'ROME II' REPORT GIVEN SUPPORT OF LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE - WALLIS

4.36.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 21st Jun 2005

The European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee has voted today (Tuesday), to support Diana Wallis MEP's report on the so-called 'Rome II' proposed Regulation to deal with the law applicable to non-contractual obligations.

Diana Wallis, who is the Liberal Group's Spokesperson on the Committee, said:

"I am delighted to get the overwhelming cross-party support of my colleagues on the Legal Affairs Committee. Rome II is an important milestone in legislative terms. We are breaking new ground, laying out a coherent legal order for the EU for non-contractual claims. In this instance, there has never previously been an international convention."

One provision voted through unanimously by the Committee was an innovative approach to the question of damages in road traffic and other cases involving personal injury. Diana Wallis MEP said:

"These types of cases form far and away the greatest number of cross border tort cases in which EU citizens are involved. Often a citizen will find themselves in receipt of low level damages where an accident happens in a country like Spain or Greece where the cost of living is considerably lower than say the UK. This leads to great unfairness when a victim has to deal with the costs and consequences of the injury in their own home state. I sought to redress this by allowing, unusually, a court to apply the victim's own law when quantifying damages and was delighted that the committee endorsed this approach. This could really deliver practical justice for many citizens!"

Notes:

The Rome II report will be voted in the full plenary session in Strasbourg in 2 weeks time.

PRESS CONFERENCE: Diana Wallis MEP will be holding a press briefing on 'Rome II' at the European Parliament's Office at Queens Anne's Gate London on Friday 24 June between 12noon and 1pm. Contact Simon Duffin, EP Press Officer +44 207 227 4335