COMMISSIONE RAPPORTI INTERNAZIONALI ORDINE DEGLI AVVOCATI DI MILANO TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN EU a cura di Alberto Venezia e-book gratuito COMMISSIONE RAPPORTI INTERNAZIONALI ORDINE DEGLI AVVOCATI DI MILANO TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN EU a cura di Alberto Venezia ISBN 9788814228520 © Copyright Dott. A. Giuffrè Editore, S.p.A. Milano - 2018 Via Busto Arsizio, 40 - 20151 MILANO - Sito Internet: www.giuffre.it La traduzione, l’adattamento totale o parziale, la riproduzione con qualsiasi mezzo (compresi i microfilm, i film, le fotocopie), nonché la memorizzazione elettronica, sono riservati per tutti i Paesi. INDICE Presentazione di Remo Danovi ............................ XI Prefazione di Mario Dusi................................ XV Introduction by Alberto Venezia............................ XVII Chapter I TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN ITALY by Alberto Venezia 1. Preface ....................................... 1 1.1. Franchising and Dealership within distribution contracts’ category. 2 2. The Franchising Contract: Characteristics and Types ............ 9 2.1. National Regulations: Law 129/2004.................. 11 2.1.1. Mandatory Application of Law 129/2004: Exclusion .... 18 2.2. Network belonging and appearance principle ............ 20 2.3. Economic Dependency Abuse ..................... 21 2.4. Duration of the Contract ........................ 22 2.5. Immediate Termination Clause and Minimum Sales Volume.... 25 2.6. Contract termination: termination indemnity, non-competing clause and stock ................................. 28 3. Dealership Contract: characteristics and atypical nature........... 29 3.1. National Regulations: application by analogy of supply contract regulation ................................. 33 3.2. Exclusive Right .............................. 34 3.3. Duration of the Contract ........................ 36 3.4. Immediate Termination Clause and Minimum Sales Volume.... 37 3.5. Termination of the Contract and Termination Indemnity...... 39 3.6. Stock and the Right to Repurchase................... 39 Chapter II TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN AUSTRIA by Josef Wolff 1. Franchising: legal regulation........................... 41 VI INDICE 1.1. Network belonging and the appearance principle .......... 43 1.2. Economic dependency abuse ...................... 44 1.3. Contract duration............................. 47 1.4. Termination clause and minimum target ............... 48 1.5. Contract termination: termination indemnity and / or compensation ............................... 49 2. Distributorship — “Vertragshändlergeschäft”: legal regulation ....... 51 2.1. Exclusivity Clause — “Alleinvertriebsrecht” and “Gebietsschutz”. 53 2.2. Duration of contracts — Termination clause and minimum target. 55 2.3. Contract termination: termination indemnity and/or compensation. 56 2.4. Stock after termination of the contract: rights and obligations of the parties ................................... 57 3. Conclusion..................................... 58 Chapter III TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN BELGIUM by Anna Gibello 1. Introduction .................................... 60 2. Pre-contractual Information in Belgium and Commercial Partnership Agreements .................................... 61 2.1. Objectives of the Legislation ...................... 61 2.2. Scope.................................... 61 2.3. Pre-contractual Obligations under Title 2 of Book X of the CEL . 64 2.4. Sanctions.................................. 67 2.5. Overriding Mandatory Provisions ................... 68 3. Distribution Agreements............................. 69 3.1. Definition of Distribution Agreement ................. 69 3.2. Form and Proof of a Distribution Agreement ............ 70 3.3. The Provisions of Title 3 of Book X CEL (f/k/a Law of 27 July 1961) .................................... 71 3.3.1. General Context.......................... 71 3.3.2. Scope ................................ 71 3.4. Termination of Distribution Agreements of Indefinite Term .... 73 3.4.1. Introduction ............................ 73 3.4.2. Termination for Serious Fault .................. 74 3.4.2.1. Serious Fault....................... 74 3.4.2.2. Judicial Resolution ................... 75 3.4.2.3. Specific Resolutory Clauses .............. 76 3.4.3. Termination other than for Serious Fault ........... 77 3.4.3.1. Notice and Indemnity in Lieu of Notice....... 77 3.4.3.2. Additional Indemnity.................. 83 3.5. Inventory and Equipment upon Termination ............. 86 3.6. Non-compete Clauses .......................... 87 3.7. Fixed Term Distribution Agreements ................. 88 INDICE VII 3.8. Sub-distributors.............................. 