Brussels, 19/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 18 December, given the growing challenges raised by a crossborder judiciary system, MEPs called on the European Commission to present a legislative proposal on e-justice. “There are already praiseworthy projects and cooperation by certain member states on the use of information technology in the judicial system, but greater coordination is needed by placing particular emphasis on citizens”, said Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK) after the vote on her own-initiative report in plenary. With the adoption of the report by 469 votes to 14 and 32 abstentions, the EP called on the Commission to create a mechanism for ensuring that all future legislative texts in the field of civil law are conceived in a way that ensures they can be used for online applications. They also said that the Commission was to make legislation on civil justice compatible with the demands of e-justice, especially European procedure for the settlement of minor litigation, the European enforcement order and the alternative methods of conflict resolution so that citizens and companies can have direct access to these instruments online. The Commission must also begin to work on developing standard clauses and conditions applicable to electronic trade, thus allowing electronic traders to have access to general European contract law for their transactions, the Parliament said. MEPs finally consider that the European Executive should set two portals in place: - the European e-justice portal for citizens and the secure European e-justice portal for the use of magistrates, officials and other servants attached to courts, officials of the Ministries of Justice of member states, and legal practitioners. (B.C./transl.jl)