31.7.2007
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 199/1
REGULATION (EC) No 861/2007 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 11 July 2007
establishing a European Small Claims Procedure
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 61(c) and Article 67 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (2),
Whereas:
(1)
The Community has set itself the objective of maintaining and developing an area of freedom, security and justice in which the free movement of persons is ensured. For the gradual establishment of such an area, the Community is to adopt, inter alia, measures in the field of judicial cooperation in civil matters having cross-border implications and needed for the proper functioning of the internal market.
(2)
According to Article 65(c) of the Treaty, those measures are to include those eliminating obstacles to the good functioning of civil proceedings, if necessary by promoting the compatibility of the rules on civil procedure applicable in the Member States.
(3)
In this respect, the Community has, among other measures, already adopted Council Regulation (EC) No 1348/2000 of 29 May 2000 on the service in the Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (3), Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (4), Council Decision 2001/470/EC of 28 May 2001 establishing a European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters (5), Regulation (EC) No 805/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 creating a European Enforcement Order for uncontested claims (6) and Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 creating a European order for payment procedure (7).
(4)
The European Council meeting in Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999 invited the Council and the Commission to establish common procedural rules for simplified and accelerated cross-border litigation on small consumer and commercial claims.
(5)
On 30 November 2000, the Council adopted a joint programme of the Commission and the Council of measures for the implementation of the principle of mutual recognition of decisions in civil and commercial matters (8). The programme refers to simplifying and speeding up the settlement of cross-border litigation on small claims. This was taken forward by the Hague Programme (9), adopted by the European Council on 5 November 2004, which called for work on small claims to be actively pursued.
(6)
On 20 December 2002, the Commission adopted a Green Paper on a European order for payment procedure and on measures to simplify and speed up small claims litigation. The Green Paper launched a consultation on measures concerning the simplification and the speeding up of small claims litigation.
(7)
Many Member States have introduced simplified civil procedures for small claims since costs, delays and complexities connected with litigation do not necessarily decrease proportionally with the value of the claim. The obstacles to obtaining a fast and inexpensive judgment are exacerbated in cross-border cases. It is therefore necessary to establish a European procedure for small claims (European Small Claims Procedure). The objective of such a procedure should be to facilitate access to justice. The distortion of competition within the internal market due to imbalances with regard to the functioning of the procedural means afforded to creditors in different Member States entails the need for Community legislation that guarantees a level playing-field for creditors and debtors throughout the European Union. It should be necessary to have regard to the principles of simplicity, speed and proportionality when setting the costs of dealing with a claim under the European Small Claims Procedure. It is appropriate that details of the costs to be charged be made public, and that the means of setting any such costs be transparent.
(8)
The European Small Claims Procedure should simplify and speed up litigation concerning small claims in cross-border cases, whilst reducing costs, by offering an optional tool in addition to the possibilities existing under the laws of the Member States, which will remain unaffected. This Regulation should also make it simpler to obtain the recognition and enforcement of a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure in another Member State.
(9)
This Regulation seeks to promote fundamental rights and takes into account, in particular, the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The court or tribunal should respect the right to a fair trial and the principle of an adversarial process, in particular when deciding on the necessity of an oral hearing and on the means of taking evidence and the extent to which evidence is to be taken.
(10)
For the purposes of facilitating calculation of the value of a claim, all interest, expenses and disbursements should be disregarded. This should affect neither the power of the court or tribunal to award these in its judgment nor the national rules on the calculation of interest.
(11)
In order to facilitate the commencement of the European Small Claims Procedure, the claimant should make an application by filling in a standard claim form and lodging it with the court or tribunal. The claim form should be submitted only to a court or tribunal that has jurisdiction.
(12)
The claim form should be accompanied, where appropriate, by any relevant supporting documents. However, this does not prevent the claimant from submitting, where appropriate, further evidence during the procedure. The same principle should apply to the response by the defendant.
(13)
The concepts of ‘clearly unfounded’ in the context of the dismissal of a claim and of ‘inadmissible’ in the context of the dismissal of an application should be determined in accordance with national law.
(14)
The European Small Claims Procedure should be a written procedure, unless an oral hearing is considered necessary by the court or tribunal or a party so requests. The court or tribunal may refuse such a request. Such refusal may not be contested separately.
(15)
The parties should not be obliged to be represented by a lawyer or another legal professional.
