Case C-242/20: Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 9 December 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Visoki trgovački sud Republike Hrvatske — Croatia) — HRVATSKE ŠUME d.o.o., Zagreb, successor in title to HRVATSKE ŠUME javno poduzeće za gospodarenje šumama i šumskim zemljištima u Republici Hrvatskoj p.o., Zagreb v BP Europa SE, successor in title to Deutsche BP AG, in turn successor in title to The Burmah Oil (Deutschland) GmbH (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Judicial cooperation in civil matters — Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 — Article 5(3) — Concept of ‘matters relating to tort, delict or quasi-delict’ — Judicial enforcement proceedings — Action for recovery of sums unduly paid based on unjust enrichment — Article 22(5) — Enforcement of judgments — Exclusive jurisdiction)
Date: 2021-12-09
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: claim, enforcement of ruling, judicial cooperation in civil matters in the EU, jurisdiction, liability








C_2022073EN.01000302.xml










14.2.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 73/3






Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 9 December 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Visoki trgovački sud Republike Hrvatske — Croatia) — HRVATSKE ŠUME d.o.o., Zagreb, successor in title to HRVATSKE ŠUME javno poduzeće za gospodarenje šumama i šumskim zemljištima u Republici Hrvatskoj p.o., Zagreb v BP Europa SE, successor in title to Deutsche BP AG, in turn successor in title to The Burmah Oil (Deutschland) GmbH
(Case C-242/20) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Judicial cooperation in civil matters - Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 - Article 5(3) - Concept of ‘matters relating to tort, delict or quasi-delict’ - Judicial enforcement proceedings - Action for recovery of sums unduly paid based on unjust enrichment - Article 22(5) - Enforcement of judgments - Exclusive jurisdiction)
(2022/C 73/04)
Language of the case: Croatian

Referring court

Visoki trgovački sud Republike Hrvatske

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicant and appellant: HRVATSKE ŠUME d.o.o., Zagreb, successor in title to HRVATSKE ŠUME javno poduzeće za gospodarenje šumama i šumskim zemljištima u Republici Hrvatskoj p.o., Zagreb

Defendant and respondent: BP Europa SE, successor in title to Deutsche BP AG, in turn successor in title to The Burmah Oil (Deutschland) GmbH

Operative part of the judgment







1.


Article 22(5) of Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters must be interpreted as meaning that an action for restitution based on unjust enrichment does not come within the exclusive jurisdiction provided for by that provision, even though it was brought on account of the expiry of the time limit within which restitution of sums unduly paid in enforcement proceedings may be claimed in the context of the same enforcement proceedings.










2.


Article 5(3) of Regulation No 44/2001 must be interpreted as meaning that an action for restitution based on unjust enrichment does not fall within the scope of the ground of jurisdiction laid down in that provision.






(1)  OJ C 262, 10.8.2020.