The Sea Endeavour 1 was a small, elderly vessel carrying a cargo of sugar beet on a short Danish domestic voyage but a modest claim that arose has attracted interventions from the European Commission and the Belgian and Spanish governments.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that there is a right of direct action against insurers in the courts of European Union (EU) countries, even if the policy wording restricts cover to the policyholder and specifies dispute resolution is subject to English law and the jurisdiction of the High Court in London.
