On 13 June, the Council of Ministers adopted a common position establishing a European Small Claims Procedure.The regulation simplifies, speeds up and reduces the cost of court procedures for small claims and establishes the European Small Claims Procedure, giving citizens an alternative to current legal procedures of EU Member States.The procedure will apply to civil and commercial matters where the claim does not exceed €2,000 both in pecuniary and non-pecuniary cases. The common position introduces procedural modifications with respect to the proposal of 15 March 2005, as the use of standard forms and time limits to speed up litigation.Lastly, the judgment shall be recognized and enforced in another Member State automatically without any possibility of questioning its legitimacy. The new procedure will apply from 1 January 2009.Source: Health & Consumer Voice, June 2007