(16)
The concept of ‘counterclaim’ should be interpreted within the meaning of Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 as arising from the same contract or facts on which the original claim was based. Articles 2 and 4 as well as Article 5(3), (4) and (5) should apply, mutatis mutandis, to counterclaims.
(17)
In cases where the defendant invokes a right of set-off during the proceedings, such claim should not constitute a counterclaim for the purposes of this Regulation. Therefore, the defendant should not be obliged to use standard Form A, as set out in Annex I, for invoking such a right.
(18)
The Member State addressed for the purposes of the application of Article 6 is the Member State where service is to be effected or to where the document is to be dispatched. In order to reduce costs and delays, documents should be served on the parties primarily by postal service attested by an acknowledgment of receipt, including the date of receipt.
(19)
A party may refuse to accept a document at the time of service or by returning the document within one week if it is not written in, or accompanied by a translation into, the official language of the Member State addressed (or, if there are several official languages in that Member State, the official language or one of the official languages of the place where service is to be effected or to where the document is to be dispatched) or a language which the addressee understands.
(20)
In the context of oral hearings and the taking of evidence, the Member States should encourage the use of modern communication technology subject to the national law of the Member State where the court or tribunal is situated. The court or tribunal should use the simplest and least costly method of taking evidence.
(21)
The practical assistance to be made available to the parties should include technical information concerning the availability and the filling in of the forms.
(22)
The information about procedural questions can also be given by the court or tribunal staff in accordance with national law.
(23)
As the objective of this Regulation is to simplify and speed up litigation concerning small claims in cross-border cases, the court or tribunal should act as soon as possible even when this Regulation does not prescribe any time limit for a specific phase of the procedure.
(24)
For the purposes of calculating time limits as provided for in this Regulation, Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1182/71 of the Council of 3 June 1971 determining the rules applicable to periods, dates and time limits (10) should apply.
(25)
In order to speed up the recovery of small claims, the judgment should be enforceable notwithstanding any possible appeal and without the condition of the provision of a security except as provided for in this Regulation.
(26)
Any reference in this Regulation to an appeal should include any possible means of appeal available under national law.
(27)
The court or tribunal must include a person qualified to serve as a judge in accordance with national law.
(28)
Whenever the court or tribunal is required to set a time limit, the party concerned should be informed of the consequences of not complying with it.
(29)
The unsuccessful party should bear the costs of the proceedings. The costs of the proceedings should be determined in accordance with national law. Having regard to the objectives of simplicity and cost-effectiveness, the court or tribunal should order that an unsuccessful party be obliged to pay only the costs of the proceedings, including for example any costs resulting from the fact that the other party was represented by a lawyer or another legal professional, or any costs arising from the service or translation of documents, which are proportionate to the value of the claim or which were necessarily incurred.
(30)
In order to facilitate recognition and enforcement, a judgment given in a Member State in the European Small Claims Procedure should be recognised and enforceable in another Member State without the need for a declaration of enforceability and without any possibility of opposing its recognition.
(31)
There should be minimum standards for the review of a judgment in situations where the defendant was not able to contest the claim.
(32)
Having regard to the objectives of simplicity and cost-effectiveness, the party seeking enforcement shall not be required to have an authorised representative or a postal address in the Member State of enforcement, other than with agents having competence for the enforcement procedure in accordance with the national law of that Member State.
(33)
Chapter III of this Regulation should also apply to the determination of costs and expenses made by officers of the court or tribunal due to a judgment given pursuant to the procedure specified in this Regulation.
(34)
The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (11).
(35)
In particular, power should be conferred on the Commission to adopt measures necessary to update or make technical amendments to the forms set out in the Annexes. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation and/or to supplement this Regulation by the addition of new non-essential elements, they should be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny provided for in Article 5a of Decision 1999/468/EC.
(36)
Since the objectives of this Regulation, namely, the establishment of a procedure to simplify and speed up litigation concerning small claims in cross-border cases, and to reduce costs, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effects of this Regulation, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve those objectives.
(37)
In accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the United Kingdom and Ireland have given notice of their wish to take part in the adoption and application of this Regulation.
