Court of Justice, Statute: amending article 20 on preliminary-ruling proceedings

PURPOSE : to amend Article 20 of the Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision 2002/653/EC amending the Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. CONTENT : in accordance with the second paragraph of Article 245 of the EC Treaty, the Council has decided to amend the protocol on the statute of the Court of Justice in order for provisions to be made for participation by non-member States in preliminary-ruling proceedings before the Court of Justice in the event that an agreement relating to a specific subject matter, concluded by the Council with one or more non-member States. It provides that those States are to be entitled to submit statements of case or written observations where a court or tribunal of a member State refers to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling a question falling within the scope of the agreement. The amendment is necessary as a result of the entry into force of the agreement concluded by the Council in 1999 with the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the association of those States to the implementation, the application and the development of the Schengen acquis. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 13/08/2002.