Access to justice, cross-border disputes: legal aid, financial aspects of civil proceedings

The committee adopted the report by Giacomo SANTINI (EPP-ED, I) amending the proposal under the consultation procedure. It called on the Commission to broaden the scope of the proposed directive so that it would apply not only to cross-border disputes but also to internal disputes. It also said that the provisions regarding access to justice should be applied without distinction to EU citizens and to third-country nationals residing in a Member State and that a person who has become a victim of crime in a Member State other than in which he is habitually resident should be able to obtain appropriate legal aid. The committee also wanted to clarify what legal aid might consist of, and called for it to be granted not only in respect of judicial proceedings but also in respect of extra-judicial procedures such as alternative methods of resolving disputes. �