(38)
In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Denmark does not take part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or subject to its application,
HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
CHAPTER I
SUBJECT MATTER AND SCOPE
Article 1
Subject matter
This Regulation establishes a European procedure for small claims (hereinafter referred to as the European Small Claims Procedure), intended to simplify and speed up litigation concerning small claims in cross-border cases, and to reduce costs. The European Small Claims Procedure shall be available to litigants as an alternative to the procedures existing under the laws of the Member States.
This Regulation also eliminates the intermediate proceedings necessary to enable recognition and enforcement, in other Member States, of judgments given in one Member State in the European Small Claims Procedure.
Article 2
Scope
1.   This Regulation shall apply, in cross-border cases, to civil and commercial matters, whatever the nature of the court or tribunal, where the value of a claim does not exceed EUR 2 000 at the time when the claim form is received by the court or tribunal with jurisdiction, excluding all interest, expenses and disbursements. It shall not extend, in particular, to revenue, customs or administrative matters or to the liability of the State for acts and omissions in the exercise of State authority (acta jure imperii).
2.   This Regulation shall not apply to matters concerning:
(a)
the status or legal capacity of natural persons;
(b)
rights in property arising out of a matrimonial relationship, maintenance obligations, wills and succession;
(c)
bankruptcy, proceedings relating to the winding-up of insolvent companies or other legal persons, judicial arrangements, compositions and analogous proceedings;
(d)
social security;
(e)
arbitration;
(f)
employment law;
(g)
tenancies of immovable property, with the exception of actions on monetary claims; or
(h)
violations of privacy and of rights relating to personality, including defamation.
3.   In this Regulation, the term ‘Member State’ shall mean Member States with the exception of Denmark.
Article 3
Cross-border cases
1.   For the purposes of this Regulation, a cross-border case is one in which at least one of the parties is domiciled or habitually resident in a Member State other than the Member State of the court or tribunal seised.
2.   Domicile shall be determined in accordance with Articles 59 and 60 of Regulation (EC) No 44/2001.
3.   The relevant moment for determining whether there is a cross-border case is the date on which the claim form is received by the court or tribunal with jurisdiction.
CHAPTER II
THE EUROPEAN SMALL CLAIMS PROCEDURE
Article 4
Commencement of the Procedure
1.   The claimant shall commence the European Small Claims Procedure by filling in standard claim Form A, as set out in Annex I, and lodging it with the court or tribunal with jurisdiction directly, by post or by any other means of communication, such as fax or e-mail, acceptable to the Member State in which the procedure is commenced. The claim form shall include a description of evidence supporting the claim and be accompanied, where appropriate, by any relevant supporting documents.
2.   Member States shall inform the Commission which means of communication are acceptable to them. The Commission shall make such information publicly available.
3.   Where a claim is outside the scope of this Regulation, the court or tribunal shall inform the claimant to that effect. Unless the claimant withdraws the claim, the court or tribunal shall proceed with it in accordance with the relevant procedural law applicable in the Member State in which the procedure is conducted.
4.   Where the court or tribunal considers the information provided by the claimant to be inadequate or insufficiently clear or if the claim form is not filled in properly, it shall, unless the claim appears to be clearly unfounded or the application inadmissible, give the claimant the opportunity to complete or rectify the claim form or to supply supplementary information or documents or to withdraw the claim, within such period as it specifies. The court or tribunal shall use standard Form B, as set out in Annex II, for this purpose.
Where the claim appears to be clearly unfounded or the application inadmissible or where the claimant fails to complete or rectify the claim form within the time specified, the application shall be dismissed.
5.   Member States shall ensure that the claim form is available at all courts and tribunals at which the European Small Claims Procedure can be commenced.
Article 5
Conduct of the Procedure
1.   The European Small Claims Procedure shall be a written procedure. The court or tribunal shall hold an oral hearing if it considers this to be necessary or if a party so requests. The court or tribunal may refuse such a request if it considers that with regard to the circumstances of the case, an oral hearing is obviously not necessary for the fair conduct of the proceedings. The reasons for refusal shall be given in writing. The refusal may not be contested separately.
2.   After receiving the properly filled in claim form, the court or tribunal shall fill in Part I of the standard answer Form C, as set out in Annex III.
A copy of the claim form, and, where applicable, of the supporting documents, together with the answer form thus filled in, shall be served on the defendant in accordance with Article 13. These documents shall be dispatched within 14 days of receiving the properly filled in claim form.
