La Camera di Commercio Internazionale adotta nuovi modelli di clausole di Force Majeure e Hardship

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Alla fine dello scorso mese di marzo la Camera di Commercio Internazionale ha pubblicato i suoi nuovi modelli di clausole per disciplinare eventi di forza maggiore ed eccessiva onerosità sopravvenuta (Hardship)

Il concetto di forza maggiore è noto alla maggior parte dei sistemi giuridici, ma le varie discipline nazionali possono comportare differenze sostanziali. 

Per ovviare a questo problema, la CCI suggerisce l’uso di clausole di forza maggiore contenenti soluzioni che non dipendono dalle particolarità delle leggi nazionali, proponendo a tal fine due clausole modello, la c.d. “long form” e la più essenziale “short form”.

Di seguito si darà conto della “long form”, indubbiamente più completa perché tratta anche questioni sulle quali la “short form” rimane silente. La clausola di forza maggiore proposta dalla CCI può essere inclusa nel contratto, oppure incorporata per rinvio prevedendo nel contratto che “La clausola di forza maggiore della CCI (long form) si applica al presente contratto”.

Le parti possono anche modificare o integrare la clausola standard a seconda delle loro reciproche esigenze, per creare una clausola “su misura”.

Questo anche per integrare la lista di eventi che si presumono di forza maggiore e adottare quegli opportuni correttivi volti a rendere applicabile la clausola all’attuale crisi da Coronavirus ed ai suoi sviluppi futuri, onde chiarire che, benché la diffusione del virus non possa più considerarsi evento sopravvenuto e imprevedibile, lo saranno certamente tali sviluppi futuri.

Questa la clausola “long form” proposta dalla CCI:

1. Definition. “Force Majeure” means the occurrence of an event or circumstance (“Force Majeure Event”) that prevents or impedes a party from performing one or more of its contractual obligations under the contract, if and to the extent that the party affected by the impediment (“the Affected Party”) proves: a) that such impediment is beyond its reasonable control; and b) that it could not reasonably have been foreseen at the time of the conclusion of the contract; and c) that the effects of the impediment could not reasonably have been avoided or overcome by the Affected Party. 

2. Non-performance by third parties. Where a contracting party fails to perform one or more of its contractual obligations because of default by a third party whom it has engaged to perform the whole or part of the contract, the contracting party may invoke Force Majeure only to the extent that the requirements under paragraph 1 of this Clause are established both for the contracting party and for the third party.

3. Presumed Force Majeure Events. In the absence of proof to the contrary, the following events affecting a party shall be presumed to fulfil conditions (a) and (b) under paragraph 1 of this Clause, and the Affected Party only needs to prove that condition (c) of paragraph 1 is satisfied:  a) war (whether declared or not), hostilities, invasion, act of foreign enemies, extensive military mobilisation; b) civil war, riot, rebellion and revolution, military or usurped power, insurrection, act of terrorism, sabotage or piracy; c) currency and trade restriction, embargo, sanction; d) act of authority whether lawful or unlawful, compliance with any law or governmental order, expropriation, seizure of works, requisition, nationalisation; e) plague, epidemic, natural disaster or extreme natural event; f) explosion, fire, destruction of equipment, prolonged break-down of transport, telecommunication, information system or energy; g) general labour disturbance such as boycott, strike and lock-out, go-slow, occupation of factories and premises. 

4. Notification. The Affected Party shall give notice of the event without delay to the other party. 

5. Consequences of Force Majeure. A party successfully invoking this Clause is relieved from its duty to perform its obligations under the Contract and from any liability in damages or from any other contractual remedy for breach of contract, from the time at which the impediment causes inability to perform, provided that the notice thereof is given without delay. If notice thereof is not given without delay, the relief is effective from the time at which notice thereof reaches the other party. The other party may suspend the performance of its obligations, if applicable, from the date of the notice.

6. Temporary impediment. Where the effect of the impediment or event invoked is temporary, the consequences set out under paragraph 5 above shall apply only as long as the impediment invoked prevents performance by the Affected Party of its contractual obligations. The Affected Party must notify the other party as soon as the impediment ceases to impede performance of its contractual obligations. 

7. Duty to mitigate. The Affected Party is under an obligation to take all reasonable measures to limit the effect of the event invoked upon performance of the contract. 

8. Contract termination. Where the duration of the impediment invoked has the effect of substantially depriving the contracting parties of what they were reasonably entitled to expect under the contract, either party has the right to terminate the contract by notification within a reasonable period to the other party. Unless otherwise agreed, the parties expressly agree that the contract may be terminated by either party if the duration of the impediment exceeds 120 days.

Le stesse ragioni che hanno suggerito l’adozione della clausola standard di forza maggiore, hanno portato la CCI a formulare anche un modello di clausola di Hardship per disciplinare uniformemente le ipotesi di eccessiva onerosità sopravvenuta. Anche in questo caso le parti sono libere di modificare o integrare la clausola a seconda delle loro rispettive esigenze, in particolare scegliendo ed eventualmente integrando una delle tre possibili conseguenze previste dal paragrafo 3.

1. A party to a contract is bound to perform its contractual duties even if events have rendered performance more onerous than could reasonably have been anticipated at the time of the conclusion of the contract. 

2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1 of this Clause, where a party to a contract proves that: a) the continued performance of its contractual duties has become excessively onerous due to an event beyond its reasonable control which it could not reasonably have been expected to have taken into account at the time of the conclusion of the contract; and that b) it could not reasonably have avoided or overcome the event or its consequences, the parties are bound, within a reasonable time of the invocation of this Clause, to negotiate alternative contractual terms which reasonably allow to overcome the consequences of the event.

La clausola si completa con una delle seguenti tre opzioni:

3A Party to terminate Where paragraph 2 of this Clause applies, but where the parties have been unable to agree alternative contractual terms as provided in that paragraph, the party invoking this Clause is entitled to terminate the contract, but cannot request adaptation by the judge or arbitrator without the agreement of the other party.

3B Judge adapt or terminate Where paragraph 2 of this Clause applies, but where the parties have been unable to agree alternative contractual terms as provided for in that paragraph, either party is entitled to request the judge or arbitrator to adapt the contract with a view to restoring its equilibrium, or to terminate the contract, as appropriate.

3C Judge to terminate Where paragraph 2 of this Clause applies, but where the parties have been unable to agree alternative contractual terms as provided in that paragraph, either party is entitled to request the judge or arbitrator to declare the termination of the contract.