EU develops ECJ-affiliated Civil Service Tribunal

THE EU Council of Ministers has created a new judicial body which will hear disputes between the EU’s institutions, its officials and other staff.

The EU Civil Service Tribunal will be part of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and will sit in Luxembourg. Its key aim will be to relieve the ECJ’s Court of First Instance of part of its present heavy and growing caseload.

Appeals can only be made from the tribunal on points of law to the Court of First Instance. The tribunal will have seven judges appointed for six years by the Council of Ministers. They will elect a tribunal president from among them to serve a three-year term, from which they may be re-elected.

A council statement said the new institution would “improve the operation of the EU court system”.