31As a preliminary point, it should be noted that, according to the Court’s settled case-law, the concept of force majeure must be understood as referring to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances which were beyond the control of the party by whom it is pleaded and the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised (Case 145/85 Denkavit België [1987] ECR 565, paragraph 11; Case C-377/03 Commission v Belgium [2006] ECR I-9733, paragraph 95; and Case C-218/09 SGS Belgium and Others [2010] ECR I-2373, paragraph 44).
Source: EUR-Lex, © European Union, 1998-2026. Reuse authorised under Decision 2011/833/EU.