S.I. No. 305/2025 - European Union (Hague Judgments Convention) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 11th July, 2025.

I, JIM O’CALLAGHAN, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972) and for the purpose of giving further effect to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgements in Civil or Commercial Matters, done at the Hague on 2 July 2019, the accession to which by the European Union was approved on behalf of the Union by Council Decision (EU) 2022/1206 of 12 July 2022 , hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Union (Hague Judgments Convention) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

2. In these Regulations, “Regulations of 2023” means the European Union (Hague Judgments Convention) Regulations 2023 ( S.I. No. 434 of 2023 ).

3. Regulation 5 of the Regulations of 2023 is amended –

(a) in subparagraph (b) of paragraph (1) –

(i) by the substitution of “Part 1 of Schedule 2” for “Schedule 2”, and

(ii) by the substitution of “Articles 18 and 27;” for “Articles 18 and 27.”,

(b) by the insertion of the following subparagraph after subparagraph (b) of paragraph (1):

“(c) declarations (the text of which in the English language is set out in Part 2 of Schedule 2) have been made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in accordance with Articles 25 and 30.”,

and

(c) by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (3):

“(3) A declaration in any subparagraph (other than subparagraph (a)) of paragraph (1) that the declaration or declarations, as the case may be, set out in any such subparagraph has or have been made shall be evidence of the making, and of the content, of that declaration or those declarations.”.

4. Schedule 1 to the Regulations of 2023 is amended by the insertion after “Ukraine” of –

(a) “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”, and

(b) “Uruguay”.

5. The Regulations of 2023 are amended by the substitution of the following schedule for Schedule 2:

“SCHEDULE 2

Regulation 5

Part 1 (Regulation 5(1)(b))

European Union

Declarations:

29-09-2022

The European Union declares, in accordance with Article 27(1) of the Convention, that it exercises competence over all the matters governed by this Convention. Its Member States will not sign, ratify, accept or approve the Convention, but shall be bound by the Convention by virtue of the accession of the European Union.

For the purposes of this declaration, the term ‘European Union’ does not include the Kingdom of Denmark by virtue of Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The European Union declares, in accordance with Article 18 of the Convention, that it will not apply the Convention to non-residential leases (tenancies) of immovable property situated in the European Union.

Part 2 (Regulation 5(1)(c))

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Declarations:

27-06-2024

The United Kingdom declares, in accordance with Article 25, that the Convention shall extend to England and Wales only, and that it may at any time submit other declarations or modify this declaration in accordance with Article 30 of the Convention.

26-03-2025

Further to its declaration of 27 June 2024 extending the Convention to England and Wales only, the United Kingdom declares, in accordance with Article 25 and 30, that the Convention shall also extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.”.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

1 July, 2025.

JIM O’CALLAGHAN,

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order amends the European Union (Hague Judgments Convention) Regulations 2023 ( S.I. No. 434 of 2023 ) to specify the states which are bound by the Hague Judgments Convention of 2 July 2019 and includes the text of Declarations, Reservations and Specifications made pursuant to the Convention.