Germany

On behalf of the team

In October 2020, the Regional Court of Hanover decided to ask the European Court of Justice for guidance on the scope of the decision of the European Commission regarding the truck cartel. [1]Landgericht Hanover 19 October 2020, 13 O 24/19, ECLI:DE:LGHANNO:2020:1019.13O24.19.00. The Regional Court of Hanover is requesting clarification on the scope of vehicles (“products”) covered by the decision and on whether these also include specific types of vehicles, such as rubbish trucks and fire engines. The answer to that question will enable the court to determine the extent to which the European Commission’s decision is binding. The decision to refer was published on 14 October 2020 and stems from a damages lawsuit brought before the Regional Court of Hanover by a German municipality. According to the decision to refer, the literal text of the European Commission’s decision is unclear, leaving room for different interpretations. The court also refers to the content of an information request directed to the truck manufacturers by the European Commission in 2015, which seems to exclude information on “special vehicles”. According to the Regional Court of Hanover, the questions need to be clearly resolved at this stage as the answers will determine the success or failure of the case presently before the court and will also be important in future proceedings.