY...................................................................................................10 2.1 CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK......................................................................................................10 2.2 THE LEGAL BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................12 2.2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................12 2.2.2 International Legal Jurisdiction. Regulation 44/2001.....................................................................................15 2.2.3 Applicable law................................................................................................................................................17 2.2.4 An ex-ante look at the problems of which rules of law apply.........................................................................21 3 STUDY METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................24 3.1 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................24 3.1.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................24 3.1.2 Methodological summary...............................................................................................................................24 3.1.3 The timing......................................................................................................................................................26 3.1.4 The Results ...................................................................................................................................................28 3.1.4.1 Distribution of answers........................................................................................................................28 3.1.4.2 Information-gathering procedure.........................................................................................................31 3.1.5 Interactions with Media and Press Associations ...........................................................................................31 3.2 THE TEAM FOR THE STUDY......................................................................................................35 4 STUDY FINDINGS........................................................................................................................36 4.1 ‘CURRENT INTERESTS’: PERSONALITY RIGHTS VERSUS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION ........................36 4.2 COMPARED VISION OF THE PERSONALITY RIGHTS OF THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EU (SUBSTANTIVE FORMATIVE REGULATION IN THE LEGAL SYSTEMS OF THE MEMBER STATES) ........................42 4.3 THE GRADUAL HARMONISATION/UNIFICATION OF NON-CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION 52 4.4 EUROPEAN PRIVACY LAW AND ALLEGED INFRINGEMENTS OF PERSONALITY RIGHTS ......................55 4.4.1 International judicial competence of the courts of the Member States..........................................................55 4.4.1.1 Substantive scope of the jurisdiction of special competence..............................................................55 4.4.1.2 Autonomous concept of criminal or quasi-criminal subject matter of Article 5.3. R 44/2001 ..............55 4.4.1.3 Legal qualification of the place where the damaging act occurs or could occur and illicit acts against private life 56 4.4.2 The law applying to non-contractual obligations deriving from acts against personality rights. The conventional European and Community rules in the area of non-contractual civil liability............................................58 4.4.2.1 Agreement 108 of the Council of Europe............................................................................................61 4.4.2.2 Directive 95/46/EEC............................................................................................................................61 4.4.2.3 Rome II Regulation .............................................................................................................................67 4.4.2.4 Exclusion of defamation from Rome II ................................................................................................72 i. Legislative proposals prior to the adoption of Rome II ..................................................................................72 ii. The end result: exclusion of the issue ..................................................................................................................76 4.5 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CONFLICT-OF-LAW RULES IN THE NATIONAL LAW OF EU MEMBER STATES 77 4.5.1 An overview...................................................................................................................................................77 4.5.2 General rules.................................................................................................................................................79 4.5.2.1 Rule of ‘Lex loci delicti commissi’........................................................................................................79 4.5.2.2 ‘Double actionability’ rule. ...................................................................................................................89 2 Comparative study on the situation in the 27 Member States as regards the law applicable to non-contractual obligations arising out of violations of privacy and rights relating to personality. JLS/2007/C4/028. Final Report 4.5.3 Special conflict-of-laws rules for non-contractual civil obligations arising from media infringement of privacy and other personality rights...........................................................................................................................................94 4.5.4 Exceptions to the general rule of the ‘lex loci delicti commissi’ ...................................................................100 4.5.4.1 Freedom of choice ............................................................................................................................101 4.5.4.2 Common nationality or habitual residence........................................................................................102 4.5.4.3 Closest links......................................................................................................................................104 4.5.4.4 Habitual residence of the injured party .............................................................................................105 4.5.5 Conflict-of-laws rules substantially aimed at protection of the injured person.............................................107 4.5.6 Limits on the application of foreign law........................................................................................................110 4.5.7 Summary table ............................................................................................................................................112 ON THE NEXT PAGE WE PRESENT A TABLE DESIGNED TO GIVE A SIMPLIFIED OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC. FOR DETAILS, READERS SHOULD CONSULT THE SECTION ABOVE ON THE SITUATION IN EACH MEMBER STATE.............................................................................................112 4.6 ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE SURVEYS CARRIED OUT FOR THE STUDY ...........114 4.6.1 The quantitative questionnaire ....................................................................................................................114 4.6.2 The qualitative questionnaire.......................................................................................................................115 4.7 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE ......................................................140 5 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................151 ANNEX I........................................................... THE QUESTIONNAIRES USED IN THE SURVEY ANNEX II.................................................................................... SURVEY ANSWERS RECEIVED ANNEX III.........................................................................................EU 27 NATIONAL