EWCs: Date set for Verizon Irish High Court case

Verizon EWC case is headed to the Irish High Court in July, with Ireland’s Attorney General intervening amid EU infringement proceedings. Might this matter be referred to the CJEU?

Key Points: The other party in the Verizon EWC case has appealed the matter to the Irish High Court. We understand that the case is now listed for a three-day hearing, beginning on July 1^st.   The Irish Attorney General is intervening, and the European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against Ireland on this matter.

Why This Matters:  This case exposes flaws in the current Irish legislation regarding EWCs and potentially leads to costly legal challenges for companies with EWCs operating in Ireland. These are all matters to which we have frequently drawn the Irish governments attention. It says it plans to address these flaws when transposing the revised EWC Directive. 

What Happens Next: The Irish High Court will hear the case in July – by that time the EWC Directive could be rewritten, as trilogue talks opened last week between the European institutions, the Council, Commission, and Parliament. Whether this will have any bearing on the case, remains to be seen.

We will be watching this case and the EWC revision closely over the coming months and updating members on all developments