Uitspraak Nº C/10/483919 / HA ZA 15-920. Rechtbank Rotterdam, 2018-07-11

• ECLI: ECLI:NL:RBROT:2018:5542
• Date: 11 Julio 2018
• Docket Number: C/10/483919 / HA ZA 15-920

vonnis

RECHTBANK ROTTERDAM

Team handel en haven

zaaknummer / rolnummer: C/10/483919 / HA ZA 15-920

Vonnis van 11 juli 2018

in de zaak van

de besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid

GF ENERGY B.V.,

gevestigd te Rotterdam,

eiseres in conventie,

verweerster in reconventie,

advocaat mr. P.R.W. Schaink te Amsterdam,

tegen

de rechtspersoon naar Italiaans recht

CENTROFAIP S.N.C.,

gevestigd te Vaiano Cremasco, Italië,

gedaagde in conventie,

eiseres in reconventie,

advocaat mr. R.M.T. van den Bosch te Rotterdam.

Partijen zullen hierna GF-E en CF genoemd worden.

1 De procedure

1.1.

Het procesdossier bevat de volgende stukken:

- het Europees betalingsbevel van 29 april 2015, met aangehecht het verzoek van GF-E om een Europees betalingsbevel van 30 januari 2015;

• -

  de beschikking van de rechtbank Den Haag van 8 juli 2015 waarin de procedure naar aanleiding van een verweerschrift van CF werd verwezen naar deze rechtbank;

• -

  de conclusie van eis van GF-E met producties 1 tot en met 19;

• -

  de conclusie van antwoord in conventie tevens conclusie van eis in reconventie van CF met producties 1 tot en met 11;

• -

  de brief van 17 februari 2016 waarin de rechtbank partijen opriep voor een comparitie van partijen;

• -

  de verschoningsbeschikking van 17 mei 2016;

• -

  het stuk “Some general remarks on behalf of GF Energy” en 43 “attachments” van GF-E;

• -

  de akte houdende overlegging producties 12 tot en met 28 van CF;

• -

  de aantekeningen t.b.v. comparitie van partijen van CF;

• -

  het proces-verbaal van comparitie van 31 mei 2016;

• -

  de conclusie van repliek in conventie en conclusie van antwoord in reconventie van GF-E met producties 20 tot en met 45;

• -

  de conclusie van dupliek in conventie, tevens conclusie van repliek in reconventie van CF met producties 29 tot en met 42;

• -

  de akte uitlating producties, tevens conclusie van dupliek in reconventie van GF-E;

• -

  de akte overlegging producties, tevens akte wijziging eis in reconventie van CF met producties 43 tot en met 49;

• -

  de antwoordakte op inbreng producties en op wijziging van eis in reconventie van GF-E;

• -

  de pleitnotities van GF-E;

• -

  de pleitaantekeningen van CF;

• -

  het proces-verbaal van pleidooizitting van 3 april 2017;

• -

  de akte uitlating producties, tevens uitlating vermeerdering van eis in reconventie van GF-E.

1.2.

Ten slotte is vonnis bepaald.

2 De feiten

2.1.

Op 8 april 2013 hebben partijen een raamovereenkomst voor koopovereenkomsten, getiteld “contract for sale and purchase”, gesloten waarbij afspraken werden gemaakt met betrekking tot door CF van GF-E in te kopen partijen houtpellets (hierna: de overeenkomst van 2013). De elf artikelen van de overeenkomst van 2013 luiden als volgt:

“1. GF is selling to CF Enplus A1 quality pellets made of pure virgin soft wood. The volume is 500 trucks abt. 13 000 MT (10% tolerance will be allowed) GF will strive for 500 trucks.

The exact scedule will be defined in a later document, the parties strive to have the first deliveries according to this contract based after four weeks of signing this contract. The payment term is 14 days after arrival. The payment period will be adapted to the maximum insurability of Centrofaip. E.g. if CF is insurable up to 100 000 Euro and the delivery scedule is showing that the value of deliveries exceeds 100 000 Euro within 7 days than the payment period will be shortened accordingly to 7 days. As payment will be considered the money arrival on the accounts of GF.

2. The woodpellets are made mainly (GF will inform CF if it will be for special reasons not the case) in Invergordon Scotland and are baged in Grangemouth Scotland. If those plants have technical or logistical difficulties GF reserves the right of non delivery. GF will always consider CF as priority out of those plants or differently said CF will always be served first. CF has the right of inspection in cases of technical or logistical issues.

3. CF will always take the mentioned volumes under the circumstances mentioned in this contract except in the case of force majeur.

4. The wood pellets are to be produced from pure virgin woods residues only and shall be sourced in a sustainable manner.

5. The agreed price is 210 Euro/t for deliveries up to september 2013. Between october and march 2013 the agreed price is 217,5 Euro/t. All prices are based DAP Crema, DAP Lombardia, Italy. Changes of the destinations will lead to changes on pricing.

