Press Release: European Commission launches consultation on a European Order for Payment Procedure and on Measures to Simplify and Speed up Small Claims Litigation

The European Commission adopted a Green Paper on 23 December 2002 to launch a consultation on possible measures to be taken at Community level to create a European order for payment procedure, that is to say a specific speedy and cost-efficient procedure for claims that are presumed to remain uncontested available throughout all Member States. The consultation also concerns measures to simplify and speed up small claims litigation, an area in which it is particularly essential to streamline proceedings and to limit their costs in order to prevent the pursuit of these claims from becoming economically unreasonable. This initiative is part of the work of the European Union to create a genuine European area of Justice.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/justice_home/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/justice_home/index_en.htm

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