Compagnie du Port, des Quais et des Entrepôts de Beyrouth and the Société Radio-Orient - The French Government files an Application instituting proceedings against the Government of the Republic of Le

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(unofficial)

On February ljth, 1959, the French Ambassador to the Netherlands
filed in the Registry of the Court an Application by his Government
instituting proceedings against the Government of the Republic of
Lebanon.

The Application sets forth tlizt in accordance vdth the terms of
their constitutional instruments, the Compagqie.$~pOrJ, des, Quais et
des Entre~ô~~-~de_B~o+& and the Société Radio-Orient enjoyed certain
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customs and tax exemptions in Lebanon during the life of their
concessions. The Lebanese Govermilent having, on July 26th) 1956,
enacted a law providing for the imposition of income tax and other
fiscal and mnicipalta,~es on al1 companies enjoying an exemption
under agreements ratified by special legislation, the ~"rench Government
considers that this constitutes a unilateral alteration of the position
of the companies concerned, trliich is contrary to the I'igreement of
January 24th) 1948, between France and the Lebanon.

The Application concludes by aslcing the Court to adjudge and

declare that the unilateral alteration of the concessions envisaged is
contrary tO that Agreement, that the Lebanese Government has ac corclingly
failed to carry out the obligation to negotiate assumed by it, that, in
refuçing to cooperate in the proposais for arbitration put forward by
the coqanies concerned, the Lebanese Government has failed to perform
the obligation assumed by it in the Agreement of Jmuary 24th) 1948, to
contirrue to respect the constitutional instruments of the French
companies in force on January 1st) 1944, that it has thereby engaged
its international responsibility, that it is not entitled to alter the
position of the companies otherwise than as the result of an agreement

or of arbitration, and that it is under an obligation to make good the
damge suffered by the

T'e Hague, February 16th, 1959

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