Rome I – Final Text Released
As we noted in a previous post, the agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on the Rome I Regulation was transposed by the EP in its amendments at first reading to the initial Commission’s Proposal. Once revised by the lawyer-linguists, this modified version of the Regulation would have been adopted by the Council, ending the codecision procedure.
The text resulting from the legal and linguistic revision is now available in all languages of the EU in the Register of the Council (doc. PE-CONS 3691/07 of 31 March 2008). Given the heading of the document (European Parliament and the Council), it can be assumed that this is the final version of the Rome I Regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations.
According to current schedule (see the Rome I OEIL page), the text should be approved by the JHA Council in its meeting of 17/18 April 2008. Further information will be posted as soon as it is available.
“According to current schedule (see the Rome I OEIL page), the text should be approved by the JHA Council in its meeting of 17/18 April 2008. Further information will be posted as soon as it is available.”
The press release on the 17/18 April JHA meeting doesn’t say anything about Rome I (see http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_applications/Applications/newsRoom/LoadDocument.asp?directory=en/jha/&filename=99991.pdf) and I don’t see any information on the OEIL page either.
Any idea what is going on?
The Rome I Reg. was included in the list of “A” items (deliberation without discussion) for the JHA meeting of 17/18 April (see Council doc. n. 8314/08, point 17). This is the last document to mention it. I can only presume that it will be put back on the agenda for the incoming JHA session, on 5/6 June. A provisional agenda is usually released 1/2 days before the meeting, so at the beginning of next week there will probably be more info. A press release was published yesterday by the Slovenian Presidency, on the main topics that will be covered by next JHA Council: while Rome III and the maintenance Reg. are mentioned, nothing is said on Rome I. But this is probably due to its inclusion in the “A” items, so that there is nothing new to discuss.
See http://www.eu2008.si/en/News_and_Documents/Press_Releases/May/0529JHAsvet_napoved.html
From a completely different point of view, can we think of a “purposeful delay” in adopting the act, until the end of the UK’s public consultation on the opting-in?
Such a ‘purposeful delay’ would only be a symbolic gesture I think; in the end, the Rome I Regulation will probably enter into force in the UK and in the rest of Europe at the same time. It would also mean that it would be adopted in the Council under the next presidency. Oh well… the main thing is that I wanted to be absolutely sure that I didn’t miss it being adopted. Thanks!