3.   The defendant shall submit his response within 30 days of service of the claim form and answer form, by filling in Part II of standard answer Form C, accompanied, where appropriate, by any relevant supporting documents, and returning it to the court or tribunal, or in any other appropriate way not using the answer form.
4.   Within 14 days of receipt of the response from the defendant, the court or tribunal shall dispatch a copy thereof, together with any relevant supporting documents to the claimant.
5.   If, in his response, the defendant claims that the value of a non-monetary claim exceeds the limit set out in Article 2(1), the court or tribunal shall decide within 30 days of dispatching the response to the claimant, whether the claim is within the scope of this Regulation. Such decision may not be contested separately.
6.   Any counterclaim, to be submitted using standard Form A, and any relevant supporting documents shall be served on the claimant in accordance with Article 13. Those documents shall be dispatched within 14 days of receipt.
The claimant shall have 30 days from service to respond to any counterclaim.
7.   If the counterclaim exceeds the limit set out in Article 2(1), the claim and counterclaim shall not proceed in the European Small Claims Procedure but shall be dealt with in accordance with the relevant procedural law applicable in the Member State in which the procedure is conducted.
Articles 2 and 4 as well as paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of this Article shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to counterclaims.
Article 6
Languages
1.   The claim form, the response, any counterclaim, any response to a counterclaim and any description of relevant supporting documents shall be submitted in the language or one of the languages of the court or tribunal.
2.   If any other document received by the court or tribunal is not in the language in which the proceedings are conducted, the court or tribunal may require a translation of that document only if the translation appears to be necessary for giving the judgment.
3.   Where a party has refused to accept a document because it is not in either of the following languages:
(a)
the official language of the Member State addressed, or, if there are several official languages in that Member State, the official language or one of the official languages of the place where service is to be effected or to where the document is to be dispatched; or
(b)
a language which the addressee understands,
the court or tribunal shall so inform the other party with a view to that party providing a translation of the document.
Article 7
Conclusion of the Procedure
1.   Within 30 days of receipt of the response from the defendant or the claimant within the time limits laid down in Article 5(3) or (6), the court or tribunal shall give a judgment, or:
(a)
demand further details concerning the claim from the parties within a specified period of time, not exceeding 30 days;
(b)
take evidence in accordance with Article 9; or
(c)
summon the parties to an oral hearing to be held within 30 days of the summons.
2.   The court or tribunal shall give the judgment either within 30 days of any oral hearing or after having received all information necessary for giving the judgment. The judgment shall be served on the parties in accordance with Article 13.
3.   If the court or tribunal has not received an answer from the relevant party within the time limits laid down in Article 5(3) or (6), it shall give a judgment on the claim or counterclaim.
Article 8
Oral hearing
The court or tribunal may hold an oral hearing through video conference or other communication technology if the technical means are available.
Article 9
Taking of evidence
1.   The court or tribunal shall determine the means of taking evidence and the extent of the evidence necessary for its judgment under the rules applicable to the admissibility of evidence. The court or tribunal may admit the taking of evidence through written statements of witnesses, experts or parties. It may also admit the taking of evidence through video conference or other communication technology if the technical means are available.
2.   The court or tribunal may take expert evidence or oral testimony only if it is necessary for giving the judgment. In making its decision, the court or tribunal shall take costs into account.
3.   The court or tribunal shall use the simplest and least burdensome method of taking evidence.
Article 10
Representation of parties
Representation by a lawyer or another legal professional shall not be mandatory.
Article 11
Assistance for the parties
The Member States shall ensure that the parties can receive practical assistance in filling in the forms.
Article 12
Remit of the court or tribunal
1.   The court or tribunal shall not require the parties to make any legal assessment of the claim.
2.   If necessary, the court or tribunal shall inform the parties about procedural questions.
3.   Whenever appropriate, the court or tribunal shall seek to reach a settlement between the parties.
Article 13
Service of documents
1.   Documents shall be served by postal service attested by an acknowledgement of receipt including the date of receipt.
2.   If service in accordance with paragraph 1 is not possible, service may be effected by any of the methods provided for in Articles 13 or 14 of Regulation (EC) No 805/2004.
Article 14
Time limits
1.   Where the court or tribunal sets a time limit, the party concerned shall be informed of the consequences of not complying with it.
