Uber to continue in Brussels despite ban by court

The judgement was handed down by the court in Brussels earlier this week. Despite being a Dutch-language jurisdiction, the court’s rulings also have jurisdiction over the whole of the capital’s region. Applicants to the court simply have the right to apply to one or other of the court’s two language jurisdictions for judgements, with rulings having equal application city-wide.

The ruling applies in all of Brussels 19 communes, but not elsewhere. However it does not apply to customers using the company to travel from, say, Brussels Airport in Zaventem into the city centre, or indeed from Charleroi airport or elsewhere outside the city-region’s boundaries.

Despite the suggestion by French-speaking news media that the judgement was handed down by the commercial court’s Dutch-language section, the ruling had effect in all of the region. Decisions by the French-speaking court would be equally applicable region-wide. The choice of court is made by the applicant in a case, but does affect its legal effect.

However in its reaction, Uber said the judgement was not clear in its distinction between UberX and UberPOP, which the company suspended in 2015, following another court judgement. The ruling offered no reason, company lawyers said, to suspend the activities of UberX.

The company’s lawyer said the final decision would be left to the court of appeal.

Alan Hope
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