ECLI:NL:RBROT:2015:7496

Datum: 14-10-2015

Onderwerp: Termijnen BW

Rechtsgebiedenregister: Vastgoedrecht

Vindplaats: Extern

Summary in EnglishIncidental proceedings on jurisdiction. Köpcke, domiciled in the Netherlands, has filed a claim with the Rotterdam District Court against Sodexo (Sodexho), domiciled in Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (Sharjah), demanding payment of invoices. These invoices pertain to an agreement, the ‘Service Level Agreement’, involving the delivery, for the benefit of troops that are stationed in Afghanistan, of various consumables, water and non food products. It also involves the transportation of these goods to Afghanistan, their warehousing in Kabul, Afghanistan, and their distribution further into Afghanistan. Sodexo (Sodexho) denies the applicability of the choice of forum clause providing for jurisdiction of the Rotterdam Disctrict Court as laid down in the ‘General Terms and Conditions of Sale, Delivery and Payment’ of Köpcke. Article 23 of the Brussels I Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 44/2001 of Council of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters). Principle of severability of the choice of forum clause. Formal requirements under (b) and (c) of article 23 of the Brussels I Regulation. In its ruling, the Court has ordered Köpcke to prove that in the international trade of consumer products it is common practice that a choice of forum clause is included in the general terms and conditions and that these general terms and conditions are declared applicable by means of a reference to these general terms and conditions in the text of quotations, invoices and in written correspondence, so that it can be said that the formal requirement under (c) of article 23 of the Brussels I Regulation is fulfilled. In the event Köpcke would fail to deliver this proof, the jurisdiction of the Rotterdam District Court will solely be settled in accordance with Dutch private international law, because Sodexo (Sodexho) is not domiciled within a member State of the Brussels I Regulation. Article 6, section a, Dutch Code of Civil Procedure (DCCP) stipulates: “The Courts of the Netherlands also have jurisdiction in cases relating to: a. contractual obligations, if the obligation that is the basis for the claim has been performed or should have been performed in the Netherlands.” Article 6a, sections a and b, DCCP stipulates:“Unless otherwise agreed, the place of article 6, section a, is located in the Netherlands: a. in case of delivery of goods, if, under the contract, the goods have been delivered of should have been delivered in the Netherlands;b. in case of provision of services, if, under the contract, the services have been provided or should have been provided in the Netherlands.” Incoterms (laid down in general terms and conditions). The so-called foreseeability requirement as interpreted by, among others, the Court of Justice of the European Union is not fulfilled. Therefore, there is no basis for jurisdiction of the courts of the Netherlands according to articles 6, section a, and 6a DCCP. Furthermore, these courts have neither jurisdiction on the basis of the so-called forum necessitatis rules of article 9, sections a and b, DCCP, since Köpcke has not fulfilled the burden of proof that rests upon him that there is no available court (in a jurisdictional sense) or accessible court (in a practical sense) outside the Netherlands. Bevoegdheidsincident. Internationale bevoegdheid. Service Level Agreement. Het in Nederland gevestigde Köpcke sluit een overeenkomst met het in Afghanistan en de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten (Sharjah) gevestigde Sodexo (Sodexho) voor de levering aan Sodexo (Sodexho), ten behoeve van in Afghanistan gelegerde troepen, van diverse consumptieartikelen, water en non food producten, inclusief het vervoer naar Afghanistan, de opslag in Kabul en de distributie daarvan en vordert betaling van Sodexo (Sodexho) onder deze overeenkomst. Sodexo (Sodexho) betwist de rechtsgeldigheid van de forumkeuze voor de rechtbank Rotterdam in de algemene voorwaarden van Köpcke, de ‘General Terms and Conditions of Sale, Delivery and Payment’ . Artikel 23 EEX-Verordening (EEX-Vo). Beginsel van separabiliteit van de forumkeuze. Vormvereisten onder b en c van artikel 23 EEX-Vo. Bewijsopdracht aan Sodexo (Sodexho), in het kader van het vormvereiste onder c van artikel 23 EEx-Vo, dat het in de internationale handel in consumptieartikelen gebruikelijk is dat een forumkeuze is opgenomen in algemene voorwaarden en dat deze algemene voorwaarden van toepassing worden verklaard door verwijzing naar deze algemene voorwaarden op offertes, op facturen en in correspondentie. Nederlands commuun internationaal bevoegdheidsrecht. Artikel 6 Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering (Rv). Incoterms (in algemene voorwaarden). Voorzienbaarheidvereiste. Forum necessitatis. Artikel 9 onder b en c Rv.