2.   The court or tribunal may extend the time limits provided for in Article 4(4), Article 5(3) and (6) and Article 7(1), in exceptional circumstances, if necessary in order to safeguard the rights of the parties.
3.   If, in exceptional circumstances, it is not possible for the court or tribunal to respect the time limits provided for in Article 5(2) to (6) and Article 7, it shall take the steps required by those provisions as soon as possible.
Article 15
Enforceability of the judgment
1.   The judgment shall be enforceable notwithstanding any possible appeal. The provision of a security shall not be required.
2.   Article 23 shall also apply in the event that the judgment is to be enforced in the Member State where the judgment was given.
Article 16
Costs
The unsuccessful party shall bear the costs of the proceedings. However, the court or tribunal shall not award costs to the successful party to the extent that they were unnecessarily incurred or are disproportionate to the claim.
Article 17
Appeal
1.   Member States shall inform the Commission whether an appeal is available under their procedural law against a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure and within what time limit such appeal shall be lodged. The Commission shall make that information publicly available.
2.   Article 16 shall apply to any appeal.
Article 18
Minimum standards for review of the judgment
1.   The defendant shall be entitled to apply for a review of the judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure before the court or tribunal with jurisdiction of the Member State where the judgment was given where:
(a)
(i)
the claim form or the summons to an oral hearing were served by a method without proof of receipt by him personally, as provided for in Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 805/2004; and
(ii)
service was not effected in sufficient time to enable him to arrange for his defence without any fault on his part,
or
(b)
the defendant was prevented from objecting to the claim by reason of force majeure, or due to extraordinary circumstances without any fault on his part,
provided in either case that he acts promptly.
2.   If the court or tribunal rejects the review on the basis that none of the grounds referred to in paragraph 1 apply, the judgment shall remain in force.
If the court or tribunal decides that the review is justified for one of the reasons laid down in paragraph 1, the judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure shall be null and void.
Article 19
Applicable procedural law
Subject to the provisions of this Regulation, the European Small Claims Procedure shall be governed by the procedural law of the Member State in which the procedure is conducted.
CHAPTER III
RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT IN ANOTHER MEMBER STATE
Article 20
Recognition and enforcement
1.   A judgment given in a Member State in the European Small Claims Procedure shall be recognised and enforced in another Member State without the need for a declaration of enforceability and without any possibility of opposing its recognition.
2.   At the request of one of the parties, the court or tribunal shall issue a certificate concerning a judgment in the European Small Claims Procedure using standard Form D, as set out in Annex IV, at no extra cost.
Article 21
Enforcement procedure
1.   Without prejudice to the provisions of this Chapter, the enforcement procedures shall be governed by the law of the Member State of enforcement.
Any judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure shall be enforced under the same conditions as a judgment given in the Member State of enforcement.
2.   The party seeking enforcement shall produce:
(a)
a copy of the judgment which satisfies the conditions necessary to establish its authenticity; and
(b)
a copy of the certificate referred to in Article 20(2) and, where necessary, the translation thereof into the official language of the Member State of enforcement or, if there are several official languages in that Member State, the official language or one of the official languages of court or tribunal proceedings of the place where enforcement is sought in conformity with the law of that Member State, or into another language that the Member State of enforcement has indicated it can accept. Each Member State may indicate the official language or languages of the institutions of the European Union other than its own which it can accept for the European Small Claims Procedure. The content of Form D shall be translated by a person qualified to make translations in one of the Member States.
3.   The party seeking the enforcement of a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure in another Member State shall not be required to have:
(a)
an authorised representative; or
(b)
a postal address
in the Member State of enforcement, other than with agents having competence for the enforcement procedure.
4.   No security, bond or deposit, however described, shall be required of a party who in one Member State applies for enforcement of a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure in another Member State on the ground that he is a foreign national or that he is not domiciled or resident in the Member State of enforcement.
Article 22
Refusal of enforcement
1.   Enforcement shall, upon application by the person against whom enforcement is sought, be refused by the court or tribunal with jurisdiction in the Member State of enforcement if the judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure is irreconcilable with an earlier judgment given in any Member State or in a third country, provided that:
(a)
the earlier judgment involved the same cause of action and was between the same parties;
(b)
the earlier judgment was given in the Member State of enforcement or fulfils the conditions necessary for its recognition in the Member State of enforcement; and
(c)
the irreconcilability was not and could not have been raised as an objection in the court or tribunal proceedings in the Member State where the judgment in the European Small Claims Procedure was given.
