Brussels, 05/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU justice ministers adopted a general approach on Thursday 4 December on the proposal for a regulation amending the European small claims regulation and the European order for payment regulation. This paves the way for negotiations with the European Parliament to be opened.
The proposal adopted seeks to make settlement of small claims, the threshold for which was increased from €2,000 to €4,000, more efficient. The agreed general approach includes the obligation of the member states to offer distance means of payment for the payment of court fees; an increase of the use of modern technologies for oral hearings and taking of evidence, for communications between the court and the parties, and the setting up of a general framework that allows, under certain conditions, for the use of electronic service of documents, a press release states. Also planned are the minimisation of the translation requirement (and related costs) as regards the certificate necessary for the enforcement of a judgment given in the European Small Claims Procedure; and the creation of a “bridge” between the European Small Claims Procedure and the European Order for Payment Procedure by allowing the claimant to use the European Small Claims Procedure when a statement of opposition has been lodged against a European order for payment. (SP)