oiler, GlESE & PARTNER, v.o.s., www.giese.cz
mhlaseni ceskych x
v
x
v
x
vefitelO do nemeckeho nsolvencniho fize oo+
O i
The Lodgment of a Czech Creditor's laims in German Insolvency Proceeqpng
iK V soucasne dobe se odehrava vetsina obchodu mezi podnikatelskymi subjekty, jez maji sve sidlo prip. pobyt na uzemi dvou a vice odlisnyeh statu. Obchodni vztahy mezi ceskymi a zahranienimi podnikateli sebou prinaseji stejna rizika jako obchodni vztahy mezi ^eskymi podnikatelskymi subjekly. Nejv^tsim rizikem je nepochybne platebni neschopnost zahrani£niho obchodniho ...srtnera a s tim souvisejici nutnost \ymahat sve pohledavky v insolvencnim rizeni podle priivnich pravidel ciziho statu. Pomerne frekventovanym obchodnim partnerem Ceskych podnikatelu jsou spole&iosti, jejichz sidlo se nachazi na uzemi Spolkove republik>r Nemecko. ^ v dobe hospodafske Krize je proto nanejvys aktuafnf at o moznostech ceskych veriteiu v pnpade, ze se ocitne V upadku a je protr-nemu za^ ;nym nemeckym soudem.
At this time, most of transactions are concluded between enterprises that have their registered office or domicile within the territory of two or more different states. Business relations between Czech and foreign enterprises are taking the same risks as business transactions between Czech enterprises. Without question the biggest risk is insolvency of a foreign or domestic business partner and collecting claims in insolvency proceedings under foreign law rules. Perhaps the most frequent business partners of Czech entrepreneurs are companies having their registered office in Federal Republic of Germany. Particularly, during the economic crisis the most important questions are regarding the possibilities of Czech creditors during the insolvency of German debtors and the opening of the insolvency proceeding by the respective German court.
ADVOKATNI ALMANACH 2010
I 73
Situaci, kdy naje trane stoji veritel jednoho clenskeho statu EU (zahranicni verite strane druhe dluznik, ktery ma sidlo nebo trvaly pobyt na uze heho clenskeho statu, upravuje Narizeni Rady (ES) c. 1346/2 29. kvetna 2000, o insolvencnim rizeni. zvefejnene in Official ISO dne 30. cervna 2000 ..Nafizem" a Keie ucinnosti dne 1. kvetna 2002::Nanzi je pfimo aplikovatelne ve vsech clenskych statech &^^^^ s vyjitr.kou Danska. Krome jinych dulezitych pravidel obs-^uje narizeni kolizni normy urcujici rozhodne-pfSvo pro insolvencni rizeni a pravidla pro pnhlasenUyM^ettrnani pohledavek zahranicnfch veritelu.
0Hf^ vnicasti clanku budeproto poje^^fcoostezejnich ustanovenich Narizeni, ktere urcuji zpusob pri^^teni pohledavky ceskeho (zahranicniho) veritele do (nemeckehoT^Bolvencniho rizeni. Druha cast clanku je zarnerena na nemeckou j^vni upravu vztahujicise k prihlasovani a pfezkoumani pohledavekl
If a creditor of a EU member state (foreign creditor^pn the one side and a debtor having its registered office or domicile v^Ln the territory of the other EU member state is on the other side, sc^Lsituation is governed by the Council Regulation iEC}No. 1346'2000of Ma> 2-9: 2000 on insolvency proceedings publishedj^tte Official Journal 160 on June 30, 2000 (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulation") which entered into force on May 1, 2002. The Regulation is directly applicable in all member states except to Denmark. In addition tr other important rules, the Regulation contains also conflict rules ^^^^••^P^^^ stipulating the law applicat Ie~to the insolvency proceedings an the lodgment of the foreign creditors ' claims. The first part of this article concerns essential provisions of the Regulation which stipulates how Czech (foreign) creditors may bring claims in (German) insolvency proceedings. The second part of this article is focused on the German legal regulations relating to the lodgment and verification of the claims.
