Important messages for parties

1. Court of Justice

19 March 2020

Owing to the unprecedented health crisis that we are currently experiencing, the Court of Justice is obliged temporarily to change its working arrangements.

Judicial activity continues, but priority is of course given to those cases that are particularly urgent (urgent proceedings, expedited proceedings and interim proceedings).

Procedural time limits for instituting proceedings and lodging appeals continue to run and parties are required to comply with those time limits, without prejudice to the possible application of the second paragraph of Article 45 of the Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

By contrast, the time limits prescribed in on-going proceedings – with the exception of the abovementioned proceedings that are particularly urgent – are extended by one month with effect from today. Those time limits shall expire at the end of the day which, in the following month, is numbered the same as the day on which the time-limit should have expired or, if that day does not exist in the following month, at the end of the day of the last day of that month.

Until further notice, the time limits that are to be fixed by the registry, with effect from today, shall also be increased by one month.

Hearings that are listed between now and 3 April 2020 are adjourned until a later date.

The parties are requested to consult regularly the internet site of the Court of Justice of the European Union (www.curia.europa.eu).

Once it has resumed its judicial activities as normal, the Court will, if necessary, contact the representatives of the parties to inform them regarding the next stages of the proceedings.

2. General Court

19 March 2020

Owing to a major crisis situation, the General Court of the European Union was initially obliged to restrict substantially its judicial activities. The hearings listed until 3 April 2020 were adjourned and only those cases that are particularly urgent (expedited proceedings, proceedings receiving priority treatment and interim proceedings) were dealt with.

The General Court has now changed its working arrangements and is endeavouring, as far as possible, to continue dealing with other cases also. Priority shall continue to be given to cases that are particularly urgent.

Time limits, including time limits for instituting proceedings, shall continue to run and the parties are required to comply with those time limits, without prejudice to the possibility of invoking the second paragraph of Article 45 of Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice.

In order to take into account the legitimate difficulties that the parties are currently facing, the time limits that will be fixed by the registry, with effect from today, shall be adapted to the context of the unprecedented health crisis that we are currently experiencing. The parties are requested to consult regularly the internet site of the Court of Justice of the European Union (www.curia.europa.eu).