Russian court bans Czech CEZ from disputing with Gazprom Export abroad
In case of violation of the ban, the court ruled to recover 57.7 mln euro from the Czech company in favor of Gazprom Export
ST. PETERSBURG, May 24. /TASS/. The Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region has upheld Gazprom Export's claim against the Czech Republic’s CEZ banning it from continuing foreign arbitration proceedings, a TASS correspondent reported from the courtroom.
In case of violation of the ban, the court ruled to recover 57.7 mln euro from the Czech company in favor of Gazprom Export.
"The Arbitration Court of the city of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region determined: to prohibit the company CEZ a. s. from continuing proceedings at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce <...>. In case CEZ a. s. fails to comply with the ruling of the court on this case <...> an award in favor of Gazprom Export LLC [in the amount of] 57,734,000 euros in rubles at the rate of the Bank of Russia will be paid by the company CEZ a. s.," the judge said.
Earlier, Gazprom Export demanded that CEZ be prohibited from continuing arbitration proceedings at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva, and that it be fined if CEZ failed to comply with the judicial act.
It was reported in February 2023 that the Czech energy company CEZ (70% of shares owned by the state) had initiated an arbitration worth $45 mln against Gazprom Export due to a gas shortfall in 2022.
About Gazprom legal disputes
Earlier Gazprom filed claims in the Russian court against German traders Uniper Global Commodities SE and Meta-Methanhandel GmbH, Austria’s OMV Exploration & Production GmbH, Czech company NET4GAS, Naftogaz of Ukraine, the Dutch gas transport Gasunie Transport Service, the operator of the BBL gas pipeline between the UK and the Netherlands, Slovakia’s ZSE Energia and the Polish-Russian company Europol GAZ, which owns the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, demanding a ban on continuing arbitration proceedings in foreign courts. The Russian company won all its claims to ban the continuation of legal proceedings abroad.
Gazprom Export has also filed similar lawsuits against Swiss DXT Commodities, French Engie and Czech innogy Energie, with hearings scheduled for May 24 and June 19.