PROTOCOL,

drawn up on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union, on the interpretation, by the Court of Justice of the European Communities, of the Convention on the service in the Member States of the European Union of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters

THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES to this Protocol, Member States of the European Union,

REFERRING to the Act of the Council of the European Union of 26 May 1997,

REFERRING to Article 17 of the Convention on the service in the Member States of the European Union of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters, which provides that the Court of Justice of the European Communities shall have jurisdiction to give rulings on the interpretation of that Convention,

WISHING to regulate the conditions under which the Court of Justice of the European Communities shall have jurisdiction to give rulings on questions of interpretation of the Convention and this Protocol -

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

In accordance with Article 17 of the Convention on the service in the Member States of the European Union of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters, hereinafter referred to as 'the Convention`, the Court of Justice of the European Communities shall have jurisdiction, under the conditions laid down in this Protocol, to give rulings on the interpretation of the Convention and this Protocol.

Article 2

1. The following courts may request the Court of Justice to give preliminary rulings on questions of interpretation:

(a) the following highest courts of Member States:

- in Belgium: 'la Cour de cassation - het Hof van Cassatie` and 'le Conseil d'Etat - de Raad van State`,

- in Denmark: 'H酶jesteret`,

- in Germany: 'die obersten Gerichth枚fe des Bundes`,

- in Greece: '么谩 脕铆镁么谩么谩 盲é锚谩贸么脼帽é谩`

- in Spain: 'el Tribunal Supremo`,

- in France: 'la Cour de cassation` and 'le Conseil d'脡tat`,

- in Ireland: 'the Supreme Court`,

- in Italy: 'la Corte suprema di cassazione` and 'il Consiglio di Stato`,

- in Luxembourg: 'la Cour supérieure de justice` when sitting as Cour de cassation,

- in the Netherlands: 'de Hoge Raad`,

- in Austria: 'der Oberste Gerichtshof`, 'der Verwaltungsgerichtshof` and 'der Verfassungsgerichtshof`,

- in Portugal: 'o Supremo Tribunal de Justiça` and 'o Suprema Tribunal Administrativo`,

- in Finland: 'korkein oikeus/h枚gsta domstolen`, 'korkein hallinto-oikeus/h枚gsta f枚rvaltningsdomstolen`,

- in Sweden: 'H枚gsta domstolen`, 'Regeringsr盲tten`, 'Arbetsdomstolen` and 'Marknadsdomstolen`,

- in the United Kingdom: 'the House of Lords`;

(b) the courts of the Member States when they are sitting in an appellate capacity.

2. At the request of the Member State concerned, the list of the highest courts referred to in paragraph 1 (a) may be modified by a decision of the Council of the European Union.

Article 3

1. Where a question of interpretation is raised in a case pending before one of the courts listed in Article 2 (1) (a), that court shall, if it considers that a decision on the question is necessary to enable it to give judgement, request the Court of Justice to give a ruling thereon.

2. Where such a question is raised before any court referred to in Article 2 (1) (b), that court may, under the conditions laid down in paragraph 1, request the Court of Justice to give a ruling thereon.

Article 4

1. The competent authority of a Member State may request the Court of Justice to give a ruling on a question of interpretation if judgments given by courts of the State conflict with the interpretation given either by the Court of Justice or in a judgement of one of the courts of another Member State referred to in Article 2 (1) (a) and (b), if this Member State is a Party to this Protocol. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to judgments which have become res judicata.

2. The interpretation given by the Court of Justice in response to such a request shall not affect the judgments which gave rise to the request for interpretation.

3. The Procurators-General of the Courts of Cassation of the Member States, or any other authority designated by a Member State, shall be entitled to request the Court of Justice for a ruling on interpretation in accordance with paragraph 1

4. The Registrar of the Court of Justice shall give notice of the request to the Member States, to the Commission and to the Council of the European Union; they shall then be entitled within two months of the notification to submit statements of case or written observations to the Court.

5. No fees shall be levied or any costs or expenses awarded in respect of the proceedings provided for in this Article.

Article 5

The Protocol on the Statue of the Court of Justice of the European Communities and the Rules of Procedure of that Court shall apply.

Article 6

This Protocol may not be subject to any reservation.

Article 7

1. This Protocol shall be subject to adoption by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

2. Member States shall notify the depositary of the completion of their respective constitutional requirements for adopting this Protocol.

3. This Protocol shall enter into force 90 days after the notification, referred to in paragraph 2, by the third State which, being a member of the European Union on the date of adoption by the Council of the act drawing up this Protocol, fulfils that formality. However, it shall at the earliest enter into force at the same time as the Convention.

Article 8

1. This Protocol shall be open to accession by any State that becomes a member of the European union.

2. Instruments of accession shall be deposited with the depositary.

3. When depositing its instruments of accession, the acceding Member State shall indicate which of its highest Courts has, or shall have, the right to ask the Court of Justice to give preliminary rulings on questions of interpretation in accordance with Article 2 (1) (a).

4. Before the date of entry into force of this Protocol in respect of the acceding Member State, the Council shall adopt, in accordance with Article 2 (2), amendments to the list of highest Courts in Article 2 (1) (a).