Prihlasovani pohledavek podle Nafizeni c. 1346/2000 Nafizeni upravuje zahajeni a postup v insolvencnfm rfzent v pripade, zese centrum hlavnfch zajmu dluznfka nachazina uzeminektereho clenskeho statu Evropske unie, zatimco nekteff veritele dluznfka nebo jeho majetek se nachazf na uzemf jineho clenskeho statu. Podle clanku 3 Narizeni je k zahajeni insolvencnfho rfzeni pnslusny soud toho statu, na jehoz uzemf jsou soustredeny hlavni zajmy dluznfka, pricemz platf vyvratitelna domnenka, ze za misto, kde jsou soustredeny hlavni zajrny dluznfka, se povazuje sfdlo dluznfka. V teto souvislosti nelze opomenout rozhodnutf Evropskeho soudnfho dvora ve veci Eurofood IFSC Ltd, v nemz Evropsky soudni dvur konstatoval, ze pokud spolecnost vykonava svou cinnost na uzemf clenskeho statu, kde je urnfsteno jejf sfdlo, na vyvracenf domnenky nepostacuje skutecnost, ze jejf ekonornicka rozhodnutf jsou nebo mohou byt kontrolovana materskou spolecnostf usazenou vjinern clenskem state.
The lodgment of the claims under the Regulation No. 1346/2000 The Regulation governs the opening and the process in the insolvency proceeding in case that the centre of a debtor's main interests are situated within the territory of a member state while some of the creditors or debtor's assets are situated within the territory of another member state. According to Section 3 of the Regulation a court of a member state within the territory which is the centre of a debtor's main interest has jurisdiction to open insolvency proceedings. The Regulation, however, lays down a rebuttable presumption that the place of the registered office shall be presumed to be the centre of its main interests. In this context, a decision of European Court in Eurofood IFSC Ltd cannot be ignored. The European Court stated that if a company carries on its business in the territory of the Member State where its registered office is situated, the mere fact that its economic choices are or can be controlled by a parent company in another member state is not enough to rebut the presumption laid down by the Regulation,
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An opened insolvency proceeding is ruled by the principle lex for concursus, which means that the law applicable to insolvency proceedings and its effects is the law of a member state in which territory of the insolvency proceeding shall be opened. The Regulation lays down further number of exceptions to this principle protecting the rights of the creditors in particular. In case of the opening of the insolvency proceeding within the territory of Germany, this proceeding shall be ruled by German insolvency law. A territorial jurisdiction shall be ruled by national procedural law.
Zahajene insolvencni rizeni se fidi zasadou lex fori concursus. Znamena to, ze pro insolvencni rizeni a jeho ucinky je rozhodne pravo toho clenskeho statu, na jehoz uzerni bylo insolvencni rizeni zahajeno. Nafizeni stanovi dale z teto zasady nekolik vyjimek slouzicich mj. k ochranp prav vefitelu. Pro pfipad, ze bylo insolvencni rizeni zahajeno na uzemi Nemecka tedy plati, ze insolvencni rizeni se bude fidit ustanovenimi nemeckeho insolvencniho zakona. Mistne prislusny bude pak soud urceny podle narodnich procesnich pravnich predpisu.
With respect to nature of the RepRition, a decision of a respective court of the member state regarding the opening of the insolvency proceeding does not require any formal acknowledgement and has effect ipso facto and erga omnes and establishes directly rights and duties of the natural or legal persons in all member states.
Vzhledem k povaze Nafizeni plati ze, rozhodnuti pfislusneho soudu clenskeho statu o zahajeni insolvencniho rizeni nepodleha zadnemu formalnirnu uznavacimu fizeni a pusobi ipso facto a erga omnes a zaklada subjektivni prava a povinnosti fyzickych a pr^vnickych osob primo ve vsech clenskych statech.
