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16th December, 2024

Szeged to sue Renault for damages



The Szeged city council has decided to file a request for Ft 100 million in compensation from Renault, because the city purchased 32 waste transport vehicles from Renault in 2005, when the French manufacturer was part of a price cartel, according to a European Commission ruling in 2016.

At the time, the Commission imposed a fine of €2.9 billion on leading truck manufacturers Daimler, MAN, DAF, Iveco and Volvo/Renault because they were part of the cartel which operated in 1997-2011.

Injured parties can file a claim for damages in the courts of the member states. Hungarian courts must apply the laws in force at the time of the purchase, according to which the limitation period is five years. As the municipality became aware of the ECJ decision after this period had expired, the claim can no longer be enforced before a Hungarian court.

The municipality was approached by a New York-based company that will finance the entire cost of the compensation procedure, provided that the compensation amount received is shared.

If they win the case, the municipality will receive an estimated Ft 90 million and the law firm Ft 48 million.

Szeged will not have to pay any legal fees if the plaintiffs lose the case.

The municipality is authorising a Munich law firm that is already experienced in the procedure to represent it.

Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).

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