2.   Under no circumstances may a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure be reviewed as to its substance in the Member State of enforcement.
Article 23
Stay or limitation of enforcement
Where a party has challenged a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure or where such a challenge is still possible, or where a party has made an application for review within the meaning of Article 18, the court or tribunal with jurisdiction or the competent authority in the Member State of enforcement may, upon application by the party against whom enforcement is sought:
(a)
limit the enforcement proceedings to protective measures;
(b)
make enforcement conditional on the provision of such security as it shall determine; or
(c)
under exceptional circumstances, stay the enforcement proceedings.
CHAPTER IV
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 24
Information
The Member States shall cooperate to provide the general public and professional circles with information on the European Small Claims Procedure, including costs, in particular by way of the European Judicial Network in Civil and Commercial Matters established in accordance with Decision 2001/470/EC.
Article 25
Information relating to jurisdiction, means of communication and appeals
1.   By 1 January 2008 the Member States shall communicate to the Commission:
(a)
which courts or tribunals have jurisdiction to give a judgment in the European Small Claims Procedure;
(b)
which means of communication are accepted for the purposes of the European Small Claims Procedure and available to the courts or tribunals in accordance with Article 4(1);
(c)
whether an appeal is available under their procedural law in accordance with Article 17 and with which court or tribunal this may be lodged;
(d)
which languages are accepted pursuant to Article 21(2)(b); and
(e)
which authorities have competence with respect to enforcement and which authorities have competence for the purposes of the application of Article 23.
Member States shall apprise the Commission of any subsequent changes to this information.
2.   The Commission shall make the information notified in accordance with paragraph 1 publicly available through publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and through any other appropriate means.
Article 26
Implementing measures
The measures designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, including by supplementing it, relating to updates or technical amendments to the forms in the Annexes shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 27(2).
Article 27
Committee
1.   The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.
2.   Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4), and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
Article 28
Review
By 1 January 2014, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee a detailed report reviewing the operation of the European Small Claims Procedure, including the limit of the value of the claim referred to in Article 2(1). That report shall contain an assessment of the procedure as it has operated and an extended impact assessment for each Member State.
To that end and in order to ensure that best practice in the European Union is duly taken into account and reflects the principles of better legislation, Member States shall provide the Commission with information relating to the cross-border operation of the European Small Claims Procedure. This information shall cover court fees, speed of the procedure, efficiency, ease of use and the internal small claims procedures of the Member States.
The Commission’s report shall be accompanied, if appropriate, by proposals for adaptation.
Article 29
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2009, with the exception of Article 25, which shall apply from 1 January 2008.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community.
Done at Strasbourg, 11 July 2007.
For the European Parliament
The President
H.-G. PÖTTERING
For the Council
The President
M. LOBO ANTUNES
(1)  OJ C 88, 11.4.2006, p. 61.
(2)  Opinion of the European Parliament of 14 December 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 13 June 2007.
(3)  OJ L 160, 30.6.2000, p. 37.
(4)  OJ L 12, 16.1.2001, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1).
(5)  OJ L 174, 27.6.2001, p. 25.
(6)  OJ L 143, 30.4.2004, p. 15. Regulation as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1869/2005 (OJ L 300, 17.11.2005, p. 6).
(7)  OJ L 399, 30.12.2006, p. 1.
(8)  OJ C 12, 15.1.2001, p. 1.
(9)  OJ C 53, 3.3.2005, p. 1.
(10)  OJ L 124, 8.6.1971, p. 1.
(11)  OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/512/EC (OJ L 200, 22.7.2006, p. 11).
ANNEX I
ANNEX II
ANNEX III
ANNEX IV
European small claims procedure — rules governing cross-border legal disputes
European small claims procedure — rules governing cross-border legal disputes
SUMMARY OF:
Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?
The regulation creates a simplified and fast-track written procedure for handling cases involving small cross-border* claims. This reduces costs and guarantees that judgments delivered in one EU country are automatically enforced in another.
Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 was further improved and modernised by Regulation (EU) 2015/2421 which updated also the rules for the European order for payment procedure (first introduced under Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006).
