The present book offers the reader insight into how the Court of Justice of the European Communities justifies its interpretations of the European legal rules on international jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. Our examination of the more than one hundred decisions which the Court has delivered under the 1968 Brussels Convention shows that the Court uses the principles, which in its opinion underlie the explicit rules, as reasons to justify its decisions. These principles are described in the book and it is shown how they relate to each other. The system of principles that has been identified in this study forms an important part of the Brussels Convention’s legacy for the new Regulation No. 44/2001, which replaced the Convention on March 1, 2002. It constitutes a catalogue of arguments that will be employed by the Court to justify its interpretation of the provisions of the new regulation. As such, this book will be of great value to practitioners in international law as well as to academics and students alike. Jannet A. Pontier (Ph.D.) Edwige Burg (Ph.D.) Professor of Law Lecturer and researcher Department of Private International Law Department of Private International Law Senior Research Associate at the Research Associate at the Amsterdam Institute for Private Law Amsterdam Institute for Private Law University of Amsterdam University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, The Netherlands, January 2004 VII TABLE OF CONTENTS

For international lawyers, the European rules on jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters are of great practical importance. Since March 2002, these rules have been laid down in an EU Regulation (44/2001) which essentially replaced the 1968 Brussels Convention. The preliminary considerations to the Regulation imply that the decisions in which the Court of Justice of the EC has interpreted the Brussels Convention remain relevant for the interpretation of the Regulation. Hence, in order to have a thorough understanding of the Regulation, an in-depth knowledge of the EC Court’s case law regarding the Brussels Convention is imperative. The present study is based on an analysis of more than one hundred decisions that the Court has delivered under the Brussels Convention. It appears that the significance of the Court’s case law lies not only in the final outcome of these decisions, but also in the principles that the Court consistently refers to in arriving at its decisions. The authors piece together the system of principles that has become apparent in the Court’s reasoning. An understanding of this system not only sheds light on how and why the Court has reached its past decisions, but it also enables lawyers to understand the confines within which the Court’s argumentation is likely to take place in future cases under the Regulation. A publication which focuses on the principles used by the Court to justify its decisions in this particular area of law, has been lacking. This book aims to fill that gap. Its value extends beyond the academic realm and into the field of legal practice.

The Brussels Convention on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters was concluded on September 27, 1968, among the original six Member States of the then EEC. On March 1, 2002, the Convention was replaced by EC Regulation No 44/2001 of December 2000 on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters. Regulation 44/2001 left much of the Convention unaltered, but parts were also modified inter alia in order to take into account decisions of the European Court of Justice. These two volumes and supplement contain over 100 decisions of the European Court of Justice on the interpretation of the Brussels Convention from 1976 onwards, as well as the Advocate Generals' opinions for each case. The provisions of the Convention cannot be properly understood and applied without reference to this case law. The case law of the ECJ will also continue to be of fundamental importance due to its relevance to a proper understanding of the provisions of the new Regulation. This publication thus provides an essential tool to those interested in the "new" Regulation and its spirit of continuity from the "old" European rules on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters.

The Brussels I Regulation is by far the most prominent cornerstone of the European law of international civil procedure. Every practitioner in the international field has to work with it - and its importance is still growing. The first edition of this full scale article-by-article commentary found a very warm reception. This new edition brings the book up to date, incorporating a host of developments in the four years since ist first appearance, combines in-depth analysis with a genuine and truly European perspective, authored by top experts from all over Europe, covers the jurisprudence of the ECJ and of the Member States, and integrates thorough discussion of the pending proposal for a Brussels Ibis Regulation. This truly European commentary offers invaluable guidance for lawyers, judges and academics throughout Europe.

