Brussels, 25/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission on Monday launched a web site devoted to the civil and commercial law of its Member States: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/ejn/ . The site, which gives information in all eleven official EU languages, aims to provide European citizens with practical information, in their own language, to help them in situations they may come across in all Member States of the EU. Each page allows users to choose a subject, legal system and language. At the moment, the site offers practical pages on rules governing legal aid and submission of cases to the courts, and on each Member State's own jurisdictional system. As to other aspects of civil and commercial law, for the moment the site features only links to other web sites. The Commission states that that site will soon be developed to offer complete information on a broad range of subjects. However, the site offers neither personalised assistance nor the opportunity to put questions.
The site is managed by the Commission together with the European legal network on civil and commercial affairs. Launched three months ago, this network, which is made up of representatives from legal and administrative bodies from the Member States, aims to strengthen co-operation between Member States, and to improve the citizens' access to information. "Cross-border incidents are on the increase, and the citizens of Europe, and sometimes even the practitioners of law themselves, do not always know the rules of Community law which could help them", said Commissioner Antonion Vitorino at the launch of the new web site.