The European Court of Justice is based in Luxembourg. It consists of 27 judges, one of each member state, appointed for a six year term of office. Furthermore, there are eight advocate-generals To ensure continuity, turnover takes place in three-yearly cycles. The judges have to act independently from their state of origin. The judges elect one of themselves as president for a renewable three year term.

The Court can sit in full, in a Grand Chamber of 13 judges or in chambers of three or five judges.

There are different types of proceedings:

• The Court cooperates closely with the national courts that can and sometimes must refer to the Council for an interpretation of EU law.
• The Court may also take actions for failure to fulfil obligations by member states.
• The Court decides on actions for annulment of a measure (regulations, directives or decisions)
• The Court can put forward an action for failure to act which can enable the lawfulness of an EU institution’s acting.

Since the Lisbon Treaty, the EU has a legal personality and the former Community law is now officially EU law.

Official Website
Guide for Journalists
Service’s Members of Staff

Media Contacts
Head of Division: Juan Carlos González Álvarez
Tel: +352 4303 2623 / 2035  

Unit France, Luxembourg: Marie-Christine Lecerf
Tel: +352 4303 3205 / 3315  

Unit Netherlands, Belgium: Stefaan Van der Jeught
Tel: + 352 4303 2170 / 3046  

Unit Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia: Gitte Stadler
Tel: + 352 4303 3127 / 2981  

Unit Germany, Austria: Hartmut Ost
Tel: + 352 4303 3255 / 3645  

Unit Italy, Grece, Cyprus: Estella Cigna
Tel: + 352 4303 2582 / 2180 (Grece and Cyprus) /3552 (Italy) 

Unit United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta: Christopher Fretwell
Tel: + 352 4303 3355 / 3366  

Unit Spain, Portugal: Agnès Lopez Gay
Tel: + 352 4303 3667 / 3442  

Unit Poland, Slovenia: Ireneusz Kolowca
Tel: + 352 4303 2793 / 2878  

Unit Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia: Balázs Lehoczki
Tel: + 352 4303 5499 / 4029  

Unit Bulgaria: Iliiana Paliova
Tel: + 352 4303 3708  

Unit Romanía: Claudiu Ecedi-Stoisavlevici
Tel: + 352 4303 3720