Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 29 September 2021 –
Parliament v Axa Assurances Luxembourg and Others

(Case T‑384/19)

(Arbitration clause – ‘Construction all-risk’ insurance contract – Extension and renovation of the Konrad Adenauer building in Luxembourg – Damage caused by rainwater – Claim for reimbursement of costs and for payment of the indemnity – Scope of the insurance – Exclusion clause – Ancillary procedural obligations – Procedure by default in part)

1.      Judicial proceedings – General Court seised under an arbitration clause – Jurisdiction of the General Court defined exclusively by Articles 256 TFEU and 272 TFEU and the arbitration clause – Scope

(Arts 256 and 272 TFEU)

(see paras 43, 44)

2.      Judicial proceedings – General Court seised under an arbitration clause – Insurance contract – ‘Construction all-risk’ insurance – Damage caused by rainwater to the European Parliament’s Konrad Adenauer building – Parliament’s claim for reimbursement of costs and for payment of the indemnity – Scope of the insurance – Exclusion clause – Concept of flooding

(Arts 256 and 272 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2007/60, Arts 1 and 2)

(see paras 77, 78, 81-96, 99-111)

3.      Judicial proceedings – General Court seised under an arbitration clause – Insurance contract – ‘Construction all-risk’ insurance – Damage caused by rainwater to the European Parliament’s Konrad Adenauer building – Parliament’s claim for reimbursement of costs and for payment of the indemnity – Action for contractual liability – Conditions – Unlawfulness – Damage – Causal link – Burden of proof – One of the conditions not satisfied – Claim for compensation dismissed in its entirety

(Arts 256, 272 and 340 TFEU)

(see paras 125-129, 133)

Re:

Application under Article 272 TFEU seeking an order that the defendants reimburse the costs related to the water damage caused to the Konrad Adenauer building in Luxembourg following heavy rainfall on the site on 27 and 30 May 2016.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Orders Nationale-Nederlanden Schadeverzekering Maatschappij NV to reimburse the sum of EUR 79 653.89 to the European Parliament together with statutory interest for late payment relating thereto as from 22 December 2017, the rate of which is the sum of the interest rate applied by the European Central Bank (ECB) to its main refinancing operations and eight percentage points;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders Nationale-Nederlanden Schadeverzekering Maatschappij to bear the costs of the default procedure concerning it;

4. Orders the Parliament, in addition to bearing its own costs, to pay two thirds of the costs incurred by Axa Assurances Luxembourg SA, Bâloise Assurances Luxembourg SA and La Luxembourgeoise SA.