Luxemburg, 30/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - In decision 7827/07 adopted on 26 April, the European Council appointed 13 judges to the Court of First Instance. They will be sworn in on 17 September, and their appointment, with one exception, will be from 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2013.
Ten renew current appointments: Mr Theodore CHIPEV (Bulgaria); - Mr John D. COOKE (Ireland); - Ms Ena CREMONA (Malta); - Mr Nicholas James FORWOOD (United Kingdom); - Ms Ingrÿda LABUCKA (Latvia); - Mr Enzo MOAVERO MILANESI (Italy); - Ms Irena PELIKÁNOVÁ (Czech Republic); - Mr Miro PREK (Slovenia); - Mr Vilenas VADAPALAS (Lithuania); - and Mr Nils WAHL (Sweden).
There are also three replacements: Mr Jörg PIRRUNG (Germany) will be replaced after ten years of service by his son compatriot Mr Alfred DITTRICH; Mr Laurent TRUCHOT (France) will take the post of Mr Hubert LEGAL, judge at the Court since 2001; and Mr Sten FRIMODT NIELSEN (Denmark) will replace Mr Bo Vesterdorf (for the period from 17 September 2007 to 31 August 2010). The replacement for Rafael GARCÍA-VALDECASAS Y FERNÁNDEZ (Sapin), whose period of appointment is comming to an end will be appointed at a later date
Judges at the Court of First Instance hold their positions for six years, with half the appointments expiring every three years and having to be renewed or replaced. The next appointments by the Council will, therefore, be in 2010. (cd)