A year-long legal dispute by the British vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson for more than 176 million euros in damages is entering the decisive phase before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The oral hearing before the highest European court began on Thursday, as a spokeswoman announced.
Dyson had previously successfully challenged an EU regulation that allowed the energy efficiency of vacuum cleaners to be determined with an empty tank and therefore not under real conditions. The British company, which sells bagless vacuum cleaners, felt it had been treated unfairly and demanded compensation from the EU Commission. Because the power consumption of some vacuum cleaners increases the fuller the bag is.
Although Dyson won the process, the EU court subsequently did not award any damages. The vacuum cleaner manufacturer is now defending itself against this before the ECJ. A verdict is expected in a few months at the earliest.