German fish manufacturer Deutsche See is appealing a “fraud” ruling in proceedings against Volkswagen
The appeal was filed with the Braunschweig Regional Court on November 27. Deutsche See’s initial lawsuit against Volkswagen was dismissed by the Braunschweig Court in October.
Seeking EUR 11.9 million
The legal case originates in 2009, when Deutsche See and VW signed an agreement to promote environmentally sustainable mobility. Deutsche See converted its entire fleet of over 500 vehicles to the Volkswagen group.
Deutsche See, actively involved in conservation of fish stocks and environmental protection, was awarded the German Sustainability Award in 2010. With VW as a partner, the company wanted to reduce emissions from its fleet, develop future-oriented transport and promote e-mobility.
In 2015 Deutsche See found out through the media that VW vehicles’ emission values had not fallen but rather increased. After several unsuccessful attempts to solve this internally with VW, Deutsche See filed a complaint for “fraudulent deception” against Volkswagen on 3 February 2017, demanding a compensation of EUR11.9 million.
Judge urged settlement
At the hearing at the Braunschweig Regional Court on July 14,2017, the judge called on both parties to reach an agreement. Volkswagen was not ready for talks despite numerous attempts by the seafood company to reach out — directly and through external intermediaries, according to Deutsche See.
“As already announced on several occasions, Deutsche See is still ready to talk and would like to reach an agreement between our two companies”, said a spokesperson for the company.