6. The bag shape will be cylindrical and the brand will be Greenmaxx. As long as CF is taking all the volumes offered by GF, CF is getting exclusivity on the brand for northern Italy (as northern italy are considered the regions Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria and Canton Ticino Suisse). GF and CF strive to work on exclusive basis for those regions in the future except for the supermarket part (in italian grande distrubizione) and customers which GF already has. This exclusivity will be contracted on a later stage. Generally the exclusivity should after a trial period lead to a collaboration for 5 years based on full transparency.

7. GF has full flexibility on palletsize and stacking but has 2 weeks before first arrival to inform CF of the exact shape. The goods may not arrive tilted in Italy. However GF reserves the right of max. 10% tilted goods in italy with no financial effect.

8. On / for the European market, CF shall not enter into a C without prior written approval by GF.

9. Parties, including their employees, aids, legal successors etc., shall keep all the information exchanged between the Parties strictly confidential during the validity of this C and the succeeding Sales and Purchase contract.

10. This C shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands and at the court of Rotterdam; the procedural language shall be English.

11. Force Majeure to this contract will be applied as per Internationol standards.”

2.2.

Vervolgens heeft GF-E diverse partijen houtpellets aan CF verkocht en geleverd. Over de verkopen en leveringen zijn tussen partijen geschillen gerezen.

2.3.

Op 22 januari 2014 hebben partijen een nadere overeenkomst gesloten (hierna: de overeenkomst van 2014), die is vastgelegd in een in het Italiaans gesteld en door partijen ondertekend stuk, alsmede in een in het Engels, niet ondertekend stuk. Partijen beroepen zich doorgaans op de Engelse tekst van de overeenkomst van 2014. De tien artikelen van deze Engelse tekst luiden als volgt:

“1. In accordance with our cross check it has been established that the remaining figure is 408.000,00 EUR (to check small figures)

2. Since tomorrow 23rd of January but not further than 15th of March GFEnergy undertake to

deliver:

a. 30 containers of Vulcan pellet en Plus a1 from USA at the price of 175,76 EUR/mt

b. 06 containers of greenmaxx pellet en plus a1 from UK at the price of 218,75 EUR/mt

c. 56 containers of greenmaxx en plus a1 from UK at the price of 220,0 EUR/mt

All this deliveries to do within the 15th of March 2014.

In case that due to a force majeure (just for documentable cases of force majeure), GF Energy BV will not be able to deliver a part of the total amount of products referred to point 2, it will be delivered the same quantity but of PFEIFER or FIRESTIXX.

3. Payments: 300.000,00 EUR immediately with this agreement

100.000,00 EUR cheque to give to [persoon] as warranty and to cash in just at the end of deliveries as per point 2 (about 15 of March)

In case of non-compliance of these delivery terms as established at point 2 no later than the 15th of March 2014, the amount of 100.000,00 Euro will be considered as penalty and the cheque, given to [persoon] , will be returned to Centrofaip.

The cheque will be hold in case of lacking deliveries no later than 14 of March included.

Payment related to delivered goods must be done within 24 hours (working days) against invoice on the final delivery. In case of non-compliance of this term, GF Energy will stop deliveries, (the calculation starts with the receiving at [e-mail adres] ), and the days of delay will be collected and will be counted as deferment for the deadline of the 15 of March.

4. GF Energy BV undertake to not sell any kind of goods and to not get in contact or take any agreement with any Centrofaip customers for 5 years since the 30th March 2014. Therefore, till the 30th March 2019.

5. The non-compliance of point 4, even if demonstrable for just one customer, entails the payment of 20.000,00 EUR as penalty per each contact.

6. GFEnergy will provide Centrofaip with all the remaining and already paid bags of Vulcan (The number of delivered bags will be calculated).

7. CENTROFAIP authorizes GF Energy to use the remaining GREENMAXX bags as long as they will be sell abroad (to send the stock count); the sales out of Italian boundaries of the total amount of the stocked bags (as calculated at the present point) shall be documented.

8. GF Energy undertake to solve whatever possible problem and protest due to deliveries and product sold to CENTROFAIP.

9. GF ENERY undertake all the civil and penal culpability to Ente certificatore EN Plus, to Aiel and to any third part that could complain referring the shipping of a wrong certificate (as per AIEL survey, documented by mail of December 2013 to CENTROFAIP) of any other action of GF Energy. Those claims shall be proven.

10. The validity and the efficacy of the present agreement is suspended and depends by the transfer of 300.000,00 EUR from CENTROFAIP to GF Energy and by the delivery of the cheque of 100.000,00 EUR to [persoon] referred to point 3.”

2.4.

Partijen hebben tot 14 mei 2014 zaken met elkaar gedaan.

2.5.

GF-E heeft de overeenkomst van 2014 op 28 januari 2015...