Informe de la Cámara de los Lores sobre el Libro Verde del Reglamento Bruselas I

El pasado 21 de abril, la Comisión publicó dos interesantes documentos sobre el Reglamento (CE) nº 44/2001, del Consejo, de 22 de diciembre de 2000, relativo a la competencia judicial, el reconocimiento y la ejecución de resoluciones judiciales en materia civil y mercantil (Reglamento Bruselas I). Se trata del Informe de la Comisión al Parlamento Europeo, al Consejo y al Comité Económico y Social Europeo sobre la aplicación del Reglamento (CE) n° 44/2001 del Consejo relativo a la competencia judicial, al reconocimiento y a la ejecución de resoluciones judiciales en materia civil y mercantil, así como el Libro Verde sobre la revisión del Reglamento (CE) n° 44/2001, relativo a la competencia judicial, al reconocimiento y a la ejecución de resoluciones judiciales en materia civil y mercantil.

Con fecha 27 de julio, la Cámara de los Lores del Parlamento Británico (House of Lords - European Union Committee) ha publicado un Informe (Report with Evidence) sobre el mencionado Libro Verde. El contenido del informe es el siguiente:

Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background
The Brussels Convention
The Brussels I Regulation
The Lugano Convention
The United Kingdom’s right not to opt in
The Position in England
The Commission’s Report
The Commission’s Green Paper
Box 1: Suggested areas for reform
Our Inquiry
Chapter 2: Areas for Reform
The Abolition of Exequatur
The operation of the Brussels I Regulation in the international legal order
Box 2: The Owusu Case
Choice of Court: lis pendens and choice of court agreements
Lis Pendens
Choice of court agreements
The Torpedo
Industrial (or Intellectual) Property
Provisional Measures
The Regulation and Arbitration
Box 3: The West Tankers Case
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Sub-Committee E (Law and Institutions)
Appendix 2: List of Witnesses
Appendix 3: Reports
Oral Evidence
Mr Richard Fentiman, Reader in Private International Law, Queens’ College, University of Cambridge
Oral evidence, 10 June 2009
Supplementary memorandum, June 2009
Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, and Mr Oliver Parker, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Justice
Oral evidence, 24 June 2009

En el resumen inicial del Informe se afirma:

"Earlier this year the European Commission published a Report and Green Paper into the operation of European Community Regulation no. 44/2001 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters ("the Brussels I Regulation"). Its Report concluded that the Brussels I Regulation is a highly successful instrument, which has facilitated crossborder litigation through an efficient system of judicial cooperation based on comprehensive jurisdiction rules, coordination of parallel proceedings and rules to ensure the mutual recognition of judgments.
Reform of the Brussels I Regulation's rules, in particular its jurisdiction settlement rules, raises a number of highly technical legal matters with ramifications for London's role as a centre for international legal dispute resolution and as a respected seat of international arbitration. The Committee very much welcomes the Commission's initiative in producing the Report and the proposals outlined in the Green Paper.
The Committee supports measures designed to counteract action by defendants which has as its aim the exploitation for their own advantage of the Regulation's jurisdictional rules, in particular, where the defendant is motivated by a desire to undermine the express will of the parties as expressed in either a choice of court clause or arbitration agreement.
The Committee's main area of concern is with the Commission's approach to the operation of the Regulation in the wider international order. The Committee believes that the scope of the Commission's discussion needs broadening to include, for example, how the rules under the Regulation operate in cases including third country based claimants or defendants. The Committee's suggested solution draws inspiration from the English Civil Procedure Rules."

El Comité de la Cámara de los Lores concluye su informe en los siguientes términos:

"We very much welcome the Commission's initiative in producing the Report and the proposals outlined in the Green Paper. While the Regulation has been successful, in particular by introducing clear common rules, there have undoubtedly been areas where some of the rules have, in practice, opened up the possibility for abuse contrary to the interests of justice. This opportunity should be taken to reform the rules with the aim of minimising abuse and to make other useful reforms. We hope the Commission will, following the conclusion of its consultation, move quickly to bring forward proposals to amend the Regulation."

-Sobre los documentos de la Comisión véase la entrada de este blog del día 30-4-2009.
-Sobre el Informe véase también Conflict of Laws .Net.