Brussels, 30/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - Portugal's justice minister, Alberto Costa, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, signed the new Lugano Convention on judicial competence and the recognition and enforcement of civil and commercial legal decisions at a ceremony in Lugano, Switzerland, on Tuesday 30 October. The convention aims to provide a speedier and more effective resolution of cross-border disputes in Europe. Costa represented the European Community at the signing of the new convention. Alongside the EU (including Denmark), the other signatories are Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The initial Lugano Convention was signed in Lugano on 16 September 1988 as a parallel convention to the 27 September 1968 Brussels Convention which also covers judicial competence and the enforcement of civil and commercial legal decisions. The main amendments to the initial Lugano Convention cover the competence of courts and their powers with regard to contracts signed by consumers. Through the convention, a judicial decision on civil or commercial issues made by a court in an EU member state, Switzerland, Norway or Iceland is liable to be recognised and enforced in the other convention signatory countries. (B.C.)