Sull'astreinte accessoria a provvedimenti cautelari

The author analyzes the issues related to the enforcement of the astreintes [pecuniary penalty] issued pursuant to Section 614bis of the Italian Civil Procedure Code. The rule expressly sets forth that this judicial injunction is an enforceable title against the assets of the defendant/debtor. It follows, according to the prevailing view, that the creditor shall mention in the formal notice of payment the debtor’s violations and determine himself the concrete amount of the penalty, pursuant to the criteria set forth by the judge in his order. The debtor might challenge the order and raises his counterclaims. The same solution is held when the astreinte is ancillary to an interim measure. Upon these grounds, the author criticizes the judge’s ruling pursuant to which the injunction would not be enforceable in the event the due amount have not been already determined according to the judge’s criteria inside the same order. In these cases the creditor has to move for the request of an enforceable title having recourse to the same judge who already issued the order, asking him to determine the concrete amount of the penalty.