The Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") has handed down a notable judgment in the case of ENEFI Energiahatékonysági Nyrt v Directia Generala Regionala a Finantelor Publice Brasov (DGRFP) [2016] All ER (D) 110 (Nov), ruling that domestic laws governing forfeiture of a claim in insolvency proceedings apply to foreign creditors too
Background
ENEFI Energiahatékonysági Nyrt v Directia Generala Regionala a Finantelor Publice Brasov (DGRFP) [2016] All ER (D) 110 (Nov)
The Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") has handed down a notable judgment in the case of ENEFI Energiahatékonysági Nyrt v Directia Generala Regionala a Finantelor Publice Brasov (DGRFP) [2016] All ER (D) 110 (Nov), ruling that domestic laws governing forfeiture of a claim in insolvency proceedings apply to foreign creditors too.
The EU Regulation No 655/2014 of 15 May 2014 established a European Account Preservation Order (“EAPO”). The Regulation became applicable as of 18 January 2017 within the EU except for the United Kingdom and Denmark .
Who should be interested in this Regulation?
Subject to the reservation in 2 below, anybody who holds money claims against a debtor domiciled in another EU Member State, whether a company or a consumer, provided that no insolvency proceedings are pending with regard to the debtor.
Reverse cross border mergers could become a popular device for UK companies seeking to maintain and preserve “passporting” or other EU rights.
The mechanism of a reverse cross-border merger (in this context whereby a UK parent company merges with their continental European subsidiary) has not historically been permitted under English law. However the provisions of an EU directive implemented in the UK in 2007 changed that position giving UK company groups that option.
Introduction
The European Account Preservation Order Regulation 655/14 came into effect yesterday, 18 January 2017 throughout Europe except in the UK and Denmark - who have not adopted the regulation. The Regulation establishes a procedure which enables creditors from a participating member state to seek an Order preventing a debtor from dissipating assets until such time as the creditor’s proceedings for Judgement are determined and enforced.
Suppose you were a German bank lending to a Spanish debtor under a loan agreement governed by German law. Once your Spanish debtor stops paying, the bank would have to obtain a German legal judgment and would then have to enforce it in Spain. Any measure to secure the debtor's assets in the meantime, is typically subject to the jurisdiction where the asset is located, or subject to lengthy recognition proceedings. Having to resort to local law measures usually puts foreign creditors in a worse-off position than local ones.
While the number of corporate insolvencies in Germany has declined over the last couple of years, the general market perception is that the number of insolvencies may increase again in 2017. Also, as more larger companies are facing distressed situations, the overall value of distressed debt is therefore expected to rise as well.
The legal framework for restructuring & insolvency in Germany will also change in 2017, not only based on domestic legislation, but also because of developments on the EU level.
2017 will see major changes to the UK legal landscape, with Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union expected to be triggered by the end of March 2017 to begin the Brexit process. The legal implications of Brexit will be hugely significant; preparing for their impact will be a substantial challenge across every industry sector. Our Preview of 2017 outlines these implications, as well as identifying other trends and issues we expect to be on the legal agenda this year.