By Maurice NUSSENBAUM, published in LA SEMAINE JURIDIQUE – ENTREPRISE ET AFFAIRES – MAY 2022 – © LEXISNEXIS SA
Since Directive 2014/104/EU of 26 November 2014 (the Directive) and its transposition into French law on 9 March 2017, the CJEU has been pursuing the objective of making remedies for private damages more effective. To this end, it has sought to remove certain evidential obstacles for victims.
Although the case law relating to these provisions is still recent in France – as they apply only to cases brought after their entry into force – there are already enough examples of their application to allow for an initial assessment.
The decisions examined illustrate various aspects of these provisions: the concept of an economic entity (Skanska judgment), the five-year limitation period, the presumption of loss (Dortmund judgment), the issue of compensatory interest and loss of opportunity, the concept of ‘passing’ revisited on several occasions, and the disclosure of documents, which is necessary without infringing upon the preservation of
trade secrets.
It is worth noting that these provisions, although their application has been uneven, have already helped to strengthen the rights of victims in relation to compensation for losses resulting from breaches of competition rules.
See the following decisions:
Paris Court of Appeal, Chamber 5, Division 4, 10 May 2017, No. 15/05918: JurisData No. 2017-029329
Dortmund Regional Court, 30 September 2020, 8 O 115/14 (Kart), paras. 135–160
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 5, 27 February 2014, No. 10/18285, SNC Doux Aliments Bretagne v Ajinomoto: JurisData No. 2014-003551
Danish Maritime and Commercial Court, 15 Jan. 2015, No. SH2015.U-0004-07, A/S Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals BV et al.
Competition Authority, Decision No. 10-D-39, 22 Dec. 2010
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 28 Feb. 2018, No. 15/11824, B. and EMC2 v. SA Signaux Girod et al. – See Commercial Court of Cassation, 27 Jan. 2021, No. 18-16.279 (dismissed).
R. Amaro and B. Thomas, ‘Litigation concerning remedies for anti-competitive practices (Dec. 2019–May 2020)’: Concurrences No. 3-2020, pp. 216–218, paras. 27–42.
CJEU, 5 July 2018, Case C-27/17, Fly LAL: JurisData No. 2018-012418; Europe 2018, comm. 405, note by L. Idot; Procédures 2018, comment 290, by C. Nourissat.
Paris Commercial Court, 3rd Chamber, 20 February 2020, No. 2017021571, SAS Provera France and others v SA Groupe Lactalis and others.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 6 February 2019, No. 17/04101, SARL Doux Aliments v SA Roullier and SAS Timab Industries: Contracts, consumer contracts 2019, comm. 89, obs. G. Decocq. – Paris Court of Appeal, 23 June 2021, No. 17/04101.
Rennes Commercial Court, 12 Jan. 2017, No. 2015F00497.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 6 Feb. 2019, No. 17/04101, SARL Doux Aliments v SA Roullier and SAS Timab Industries: Contracts, Consumer Law 2019, p. 89, comment by G. Decocq.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 23 June 2021, No. 17/04101, SARL Doux Aliments v SA Cie financière et de participations Roullier, SAS Timab Industries.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 28 February 2018, No. 15/11824, B. and EMC2 v. Signaux Girod SA et al.
Commercial Court of Cassation, 27 January 2021, No. 18-16.279, EMC2.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 14 April 2021, No. 19/19448, SASU Johnson & Johnson v SAS Carrefour France
Paris Commercial Court, 15th Chamber, 23 September 2019, No. 2017013944: JurisData No. 2019-025241.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 11 April 2018, No. 14/14758, SCP B. R. v Orange: JurisData No. 2018-005676
Commercial Court of Cassation, 4 December 2001, No. 99-16.642: JurisData No. 2001-012012.
Commercial Court of Cassation, 23 March 2010, Nos. 08-20.427 and 08-21.768: JurisData No. 2010-002593; Comm. com. électr. 2010, comm. 122, M. Chagny. – Commercial Court of Cassation, 3 June 2014, No. 12-29.482: JurisData No. 2014-012123.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 23 February 2022, Case No. 19/19239.
Paris Commercial Court, 11 June 2019, Case No. 2013004738.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 12 September 2018, No. 18/04914, GIE Pari Mutuel Urbain v Betclic
Paris Regional Court, 22 Feb 2018, No. 15/09129: JurisData No. 2018-004044
CJEU, 12 December 2019, Case C-435/18, cited above;
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 17 June 2020, No. 17/23041, SA Digicel Antilles Françaises Guyane v SA Orange;
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 14 December 2016, No. 13/08975: JurisData No. 2016-031086
Commercial Chamber of the Court of Cassation, 29 January 2020, No. 17-15.156.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 10 May 2017, No. 15/05918, Outremer Telecom v Orange: JurisData No. 2017-029329.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 6 February 2019, No. 17/04101 – § IV 2. 2.1.1.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 23 June 2021, No. 17/04101.
Paris Commercial Court, 15th Chamber, 18 December 2017, No. 2009016849, Digicel Antilles Françaises Guyane v Orange Caraïbes: JurisData No. 2017-029745.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 17 June 2020, No. 17/23041: Contracts, Consumer Law 2020, p. 129, note by D. Bosco.
Paris Commercial Court, 15th Chamber, 4 November 2019, No. 2017013952
Paris Court of Appeal, Chamber 5.4, 24 November 2021, No. 20/04265.
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 5, 27 February 2014, No. 10/18285, SNC Doux Aliments Bretagne et al.: JurisData No. 2014-003551; Contracts, Consumer Law 2014, p. 139
Paris Commercial Court, 29 May 2007
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 5, Chamber 4, 10 June 2009, No. 07/10478
CJEU, 5 June 2014, Case C-557/12, Kone AG and others
EWHC 1994 (Ch) (Supreme Court of England and Wales), 16 July 2018, Suez Groupe SAS and others v Fiat Chrysler and others
European Commission, Decision No C (2016) 4673, 19 July 2016 (Case AT.39824 – Lorries): OJEU No C 108, 6 April 2017
CAT (Competition Appeal Tribunal – UK), 1291/5/7/18 (T), 15 January 2020, Ryder Ltd & Another v MAN SE and others
Paris Commercial Court, 19th Chamber, 28 June 2017, No. 2015/038979: JurisData No. 2017-029240
Commercial Court of Cassation, 8 July 2020, No. 19-25.065
Paris Court of Appeal, Division 1, Chamber 8, 25 October 2019, No. 19/05356
See Commercial Court of Cassation, 23 November 2010, No. 09-71.665: JurisData No. 2010-021985
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