5. The text of this Protocol in the language or languages of the acceding State, drawn up by the Council of the European Union, shall be authentic.

6. This Protocol shall enter into force with respect to any State that accedes to it 90 days after the date of deposit of its instrument of accession or on the date of entry into force of this Protocol if it has not already entered into force at the time of expiry of the said period of 90 days expires.

Article 9

1. Without prejudice to Article 2 (2) and 8 (4), amendments to this Protocol may be proposed by any Member State, being a Party to this Protocol, or by the Commission. Any proposal for an amendment shall be sent to the depositary, who shall forward it to the Council.

2. Amendments shall be adopted by the Council, which shall recommend that they be adopted by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

3. Amendments thus adopted shall enter into force in accordance with the provisions of Article 7.

Article 10

1. The Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union shall act as depositary of this Protocol.

2. The depositary shall publish in the Official Journal of the European Communities the notifications, instruments or communications concerning this Protocol.

En fe de lo cual los plenipotenciarios abajo firmantes suscriben el presente Protocolo.

Til bekr忙ftelse heraf har undertegnede befuldm忙gtigede underskrevet denne protokol.

Zu Urkund dessen haben die unterzeichneten Bevollm盲chtigten ihre Unterschriften unter dieses Protokoll gesetzt.

脫氓 冒脽贸么霉贸ç 么霉铆 谩铆霉么脻帽霉, 茂é 玫冒茂茫帽脺枚茂铆么氓貌 冒毛ç帽氓卯茂媒贸é茂é 脻è氓贸谩铆 么ç铆 玫冒茂茫帽谩枚脼 么茂玫貌 锚脺么霉 谩冒眉 么茂 冒谩帽眉铆 冒帽霉么眉锚茂毛毛茂.

In witness whereof, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have signed this Protocol.

En foi de quoi, les plénipotentiaires soussignés ont apposé leurs signatures au bas du présent protocole.

D谩 fhian煤 sin, chuir na L谩nchumhachtaigh th铆os-s铆nithe a l谩mh leis an bPr贸tacal seo.

In fede di che, i plenipotenziari sottoscritti hanno apposto le loro firme in calce al presente protocollo.

Ten blijke waarvan de ondergetekende gevolmachtigden hun handtekening onder dit Protocol hebben gesteld.

Em fé do que, os plenipotenci谩rios abaixo assinados apuseram as suas assinaturas no presente protocolo.

T盲m盲n vakuudeksi alla mainitut t盲ysivaltaiset edustajat ovat allekirjoittaneet t盲m盲n p枚yt盲kirjan.

Till bevis h盲rp氓 har undertecknade befullm盲ktigade undertecknat detta protokoll.

Hecho en Bruselas, el veintiséis de mayo de mil novecientos noventa y siete, en un ejemplar 煤nico, en lenguas alemana, inglesa, danesa, espa帽ola, finesa, francesa, griega, irlandesa, italiana, neerlandesa, portuguesa y sueca, cuyos textos son igualmente auténticos y que ser谩 depositado en los archivos de la Secretar铆a General del Consejo de la Uni贸n Europea.

Udf忙rdiget i Bruxelles, den seksogtyvende maj nitten hundrede og syvoghalvfems, i ét eksemplar p氓 dansk, engelsk, finsk, fransk, gr忙sk, irsk, italiensk, nederlandsk, portugisisk, spansk, svensk og tysk, hvilke tekster alle har samme gyldighed og er deponeret i arkiverne i Generalsekretariatet for R氓det for Den Europ忙iske Union.

Geschehen zu Br眉ssel am sechsundzwanzigsten Mai neunzehnhundertsiebenundneunzig in einer Urschrift in d盲nischer, deutscher, englischer, finnischer, franz枚sischer, griechischer, irischer, italienischer, niederl盲ndischer, portugiesischer, schwedischer und spanischer Sprache, wobei jeder Wortlaut gleicherma脽en verbindlich ist; die Urschrift wird im Archiv des Generalsekretariats des Rates der Europ盲ischen Union hinterlegt.

赂茫é铆氓 贸么é貌 脗帽玫卯脻毛毛氓貌, 贸么é貌 氓脽锚茂贸é 脻卯é 脤谩脌茂玫 梅脽毛é谩 氓铆铆é谩锚眉贸é谩 氓铆氓铆脼铆么谩 氓冒么脺, 贸氓 脻铆谩 矛眉铆茂 谩铆么脽么玫冒茂, 贸么ç铆 谩茫茫毛é锚脼, 茫谩毛毛é锚脼, 茫氓帽矛谩铆é锚脼, 盲谩铆é锚脼, 氓毛毛ç铆é锚脼, é帽毛谩铆盲é锚脼, é贸冒谩铆é锚脼, é么谩毛é锚脼, 茂毛毛谩铆盲é锚脼, 冒茂帽么茂茫谩毛é锚脼, 贸茂玫ç盲é锚脼 锚谩é 枚é铆毛谩铆盲é锚脼 茫毛镁贸贸谩, 眉毛谩 盲氓 么谩 锚氓脽矛氓铆谩 氓脽铆谩é 氓卯脽贸茂玫 谩玫è氓铆么é锚脺 锚谩é 锚谩么谩么脽è氓铆么谩é 贸么谩 谩帽梅氓脽谩 么ç貌 脙氓铆é锚脼貌 脙帽谩矛矛谩么氓脽谩貌 么茂玫 脫玫矛芒茂玫毛脽茂玫 么ç貌 脜玫帽霉冒谩煤锚脼貌 赂铆霉贸ç貌.