89 3.9. Are the Provisions of Title 3 of Book X of the CEL immediately applicable mandatory provisions? ................... 90 3.9.1. Under the 1961 Law ....................... 90 3.9.2. The Provisions of Title 3 of Book X of the CEL ....... 94 4. The Franchise Agreement ............................ 95 4.1. Definition and Characteristics of the Franchise Agreement ..... 95 4.2. Types of Franchise and Distinction with Distribution ........ 96 4.3. Legal Framework ............................. 98 4.4. Formation of the Franchise Agreement ................ 100 4.5. Performance of the Franchise Agreement ............... 101 4.5.1. The Parties’ Obligations ..................... 101 4.5.2. Non-compete Clauses....................... 102 4.6. Term and Termination of the Agreement and Indemnities upon Termination ................................ 103 4.6.1. Term ................................ 103 4.6.2. End of the Agreement ...................... 104 4.6.2.1. Fixed Term Franchise Agreements .......... 105 4.6.2.2. Franchise Agreements of Indefinite Term ...... 106 4.6.3. Are Goodwill Indemnities due upon Termination?...... 107 4.7. Post-contractual Obligations: Removal of Distinctive Signs, Return of Inventory, Non-compete ....................... 108 4.7.1. Obligation to Remove all Distinctive Signs which refer to the Franchisor Brand or its Network ................ 108 4.7.2. Return of the Inventory ..................... 109 4.7.3. Non-compete and Post-contractual Affiliation Clauses .... 109 Chapter IV TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN GERMANY by Robert Budde 1. Introduction .................................... 111 1.1. Common elements ............................ 112 1.2. Particularities ............................... 114 1.3. Differentiation............................... 116 2. Termination and Post-Contractual Wind-Up of Distributorship and Fran- chise Agreements ................................. 117 2.1. Termination ................................ 117 2.1.1. Compelling or important reason ................ 120 2.1.2. Special case: termination due to the other contracting party’s economic failure.......................... 122 2.1.3. Form and deadline for termination without notice ...... 124 2.1.4. Consequences of an unjustified termination without notice . 125 3. Protection of investments ............................ 126 4. Post-contractual wind-up — compensation claims in particular ...... 128 VIII INDICE Chapter V TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN NETHERLANDS by Hans Urlus 1. Introduction .................................... 139 2. Duration of the Agreement ........................... 140 3. Terms and Conditions of an Agreement.................... 141 4. Legislation on Termination ........................... 142 5. Termination of the Agreement ......................... 143 Chapter VI TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN UK by Rocco Franco 1. Introduction .................................... 149 2. Franchising .................................... 150 3. Termination .................................... 157 Chapter VII TERMINATION OF FRANCHISING AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS IN SPAIN by Fernando Sales Bellido and Maria Dominguez Delgado (coauthor for franchise agreement) I. THE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT ............................. 176 1. Regulation: Atypical Agreement and Analogical Application of the Laws Regulating Other Agreements.......................... 176 1.1. Regulations ................................ 176 1.2. Concept .................................. 178 1.3. Analogical application of the AAA ................... 179 1.3.1. Preliminary considerations .................... 179 1.3.2. Analogy. Requirements for its application ........... 180 1.3.3. Same ratio?............................. 181 2. Non-competition clause ............................. 183 2.1. Definition ................................. 183 2.2. Normative fit. Lawfulness ........................ 183 2.3. Ancillary nature.............................. 184 2.4. Autonomy ................................. 185 2.5. Defining characteristics of the clause.................. 186 2.6. Subjective change in the non-competition agreement ........ 187 2.7. Limits ................................... 188 INDICE IX 2.7.1. Temporal limit........................... 188 2.7.2. Spatial limit ............................ 191 2.7.3. Public interest limit ........................ 192 3. Contract period .................................. 194 4. Contract termination. Special reference to minimum purchase clauses . 195 4.1. Termination by expiration of the term. Automatic termination of the contract ................................ 195 4.2. Unilateral termination of the