KEY POINTS
              
The legislation;
applies to cross-border civil and commercial cases for claims up to €5,000;
does not apply to: an individual’s status or legal capacity;matrimonial or partnership property rights;family maintenance obligations;wills and succession;bankruptcy;social security;arbitration;employment law;property tenancies;violations of privacy or personality rights, including defamation.
The procedure states:
complainants begin the written procedure by sending a completed standard claim form A (Annex I), including any relevant documentation, to the court or tribunal which will handle the case;
courts may: ask for additional information, clarifications or corrections to the original submission, using standard form B (Annex II);dismiss applications which are inadmissible or where the applicant fails to provide the additional information within the specified deadline;agree to hold an oral hearing if they consider it impossible to give a judgment on the written evidence alone;
courts proceed with the case by sending the defendant the claim and a standard answer form C (Annex III) within 14 days from the receipt of the duly completed form;
defendants: have 30 days to reply to the court. Their response is sent to the claimant within 14 days;may reply that the value of the non-monetary claim exceeds the €5,000 ceiling. The court decides whether that is true. If not, the case continues. If so, it is handed to the country’s relevant legal system;
courts give a judgment within 30 days of receiving the defendant’s or claimant’s reply, unless they: demand further details from the parties concerned;take evidence in the simplest and least burdensome way;organise an oral hearing, using distance communication technology, such as video or teleconferences where possible, although individuals may request to be physically present;
documents and judgments are delivered by post or electronically, and their receipt acknowledged;
official forms must be in a language used by the court and other documents may need to be translated;
procedural law of the EU country in which the case is heard applies.
Court fees must:
not be disproportionate and no higher than those of national simplified court procedures;
allow parties, particularly those in another EU country, to use distant forms of payment, such as bank transfer, credit or debit card or direct from a bank account.
Costs are paid by the loser of the case and are not awarded to the winner if incurred unnecessarily or are disproportionate to the claim.
Appeal against the judgment is possible, if so provided by the national law of the court.
Review of the judgment:
is possible if the defendant: did not receive the claim form or summons to an oral hearing in sufficient time to prepare their defence;was prevented from contesting the claim due to force majeure (or extraordinary circumstances) through no fault of their own;applies for a review within 30 days of the judgment;
may be accepted by the court, in which case the judgment is null and void, or rejected and the judgment stands.
Judgments:
are: enforceable in any another EU country;must be accompanied by a certificate, standard form D (Annex IV), in the relevant EU language, delivered at no cost, if one of the parties so wishes;
are refused in the enforcing jurisdiction, after a request from the losing party, if they are incompatible with an earlier ruling in either an EU or non-EU country, provided this: involved the same action and parties;was given in the enforcing EU country or legally recognised as such;the incompatibility was not, and could not have been, raised as an objection in the other country’s court proceedings;
may, after a challenge or review application by one of the parties, lead a court in the enforcing jurisdiction to: limit the enforcement proceedings to protective measures;make enforcement conditional;stay, in exceptional circumstances, the proceedings completely.
Enforcement of judgments is governed by the law of the enforcing country.
EU countries:
make the standard claim form A available in all courts and tribunals applying the European small claims procedure;
provide free assistance to fill in the forms and general information;
are not required to provide legal aid or assistance in a specific case;
inform the European Commission whether an appeal is possible under their national law — information the Commission makes public;
use the European Judicial Network in Civil and Commercial Matters to inform the general public and professionals.
FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?
Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 has applied since 1 January 2009, apart from the rules requiring EU countries to inform the Commission on aspects of jurisdiction, means of communication and appeals (Article 25) which have applied since 1 January 2008.
Amending Regulation (EU) 2015/2421 has applied since 14 July 2017 with the exception of point (16) of Article 1, amending Article 25 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2007, which has applied since 14 January 2017.
BACKGROUND
Small claims (European e-justice portal)
European Small Claims procedure (Your Europe)
A Guide for Users to the European Small Claims Procedure (European Commission).
KEY TERMS
              
Cross-border: at least one of the parties is domiciled or resident in an EU country other than the country where the court or tribunal judging the case is based.
MAIN DOCUMENT
            
Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure (OJ L 199, 31.7.2007, pp. 1-22)
Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 861/2007 have been incorporated in the basic text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
            
Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 creating a European order for payment procedure (OJ L 399, 30.12.2006, pp. 1-32)
See consolidated version.
last update 05.05.2020