Done at Brussels, on the twenty-sixth day of May in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven, in a single original, in the Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish languages, each text being equally authentic, such original remaining deposited in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

Fait 脿 Bruxelles, le vingt-six mai mil neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-sept, en un exemplaire unique, en langues allemande, anglaise, danoise, espagnole, finnoise, française, grecque, irlandaise, italienne, néerlandaise, portugaise et suédoise, tous ces textes faisant également foi, exemplaire qui est déposé dans les archives du Secrétariat général du Conseil de l'Union européenne.

Arna dhéanamh sa Bhruiséil, an sé煤 l谩 is fiche de Bhealtaine sa bhliain m铆le naoi gcéad n贸cha a seacht, i scr铆bhinn bhunaidh amh谩in sa Bhéarla, sa Danmhairgis, san Fhionlainnis, sa Fhraincis, sa Ghaeilge, sa Ghearm谩inis, sa Ghréigis, san Iod谩ilis, san Ollainnis, sa Phortaingéilis, sa Sp谩innis agus sa tSualainnis agus comh煤dar谩s ag na téacsanna i ngach ceann de na teangacha sin; déanfar an scr铆bhinn bhunaidh sin a thaisceadh i gcartlann Ardr煤na铆ocht Chomhairle an Aontais Eorpaigh.

Fatto a Bruxelles, add矛 ventisei maggio millenovecentonovantasette, in unico esemplare in lingua danese, finlandese, francese, greca, inglese, irlandese, italiana, olandese, portoghese, spagnola, svedese e tedesca, i testi di ciascuna di queste lingue facenti ugualmente fede, esemplare depositato negli archivi del Segretariato generale del Consiglio dell'Unione europea.

Gedaan te Brussel, de zesentwintigste mei negentienhonderd zevenennegentig, in één exemplaar in de Deense, de Duitse, de Engelse, de Finse, de Franse, de Griekse, de Ierse, de Italiaanse, de Nederlandse, de Portugese, de Spaanse en de Zweedse taal, zijnde alle teksten gelijkelijk authentiek, dat wordt neergelegd in het archief van het Secretariaat-generaal van de Raad van de Europese Unie.

Feito em Bruxelas, em vinte e seis de Maio de mil novecentos e noventa e sete, em exemplar 煤nico, nas l铆nguas alem茫, dinamarquesa, espanhola, finlandesa, francesa, grega, inglesa, irlandesa, italiana, neerlandesa, portuguesa e sueca, fazendo igualmente fé todos os textos, depositado nos arquivos do Secretariado-Geral do Conselho da Uni茫o Europeia.

Tehty Brysseliss盲 kahdentenakymmenenten盲kuudentena p盲iv盲n盲 toukokuuta vuonna tuhatyhdeks盲nsataayhdeks盲nkymment盲seitsem盲n yhten盲 ainoana kappaleena englannin, espanjan, hollannin, iirin, italian, kreikan, portugalin, ranskan, ruotsin, saksan, suomen ja tanskan kielell盲 kaikkien n盲iden tekstien ollessa yht盲 todistusvoimaiset, ja se talletetaan Euroopan unionin neuvoston p盲盲sihteerist枚n arkistoon.

Utf盲rdat i Bryssel den tjugosj盲tte maj nittonhundranittiosju i ett enda exemplar p氓 danska, engelska, finska, franska, grekiska, iriska, italienska, nederl盲ndska, portugisiska, spanska, svenska och tyska, varvid alla texter 盲r lika giltiga, och deponerat i arkiven vid generalsekretariatet f枚r Europeiska unionens r氓d.

Pour le gouvernement du royaume de Belgique

Voor de regering van het Koninkrijk Belgi毛

F眉r die Regierung des K枚nigreichs Belgien

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

For regeringen for Kongeriget Danmark

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

F眉r die Regierung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

脙é谩 么ç铆 锚玫芒脻帽铆ç贸ç 么ç貌 脜毛毛ç铆é锚脼貌 脛ç矛茂锚帽谩么脽谩貌

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Por el Gobierno del Reino de Espa帽a

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Pour le gouvernement de la République française

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Thar ceann Rialtas na h脡ireann

For the Government of Ireland

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Per il governo della Repubblica italiana

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Pour le gouvernement du grand-duché de Luxembourg

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Voor de regering van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

F眉r die Regierung der Republik 脰sterreich

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Pelo Governo da Rep煤blica Portuguesa

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

Suomen hallituksen puolesta

P氓 finska regeringens v盲gnar

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

P氓 Konungariket Sveriges v盲gnar

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>

For the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

>REFERENCE TO A FILM>