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Antitrust

CJEU Clarifies the Standard for Accessing Evidence in Competition Damages Cases

Published
Source JD Supra open_in_new
Score
4

Why it matters

Core event: On January 29, 2026, the CJEU ruled in Case C-286/24 (Meliá Hotels International, S.A. v Associação Ius Omnibus), clarifying evidence disclosure standards in private competition damages actions under Directive 2014/104/EU (Damages Directive). The Court held that pre-action disclosure is permitted where national law allows it, the plausibility threshold requires only a "reasonably acceptable" assumption of infringement, harm, and causation (lower than merits-stage proof), and European Commission decisions on vertical restrictions do not alone prove harm or causation—claimants must provide reasoned justification from available facts.[1][2][3][4][5]

Parties involved: Claimant Associação Ius Omnibus (Portuguese consumer association) sought pre-action evidence disclosure from defendant Meliá Hotels International, S.A. against a backdrop of the ** Commission's Decision C(2020) 893 final** finding a "by object" vertical restriction infringement affecting Portuguese consumers. The Supreme Court of Portugal referred preliminary questions; ruling applies EU-wide.[1][6][7][8]

Context and timeline: Stemming from Ius Omnibus's declaratory action for documents to prepare a representative damages claim for consumers harmed by Meliá's cartel-like vertical infringement (identified in 2020 Commission decision), Portuguese law enables pre-action disclosure. CJEU emphasized addressing information asymmetry in antitrust cases without enabling "fishing expeditions," interpreting Article 5(1) broadly to support effective private enforcement.[1][4][5][7]

Newsworthy now: Issued three months ago (January 2026), the ruling—analyzed in April 2026 commentaries—shapes national courts' handling of disclosure requests across EU states with pre-action mechanisms, balancing claimant access against abuse risks amid rising private antitrust litigation.[1][2][4]

Sources

[1] https://www.jonesday.com/en/insights/2026/04/cjeu-clarifies-the-standard-for-accessing-evidence-in-competition-damages-cases
[2] https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/cjeu-clarifies-the-standard-for-5042019/
[3] https://www.garrigues.com/en_GB/new/cjeu-clarifies-limits-and-requirements-governing-access-evidence-prior-bringing-antitrust
[4] https://www.crowell.com/en/insights/client-alerts/cjeu-sets-the-bar-low-for-evidence-disclosure-in-competition-damages-litigation
[5] https://trojaneconomics.com/2026/03/19/melia-c-286-24-is-access-to-evidence-in-antitrust-damages-actions-being-expanded-or-restricted/
[6] https://iusomnibus.eu/court-of-justice-of-the-eu-strengthens-consumers-right-to-access-evidence-in-antitrust-damages-cases/
[7] https://legalblogs.wolterskluwer.com/competition-blog/pre-action-disclosure-of-evidence-in-damages-claims-requirements-standards-and-plausibility-the-melia-case-cjeu-case-c-28624/
[8] https://www.perezllorca.com/en/news/legal-briefing/the-court-of-justice-of-the-european-union-clarifies-the-requirements-for-accessing-evidence-prior-to-bringing-an-action-for-damages-arising-from-a-breach-of-competition-law/
[9] https://www.concurrences.com/en/bulletin/news-issues/april-2026-i/the-eu-court-of-justice-clarifies-disclosure-of-evidence-and-plausibility
[10] https://www.biosliceblog.com/2026/03/cjeu-rules-on-gdpr-access-rights-and-abuse-of-rights-what-the-brillen-rottler-judgment-means-for-life-sciences-companies/
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