(c) The liabilities of the Concession Company as described in Clause(d) shall not be taken into account in determining whether any of the limits on liability set out in Clause(a) and (b) have been reached.

(d) The limits on liability set out in Clause (a) and (b) shall not apply to:

(i) any liability of the Concession Company in respect of personal injury and death;

(ii) any liability of the Concession Company arising out of any fraud or wilful default or gross negligence by the Concession Company;

(iii) any payment of statutory interest and legal costs awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitral tribunal against the Concession Company; and

(iv) any liability of the Concession Company to pay the relevant Purchase Price to the Master Developer to the extent that the Purchase Price is a negative figure.

同樣對等，項目發(fā)起人(采購人)也提出，其責任也應(yīng)有一個限度，即：

2) Master Developer Limitation of Liability

(a) The Master Developer’s aggregate liability to the Concession Company pursuant to or under this Agreement over the Construction Period shall not exceed USDXXX.

(b) The Master Developer’s aggregate liability to the Concession Company pursuant to or under this Agreement over the Operating Period shall not exceed USDXXX.

(c) The liabilities of the Master Developer as described in Clause (d) shall not be taken into account in determining whether any of the limits on liability set out in Clause (a) and (b) have been reached.

(d) The limits on liability set out in Clause (a) and (b) shall not apply to:

(i) any liability of the Master Developer in respect of personal injury and death;

(ii) any liability of the Master Developer arising out of any fraud or wilful default or gross negligence by Master Developer;

(iii) any payment of statutory interest and legal costs awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitral tribunal against the Master Developer;

(iv) any liability of the Master Developer to pay the relevant Purchase Price to the Concession Company; and

(v) any liability of the Master Developer for any costs and expenses incurred by the Concession Company to implement a Confirmed Master Developer Variation.

項目發(fā)起人(采購人)和項目公司對間接損失都不承擔責任，即：

3)Consequential Loss

Neither party shall be liable to the other party under or in connection with this Agreement in contract, tort, warranty, indemnity, strict liability, other legal theory or otherwise for any special, consequential, or punitive damages or indirect losses, costs or expenses or loss of actual or anticipated profits (whether direct or indirect), loss of production, loss of use, loss of business, loss of revenue, lost opportunities (including opportunities to enter into or complete arrangements with third parties), a failure to realise anticipated savings, loss of goodwill or loss of reputation …….

項目所在國家是英美法系，中國是大陸法系，但關(guān)于間接損失和責任限度的內(nèi)容在1999年頒布的《中華人民共和國合同法》第113條和114條有接近的類似意思表示：第113條：當事人一方不履行合同義務(wù)或者履行合同義務(wù)不符合約定，給對方造成損失的，損失賠償額應(yīng)當相當于因違約所造成的損失，包括合同履行后可以獲得的利益，但不得超過違反合同一方訂立合同時預見到或者應(yīng)當預見到的因違反合同可能造成的損失;第114條：當事人可以約定一方違約時應(yīng)當根據(jù)違約情況向?qū)Ψ街Ц兑欢〝?shù)額的違約金，也可以約定因違約產(chǎn)生的損失賠償額的計算方法。約定的違約金低于造成的損失的，當事人可以請求人民法院或者仲裁機構(gòu)予以增加;約定的違約金過分高于造成的損失的，當事人可以請求人民法院或者仲裁機構(gòu)予以適當減少。當事人就遲延履行約定違約金的，違約方支付違約金后，還應(yīng)當履行債務(wù)。

筆者認為，責任限度(LIABILITY LIMIT)條款實際就是一個由下向上“傳導”的條款，由承包商傳導到項目公司，項目公司再傳導到項目發(fā)起人(采購人)，該條款對各方來講是多贏的。

3.終止與終止補償條款

終止與終止補償條款既是社會資本A和工程公司B談判簽署EPC承包合同的重要條款，也是項目發(fā)起人(采購人)和項目公司談判簽署特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議的重要條款，也是本項目中談判時間最長的一個條款。

首先，社會資本A和工程公司B都認同，特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議終止，必然帶來EPC承包合同的終止，這是沒有歧義的。但是假設(shè)由于承包商的違約造成EPC承包合同終止，傳導上去假設(shè)特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議因此而終止，這種終止在特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議項下是由于項目公司違約而終止，那么能否把特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議項下項目公司承擔的違約責任直接轉(zhuǎn)嫁到EPC承包合同項下由承包商承擔呢?假設(shè)可以轉(zhuǎn)嫁，是否與責任限度條款有矛盾?

另外，特許經(jīng)協(xié)議終止的原因與補償不一定是EPC承包合同終止的原因與補償。舉個簡單的例子，在特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議中約定項目發(fā)起人(采購人)可以出于便利而終止，隨之而來的補償與項目發(fā)起人(采購人)違約的終止補償是一樣的。那么在EPC承包合同這種終止是雇主違約而終止還是出于雇主便利而終止?

筆者把特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議和黃皮書項下合同終止的原因和補償對比分析如下：

這不是最復雜的，假設(shè)特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議僅是由于項目公司自身的原因而終止，在EPC承包合同項下這種終止是由于雇主便利而終止還是雇主違約而終止?社會資本A和工程公司B反反復復討論多次，其最大的區(qū)別就是終止補償?shù)膬?nèi)容是有差別的。另外，按照黃皮書的規(guī)定，有Tests on Completion 和Tests After Completion，社會資本A和工程公司B的工作界面是哪一個?

終止和終止補償條款最早提出，談判時間卻一直持續(xù)到最終簽約階段。特許經(jīng)營協(xié)議中的終止和終止補償條款談判余地并不大，因此由社會資本A和項目發(fā)起人(采購人)先確定，隨后向下傳導到工程公司B，經(jīng)過雙方的平衡，最終變成EPC承包合同中的重要條款。

編輯：王媛媛