The Provincial Court of Barcelona has rejected the appeal presented by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) against the company’s ruling in which they were condemned for the boycott campaign against products and services offered by companies with headquarters outside of Catalonia. The Court imposes payment of the costs to the pro-independence entity ANC. An appeal is possible against the ruling. The lawsuit was filed by the Foment employer’s association.
The Court maintains in its ruling to which La Vanguardia has had access that “the existence of a boycott instigated by the defendant ANC through the Consum Estratègic campaign has been proven.” This campaign recommended the purchase of products and services from companies with headquarters in Catalonia through a website. The plan was launched after in October 2017, thousands of Catalan companies moved their headquarters outside of Catalonia (such as CaixaBank, Banc Sabadell, Naturgy or Occident) following the referendum crisis and the Parliament’s unilateral declaration of independence.
The Court’s ruling also highlights that “the execution of the Consum Estratègic campaign constitutes an act of obstruction.” The ruling adds that “the behaviors described (website, fairs, talks, press conferences) are not presented in isolation, but are developed in a coordinated manner, with a profusion of material and personal means, and wide dissemination in the media. It is for “This, assessed together, must be classified as an act of obstruction, specifically a boycott, which is why it is appropriate to confirm the disloyalty of the conduct attributed to the ANC.”
In the first ruling of 2021, the Commercial Court number 11 of Barcelona ruled that “the set of actions that make up the Consum stratègic campaign”, launched by the ANC “must be classified as disloyal and contrary to good faith” .
With the ruling of the hearing there are now four sentences against the ANC campaign.