-^fe,
Sohledem na prava veritelu jestezejniclanek 39 Narizenistanovujici pravo kazdeho veritele vcetne spravce dane a organu socialniho zabezpeceni, ktery ma sve obvykle misto pobytu, bydliste nebo sidlo vjinem state, nez vkterem bylo insolvencni rizeni zahajeno, prihlasit pisemne pohledavky v insolvencnfm ffzenf. Pisemnost je jediny pozadavek naforrnu prihlasovani pohledavky. I kdyby narodnipravni predpisy stanovily dalsi pozadavky na formu pfihlasky, neni veritel povinen tyto pozadavky splnit a soud nebo spravce neni opravnen z duvodu nesplneni takovych pozadavku pfihlasku neakceptovat nebo ji zpochybnovat. Uvedene plati vsak vylucne pro zahranicni veritele a ,,domaci" veritele se nemohou na Nanzem odvolavat. Pro prihlaseni pohledavek zahranicniho veritele (v nasern pfipade ceskeho veritele) do insolvencniho rizeni jsou dulezita take dalsi pravidla obsazena v Nafizeni. Konkretne se jedna o informacni povinnost soudu vuci zahranicnim veritelum a zpusob podani pfihlasky.
ADVOKATNI ALMANACH
2010
Article 39 of the Regulation establishes that any creditor, who has his habitual residence, domicile or registefl^BNce in a member state other than the state of the opening of proceedings, including the tax authorities and the social security authorities of member states, shall have the right to lodge claims in the insolvency proceedings in writing. Written form is the only formal requirement on the lodgment of a claim. Even if the national law laid down other requirements a creditor is not obliged to fulfill those requirements and the insolvency court or administrator is not entitled to refuse or dispute lodgment by virtue of non-fulfillment of those requirements. However, the above mentioned shall be applied exclusively to foreign creditors and domestic creditors cannot plead the Regulation. The Regulation contains also others rules which are important lor the lodgment of foreign creditor's claims (in our case Czech jeditor's claims} in insolvency proceeding. Specifically, it creates fiuty of the courts to inform the foreign creditors about the mer of lodgment of a claim.
1 Belohlavek A. J. Evropske insolvencni pravo in Pravni rozhledy, rok 2007, cislo 15. - napr. clanek 8, clanek 10 nebo clanek 11 Nafizeni
' Beiohiavek A. ). Evropske insolvencni pravo in Pravni1 rozhledy, Year 2007, Nr. 15, ps.2 fe. Article 8, Article 10 or Article 11 of the Regulation
2
Podle clanku 40 Narizeni rna insolvencni soud povinnost neprodlene informovat vsechny zname veritele, ktefi maji sve obvykle misto pobytu, bydliste nebo sidlo na uzemi jineho clenskeho statu. Natomto misteje zahodno rict, ze uvedene pravidlo na prvni pohled zvyhodnuje zahranicnivefitele, jelikoz podle ceskeho ani nemeckeho insolvencniho zakona nejsou jednotlivi ,,domaci" veritele o zahajeni) insolvencniho zakona nijak informovani. Zvyhodneni zahranicnich vefitelu ve forme jejich informovani o zahajenem insolvencnim fizeni ma vyvazit vyhodu ,,domacich" veritelu spocivajici v lepsim a jednodussim pfistupu k informacnim zdrojum, prostfednictvim kterych jsou zverejnovany informace o zahajeni insolvencniho fizeni proti dluznikovi.
According to Article 40 Regulation the insolvency cou to inform immediately all known creditors who have residence, domicile or seat in the territory of another member state. It is said that the above mentioned rule prefers on tha|&tst si,s;it the foreign creditors because according to the Czech,* Insolvency Code single local creditors are not informed opening of the insolvency proceeding. Preferring of th^foreign creditors due to informing them about the opening oUti'e insolvency proceeding has to balance the advantage of th^^^sl creditors. It is understood that that local creditors have bi^^^^i simpler approach to published information sources about tho^^^Kg of the insolvency proceeding against the debtor.
