European enforcement

In the Law Society’s Gazette of 23 February, District Judge Angela Marston provided a beginner’s guide to obtaining and executing a European enforcement order. The European enforcement order (EEO) has been an option for judgment enforcement since 21 October 2005. It allows those who have obtained an uncontested judgment in England and Wales after 20 January 2005 to obtain an EEO certificate from the court, which allows the judgment to be transferred to an EU Member State for enforcement. It also permits an uncontested judgment from a European Member State of origin to be enforced in the High Court or a county court. The article is a comprehensive guide through the complexities of preliminary reading before embarking on the process, the obtaining of an EEO, its enforcement, and dealing with disputes. Not bedtime reading, but well worth keeping to hand.