European Union – Rules on competition. The Court of Justice of the European Union gave a preliminary ruling concerning the interpretation of arts 5(3), 6(1) and 23(1) of Regulation No 44/2001 (on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters). The request had been made in proceedings between Cartel Damage Claims (CDC) Hydrogen Peroxide SA (CDC), domiciled in Brussels (Belgium), and Akzo Nobel NV and other companies domiciled in member states other than Germany, regarding CDC's action for damages brought by virtue of claims for damages which were directly or indirectly transferred to it by 71 undertakings having allegedly suffered loss as a result of an infringement of art 81 EC and art 53 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.