Dalsi vyhoda
pro zahranicni veritele spoci'va
pozadavcich na prihlaseni v insolvencnim fizeni. Opet pia uvedene. ze na tato pravidla se mohou odvoiavat vyiucne I veritele. Povinnosti veritele je sdelit insofvencnimu soudu mj. titui pohledavky, okamzik jejiho vzniku a jeji vysi a zaslat insolvencnimu
foreign credito- 1
soudu kopie dokladu, pokud existuji. Musi' byt nesporne, ze
of the claim, the date on
originaly nebo overene kopie dokumentu. Ty predklada pouze
duty of the creditor is to inform
pohledavky. Veritel nemusi pfedkladat (krorne pfihlasky pohledavky)
n creditors could
pohledavka veritele proti dluznfkovi existovala v dobe prihlaseni
It must be indisputable that
se podava v urednim jazyku veritele. V pfipade, ze insolvencni soud
:o send copies of supporting
v pripade pochybnosti o pravosti nebo vysi pohledavky. Pfihlaska
debtor has existed at the time of
nebospravce pozada o jeji preklad, nema tatoskutecnostzadny vliv na ucinky nePo vcasnost podane prihlasky.
the lo^H
"Ot required that the creditor submits
(after the iodgme-^ of the claim) originals or verified copies of the only possible to require him for verification in the Dubt about validity or amount of the claim. The lodgment of is submitted in the official language of the creditor. When ^•solvency court or the insolvency administrator applies for the s no impact on the effectiveness and timeliness of the lodgment.
3
Belohiavek A. J. Evropske a mezinarodnf insolvencnf pravo. Komentaf. 1. vydanf. Praha: C. H. Bi
's Belohlavek A. J. Evropske a mezinarodni insolvencni pravo. Komentaf. 1. vydani. Praha: C. \0
ADVOKATNiALMANACH 2010
Z vyse uvedeneho vyplyva, ze v pfipad§ upadku spolecnosti, resp. pravnicke osoby, rnusi prislusny soud pfi zahajeni insolvencniho fizeni vzdy zvazit, zda se nejedna o insolvencni fizeni s evropskyrn mezinarodnim prvkem. V pfipade insolvencniho rizeni zahajeneho na uzemi Nemecka, kdy jeden nebo vice veritelu bude mit sidlo, pobyt nebo bydliste na uzemi Ceske repubiiky, nepochybne o takove fizeni pujde. Pravem ceskych veritelu bude pfihlasit sve pohledavky v insolvencnim fizeni zpusobem pfedvidanym v Nafizeni. Na dalsi postup pfi pfezkoumavani pohledavek a uplatnovani prav vefitele vtetosouvislosti sejako rozhodne pravo uplatni nemecky insolvencni zakon, jemuz bude venovana pozornost v nasledujici casti clanku. Zasadni rozdil mezi ceskym a nerneckym insolvencnim fizenim spociva v subjektu, u nehoz pfihlasuji vefitele sve pohledavky. Zatimco podle ceskeho insolvencniho zakona pfihlasuji vefitele pohledavky u insolvencniho soudu, podle nemeckeho insolvencniho zakona pfihlasuji vefitele sve pohledavky u insolvencniho spravce.
The result of the above mentioned is that in case of insolvency of a company or of a legal entity, the respective court has to take into consideration if there are any European international elements while opening of the proceeding. The typical example is when the insolvency proceeding is held in Germany and the creditors have their registered office, habitual residence or domicile in the Czech Republic. The right of the Czech creditors is to lodge their claims in insolvency proceeding in the manner set out by the Regulation. Under the Regulation the German Insolvency Code is the law applicable for the following procedure related to the verification of lodgment and to the exercising the creditors' rights. Therefore, the following part of the article focuses on the German Insolvency Code. The basic difference between the Czech and the German insolvency proceeding is the authority with whom the creditors lodge their claims. According to the Czech Insolvency Code, the creditors lodge their claims with the insolvency court; on the other hand according to German Insolvency Code the creditors lodge their claims with the insolvency administrator.
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!n the resolution on the opening of insolvency proceedingthe insolvency court shall set a lodgment period. The lodgment period shall not be less than two weeks and more than three months. The lodgment of claims is possible aiso if the lodgment period is already over. Contrary of the Czech insoivency law, German law-maker also provides for the lodgment of claims during the verification meeting and even unti! the termination of the insoivency proceeding, if the claim is being lodged with the insolvency administrator after the lodgment period, the insolvency court shall decide on a special verification meeting or order verification in written proceedings. In those cases, the creditor bears the costs that are incurred due to his delay.
