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Grotius Civil - to facilitate judicial cooperation between Member States by fostering mutual knowledge of legal and judicial systems
The purpose of the Grotius programme was to facilitate judicial cooperation between Member States by fostering mutual knowledge of legal and judicial systems. It was aimed at legal practitioners, i.e. judges (including examining magistrates), prosecutors, advocates, solicitors, academics and scientific personnel, ministry officials, criminal investigation officers, court officers, bailiffs, court interpreters and other professionals associated with the judiciary. It has funded training programmes, exchanges and work experience, the organisation of meetings, studies and research and the dissemination of information.
This page gives a general presentation in three parts:
I) Latest developments
The programme is no longer in force
II) General context
On 28 October 1996, the Council decided to set up a programme of incentives and exchanges for legal practitioners in the area of civil law to run from 1996 to 2000 (Joint Action of 28.10.1996, OJ 287, 8.11.1996), on the basis of the former Article K3 of the Treaty on European Union. The entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999 gave judicial cooperation in criminal matters and judicial cooperation in civil matters two distinct legal bases (Title VI of the Treaty on European Union and Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community). Therefore the aspects of the Grotius programme dealing with judicial cooperation in criminal matters are currently based on Article 34 of the Treaty on European Union. Aspects of the programme relating to judicial cooperation in civil matters are currently based on Articles 61 and 67 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. On 12 February 2001 the Council adopted the Regulation (pdf file 105 kb) extending the programme of incentives and exchanges for legal practitioners in the area of civil law (Grotius-civil (Official Journal L 43, 14.2.2001, p. 1). The regulation extended the Grotius-programme as concerns civil matters for one year, with a budget of EUR 650 000.