Legislation

Treaty

• The Lisbon Treaty (articles 67 and 81)

Directives

2008

• Directive on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters

2004

• Council Directive relating to compensation to crime victims

2003

• Council Directive to improve access to justice in cross-border disputes by establishing minimum common rules relating to legal aid for such disputes

Regulations

2010

• Rome III - Regulation implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the law applicable to divorce and legal separation

2009

• Regulation establishing a procedure for the negotiation and the conclusion of agreements between Member States and third countries en particular matters concerning the law applicable to contractual and non-contractual obligations [737 KB]
• Council Regulation establishing a procedure for the negotiation and conclusion of agreements between Member States and third countries concerning jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of judgements and decisions in matrimonial matters, matters of parental responsibility and matters relating to maintenance obligations, and the law applicable to matters relating to maintenance obligations

2008

• Council Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations
• Rome II - Regulation on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations

2007

• Rome I - Regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations
• Regulation establishing a European Small Claims Procedure
• Regulation on the service in the EU countries of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (service of documents)

2006

• Regulation creating a European order for payment (EPO) procedure

2005

• Commission Regulation (replacing the Annexes to Regulation (creating a European Enforcement Order (EEO) for uncontested claims

2004

• Regulation creating a European Enforcement Order (EEO) for uncontested claims

2001

• Council Regulation on cooperation between the courts of the EU countries in the taking of evidence in civil or commercial matters

2000

• 'Brussels I' on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters
  • Commission Regulation amending Council Regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters [735 KB]
• 'Brussels II' on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility
  • Council Regulation amending Regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility
  • Information relating to courts and redress procedures pursuant to Article 68 of Council Regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility [175 KB]

• Council Regulation on insolvency proceedings
  • Council Regulation (2005) amending the lists of insolvency proceedings, winding-up proceedings and liquidators in Annexes A, B and C to Regulation on insolvency proceedings [65 KB]
  • Council Regulation (2006) amending the lists of insolvency proceedings, winding-up proceedings and liquidators in Annexes A, B and C to Regulation on insolvency proceedings [71 KB]
  • Council Regulation (2007) amending the lists of insolvency proceedings, winding-up proceedings and liquidators in Annexes A, B and C to Regulation on insolvency proceedings
  • Implementing Regulation of the Council amending the lists of insolvency proceedings, winding-up proceedings and liquidators in Annexes A, B and C to Regulation on insolvency proceedings and codifying Annexes A, B and C to that Regulation

Decisions

2010

• Council Decision authorising enhanced cooperation on the area of the law applicable to divorce and legal separation [704 KB]

2009

• Council Decision on the conclusion by the EC of the Hague Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations [750 KB]
• Commission Decision on the intention of the United Kingdom to accept Council Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations
• Council Decision on the conclusion by the European Community of the Hague Protocol on the Law applicable to Maintenance Obligations [750 KB]
• Council Decision on the signing on behalf of the European Community of the Convention on Choice of Court Agreements
• Council Decision on the accession of the European Community to the Convention on international interests in mobile equipment and its Protocol on matters specific to aircraft equipment
• Council Decision on the signing by the European Community of the Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Railway Rolling Stock [815 KB]

2008

• Commission Decision on the request from the United Kingdom to accept Regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) [26 KB]
• Council Decision authorising certain EU countries to ratify, or accede to, in the interest of the European Community, the 1996 Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children and authorising certain EU countries to make a declaration on the application of the relevant internal rules of Community law
• Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters

2007

• Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the Community, of the Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters
• Decision establishing for the period 2007-2013 the Specific Programme Civil Justice as part of the General Programme Fundamental Rights and Justice

2006

• Commission Decision establishing standard forms for the transmission of applications and decisions pursuant to Council Directive relating to compensation to crime
• Council Decision on the accession of the Community to the Hague Conference on Private International Law [76 KB]
• Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters
  • Council Decision (2009) amending Decision to provide for a procedure for the implementation of article 5(2) of the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters [703 KB]
• Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on the service of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil and commercial matters
  • Council Decision (2009) amending Decision to provide for a procedure for the implementation of article 5(2) of the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on the service of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil and commercial matters [703 KB]