Since the Amsterdam Treaty of 1997 empowered the EC to adopt rules in the field of conflicts of laws, legal instruments have been adopted that provide common rules on issues that touch upon the day-to-day life of European citizens. There are now instruments covering jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, family matters and maintenance obligations, and the law applicable to contractual and non-contractual obligations, legal separations and divorces. There is also legislation establishing swift procedures for recovering claims abroad, ie the European Enforcement Order, the European Order for Payment Procedure and the European Small Claims Procedure, and legislation regulating cross-border insolvency proceedings and judicial assistance in the field of service of documents, taking of evidence and access to justice. This long list of EU legislation is not exhaustive of EU conflicts of laws rules: numerous further provisions are scattered among other EU legislation, eg directives on consumer, labour and insurance contracts; company law; IP rights; securities; privacy; and so on. Besides this the European Court of Justice has issued many judgments addressing relevant aspects of the conflict of laws found in the acquis communautaire in this field. This book, which assembles all the relevant EU legislation and ECJ decisions in one place, provides a guide to the maze of legal instruments now in place, supplemented by brief commentaries identifying the leading principles and anticipating future developments. This title is included in Bloomsbury Professional's International Arbitration online service.

"One of the first things international practitioners must consider is where to conduct legal proceedings. But the second thought must be whether a judgment or award, or a deed for that matter, is enforceable in the debtor's jurisdiction or the jurisdiction where there are assets. This first edition of Enforcement of Judgments, Awards and Deeds, provides the answer to such questions for a variety of jurisdictions. The New York Convention of 1958 is widely implemented, and therewith provides the basis for recognition of arbitral awards in many countries; where court judgments are concerned, the position is different. This book assists practitioners to make the right choice." -- (Cover)

The idea of a European Judicial Area has gathered force since the negotiation of the Amsterdam Treaty amending the TEU and conferring competence on the European Community in relation to measures of "judicial cooperation". One of the areas targeted for rapid attention is improvement in the recognition and enforcement of civil judgments in Europe - with plans for the mutual recognition of judgments.

This book deals with the interconnection between the Brussels I Recast and Rome I Regulations and addresses the question of uniform interpretation. A consistent understanding of scope and provisions is suggested by the preamble of the Rome I Regulation. Without doubt, it is fair to presume that the same terms bear the same meaning throughout the Regulations. The author takes a closer look at the Regulations’ systems, guiding principles, and their balance of flexibility and legal certainty. He starts from the premise that such analysis should prove particularly rewarding as both legal acts have their specific DNA: The Brussels I Recast Regulation has a procedural focus when it governs the allocation of jurisdiction and the free circulation of judgments. The multilateral rules under the Rome I Regulation, by contrast, are animated by conflict of laws methods and focus on the delimitation of legal systems. This fourth volume in the Short Studies in Private International Law Series is primarily aimed at legal academics in private international law and advanced students. But it should also prove an intriguing read for legal practitioners in international litigation. Christoph Schmon is a legal expert in the fields of Private International Law, Consumer Law, and Digital Rights. After serving in research positions at academic institutes in Vienna and London, he focused on EU policy and law making. He is appointed expert of advisory groups to the EU Commission.

The regulation of cross border civil and commercial litigation is a burgeoning EU policy area. Legislative measures and other initiatives now provide a framework for the regulation of cross border service of documents, obtaining evidence, establishing jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments, enforcement orders, legal aid, alternative dispute resolution, payment orders, and small claims. In addition, overarching measures have been enacted including the creation of a judicial network and judicial training structures. This book offers the first detailed analysis of the EU's activity in procedural harmonization, spanning civil procedure, private international law and European law. The book situates the development of the policy area and its regulation in relation to broader themes of the European integration process: market building, citizenship, fundamental rights, subsidiarity and governance. It provides a detailed analysis of the legislative measures and assesses their impact on fundamental principles of civil justice, including due process rights. The case-law in the area is also analysed, including the introduction of the principle of mutual recognition. The book concludes with a comparative analysis of the EU's approach with broader international efforts for procedural harmonization.

This title was first published in 2002: Within Europe and beyond, foreign judgement enforcement is now an essential component for the development of international commerce. This indispensable volume traces and analyzes steps and procedures for the enforcement of foreign judgements in national courts, including summarizing the principles which are the preconditions for that enforcement.