Vol. 549 No. 4
259 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the specific steps taken towards ratification of the Hague Convention on Taking Evidence Abroad since 26 June 1997; when this convention will be ratified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7072/02]
The Government has included in its legislative programme a proposal to bring forward legislation in the area of civil evidence. Ratification of the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence and other relevant international instruments will be considered in the context of that legislation. The development of that legislation is subject to the disposal of other priorities.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1206/2001, on co-operation among the courts of member states in the taking of evidence in civil or commercial matters, was adopted by the Council of the European Union on 28 May 2001. The instrument aims to improve, simplify and accelerate co-operation among courts in the taking of evidence and is seen as complementing Council Regulation (EC) No. 1348/2000 of 29 May 2000 on the service of judicial and extra-judicial documents in civil and commercial matters. That regulation entered into force on 31 May 2001. The latest regulation applies from 1 January 2004. It applies to Ireland since it is one in relation to which, following the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland exercised its right under Article 3 of the Protocol on the Position of the United Kingdom and Ireland annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the treaty establishing the European Community to opt in to the adoption and application of this instrument.