2005

• Commission Decision establishing a form for the transmission of legal aid applications under Council Directive to improve access to justice in cross-border disputes by establishing minimum common rules relating to legal aid for such disputes [146 KB]

2004

• Commission Decision establishing a form for legal aid applications under Council Directive to improve access to justice in cross-border disputes by establishing minimum common rules relating to legal aid for such disputes

2003

• Council Decision authorising the EU countries which are Contracting Parties to the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy to sign, in the interest of the European Community, the Protocol amending that Convention [77 KB]
  • Council Decision (2004) authorising the EU countries which are Contracting Parties to the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy to ratify, in the interest of the European Community, the Protocol amending that Convention, or to accede to it - Protocol to amend the Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy of 29 July 2960, as amended by the Additional Protocol of 28 January 1964 and by the Protocol of 16 November 1982

2002

• Council Decision authorising the EU countries, in the interest of the Community, to ratify or accede to the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (the HNS Convention)
• Council Decision authorising the EU countries, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (the Bunkers Convention)
• Council Decision authorising the EU countries, in the interest of the Community, to sign the 1996 Hague Convention on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition, enforcement and cooperation in respect of parental responsibility and measures for the protection of children

2001

• Council decision on the conclusion by the European Community of the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by air (the Montreal Convention) [90 KB]

• Council Decision establishing a European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters
  • Decision amending Council Decision establishing a European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters (2009)

Jurisprudence

• Jurisdiction Recognition Enforcement database
• European court of Justice
• Judicial Atlas in civil matters

International agreements

2009

• Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters
  • Information concerning the date of entry into force of the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters
• Information concerning the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters and the Council Regulation (EC) No 4/2009 of 18 December 2008 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations (OJ L 149 of 12.6.2009, p.80) [599 KB]
• Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters
  • Information concerning the date of the entry into force of the Convention on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters

2008

• Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on the service of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil and commercial matters
  • Information concerning the date of entry into force of the Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Denmark on the service of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil and commercial matters
• Choice of Court Agreements
  • Text of the proposal [COM/2008/538 final] [57 KB]
  • Impact assessment [SEC/2008/2389] [313 KB]

2007

• Protocol on the Law applicable to Maintenance Obligations
• Luxembourg Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Railway Rolling Stock
• Convention on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgements in Civil and Commercial matters - Protocol 1 on certain questions of jurisdiction, procedure and enforcement - Protocol 2 on the uniform interpretation of the Convention and on the Standing Committee
  • Procès-verbal of rectification to the Convention on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgements in Civil and Commercial matters [855 KB]

2001

• International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (the Bunkers Convention)

1998

• Brussels Convention of 27 September 1968 on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters ( OJ C 27 of 26 January 1998, p.34) as subsequently amended by accessions
• Rome Convention of 19 June 1980 on the Law applicable to Contractual Obligations (OJ C 27 of 26 November 1998, p. 34); as subsequently amended by accessions

1996

• The Hague Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.
  • Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (2008) [62 KB]
• International convention on liability and compensation for damage in connection with the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances by sea (HNS Convention)

1980

• The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

1965

• The Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law and Recognition of Decrees Relating to Adoptions

1961

• The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents

Impact assessments

2010

• Impact Assessment accompanying document to the 'Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters [303 KB]
• Summary of the Impact Assessment accompanying document to the 'Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters [51 KB]

Communication

2011

• Communication from the Commission-Bringing legal clarity to property rights for international couples

Proposals

2011

• Proposal for a Council regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law and the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matters of matrimonial property regimes
• Proposal for a Council regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law and the recognition and enforcement of decisions regarding the property consequences of registered partnerships

2010

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (recast of Brussels I)
  • Several errors appear in the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (Recast) (COM(2010) 748 final) and Commission Staff Working Paper on Impact Assessment accompanying document to the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (Recast) (SEC(2010) 1547 final). List of errors [79 KB]
• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters [495 KB]

2009

• Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and authentic instruments in matters of succession and the creation of a European Certificate of Succession
• Commission Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion by the European Community of the convention on the international recovery of child support and other forms of family maintenance

2002

• Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing by the European Community of the Council of Europe Convention on contact concerning children