LhCitu k prihlasovani pohledavek stanovf soud jiz v usneseni 0 zahajenf insolvencnfho rfzeni. Lhuta k prihlasenf pohledavek nesmi byt kratsf nez dva tydny a delsf nez tri mesfce. Po uplynutf Ihuty muze veritel prihlasit svojf pohledavku pouze v prfpade, ze soud k prihlasenf pohledavek vyzve. Na rozdfl od ceske pravnf upravy urnozhuje tedy nemecky zakonodarce prihlasenf pohledavek 1 ve fazi prezkoumavanf pohledavek a dokonce az do doby ukonceni samotneho insolvencnfho rfzeni. Insolvencnf soud pak urci na naklady veritele take zvlastnf termin k prezkumu pozdeji prihlasenych pohledavek nebo narfdi pfsemnejednanf.
According to the Section 30 (2} of the German Insolvency Code the court is obliged to send the resolution regarding the opening of the insolvency proceeding to the creditors of the (know) debtor. In case of Czech (or foreign) creditors the court has to follow the Article 40 of the Regulation. The German Insolvency Code provides for the possibility to delegate the duty to inform the creditors to the insolvency administrator. This possibility also exists if foreign creditors are invoived. In case that the creditors are not known to the court or the insolvency administrator and they cannot be informed in the above mentioned procedure, they rather have the possibility to get information regarding the opening of the insolvency proceeding from the official website.4
Podle ustanoveni § 30 odst. 2 nemeckeho insolvencniho zakona je soud povinen zaslat rozhodnuti o zahajeni insolvencniho fizenf (znamym) vefitelum dluznika. V prfpade ceskych (nebo zahranicnfch) veritelu soud postupuje podle clanku 40 Naffzenf. Nemecky insolvencnf zakon umoznuje, aby byl povinnosti informovat veritele povefen insolvencni spravce, a to i v prfpade, ze se jedna o zahranicni veritele. V prfpade, ze veritele nejsou soudu nebo insolvencnimu spravci znami a tedy nemohou byt vyrozumeni vyse uvedenym postupern, majf moznost zfskat informace o zahajeni insolvencniho rfzenf z oficialnfch webovych stranek.
Pfihlasene pohledavky zapise insolvencnf spravce do seznarnu pohledavek (Tabelle), pricemz u kazde pohiedavky uvede duvod existence pohledavky a jejf vysi, prfp. dalsi dulezite skutecnosti. Vsechny pfihlasovane pohledavky vsak insolvencnf spravce nejdffve prezkouma, nicmene se jedna pouze o ciste formalnf prezkum. insolvencni spravce prezkouma tedy prihlasenou pohledavku pouze za tfm ucelem, aby zjistil, zda veritel prihlasil pohledavku nalezitym zpusobem. V pfipade, ze insolvencni spravce zjistf nedostatky, vyzve veritele, aby prihlasku doplnil. Pokud veritel prihlasku nalezitym zpusobem nedoplnf, insolvencni spravce odmftne zapsani pohledavky do seznarnu. Proti odmitnuti zapisu pohledavky do seznarnu nema veritel v zasade zadny opravny prostredek. Muze pouze tuto okolnost sdelit insolvencnimu soudu a navrhnout, aby sam provedl zapis do seznamu pohledavek.
The information about the opening of insoivency proceeding may be obtained on the following website: www.bekanntmachung.de
4
Informace o zahajeni insolvecniho ffzeni Ize ziskat na www.bekanntmachung.de
4
ADVOKATNI ALMANACH
2010
V prfpade, ze prihlaska splnuje vsechny formalni pozadavky, prezkouma insolvencnf soud pfihlasene pohledavky v prubehu pfezkumneho jednanf co do jejich vyse a pofadi. V prubehu prezkumnihojednanf muze insolvencnispravce neboostatm veritele popfit pravost, vysi nebo poradi pohledavky. Poprit pohledavku muze i dluzni'k, avsak Jim ucinene popreni nema zadny vliv na zjisteni pohledavky. Naopak, popreni pohledavky insolvencnim spravcem nebo jinym veritelem brani v urceni pohledavky a dotceny vefitel je nucen podat zalobu na urceni pohledavky. Rfzeni o podane zalobe se fidi prislusnymi ustanovenimi obcanskeho soudnfho fadu. Prfslusnost soudu zavisf na hodnote predmetu sporu. V pfipade, ze je hodnota predmetu sporu nizsi nebo rovna peti tisfcum eur, je k rozhodnuti prfslusny okresnf soud.
The insolvency administrator shal! enter any registered claim into a schedule (Tabelle) by indicating inter alia the reason and the amount of the claim. The insolvency administrator will verify al! lodgments whether they meet the formal requirements. Thus, he will only verify if a creditor entered the lodgment in a proper manner. In case that the insolvency administrator identifies any insufficiency of the lodgment, he will call upon a creditor to set it right. If the creditor does not improve the lodgment, the insolvency administrator is entitled to refuse the entering of the lodgment into the schedule. The debtor has no legal remedy to demand for entering the lodgment. He can only inform the respective court about this fact and suggest the entering of the lodgment by the court. If the lodgment fulfills all forma! requirements, then the insolvency court shall verify the lodged claims during the verification meeting regarding their amount and rank. During the verification meeting the insolvency administrator and other creditors may deny the claim regarding the entitlement of the creditor, or the nature of the claim, its amount or rank. Also the debtor may deny the claim, but his denia! does not prevent the determination of the claim. However, the denial of the insolvency administrator or another creditor prevents the determination of the claim and the affected creditor has to file an action for the determination of the claim. The hearing of this action is usually governed by the ordinary Civil Procedure Code. According to the main ruie, the jurisdiction of the local court depends on the value of action. If the value of .action is beneath or equals five thousand Euros a local court has jurisdiction. Exceptions to this rule are enumerated in the Law on the Constitution of the Courts.
5
PodrobnejivizSchm. 3. iiberarb.
burger,Kommentar zum Ins
, 102 EGlnsO-lnsW - VbrlnsW - InsOBekV - Insolvenzstrafrecht.
ADVOK-
Shrnuti
Summary
Pfihlaseni pohledavek ceskeho veritele do nemeckeho insolvencnfho ffzenf se na svem pocatku ffdf ustanovenfmi Narizeni. Na rozdfl od ceskeho insolvencnfho zakona jsou tak cestf veritele o zahajenf insolvencnfho ffzeni informovani insolvencnfm soudem. Riziko, ze nestihnou vcasprihlasitsve pohledavky jeproto mnohem nizsf. Navic, nemecky insolvencnf zakon umoznuje prihlasenf pohledavek az do ukoncenf insolvencniho rfzenf. Pohledavky se prihlasujf u insolvencnfho spravce, nikoliv u insolvencnfho soudu. V pripade. ze insolvencni spravce nebo jiny verltel popre vysi nebo poradi pohledavky, tnuze podat veritel k prfslusnernu soudu zalobu na urcenf pohledavky. •
In the beginning, the lodgment of Czech creditor's claims in the German insolvency proceeding is ruled by the provisions of the Regulation. In contrast to the Czech insolvency law, the Czech creditors are informed about the opening of the insolvency proceeding by insolvency court. Therefore, the risk that they do not lodge their claims in time is less. Moreover, the German Insoivency Code does not prevent the lodgment of claims untii the termination of the insolvency proceeding. The claims are lodged with the insolvency administrator not with the insolvency court. In case the insolvency administrator or a creditor denies the claim (its amount or rang) the creditor can avail of the ordinary legal tool namely the filing of an action on determination of the claim with the respective German court. •
Rucnf vyroba dymel Hand made pipes HIS mnSTER'S PIPE PflVEL HflP - HflnD (TIRDE PIPES
www.hap-pipes.oi
