Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006 simplifies enforcing uncontested cross-border claims via the European order for payment procedure.
The aim is to accelerate cross-border proceedings while minimising costs, and to enable the free movement of European payment orders among the member states (with the exception of Denmark).
Update: The Regulation was reformed by Regulation (EU) 2015/2421, which has applied since 14 July 2017 and, at the same time, raised the value threshold of the parallel European Small Claims Procedure (Regulation (EC) No 861/2007) from EUR 2,000 to EUR 5,000. Since 10 January 2015, jurisdiction for the European order for payment procedure has been governed by the Brussels Ia Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012, replacing the previously applicable Brussels I Regulation (EC) No 44/2001.
1. Scope of application
The Regulation applies to cross-border civil and commercial matters, irrespective of the nature of the court or tribunal; a case is cross-border where at least one of the parties is domiciled or habitually resident in a member state other than that of the court seized. It does not cover revenue, customs, or administrative matters, state liability for acts or omissions in the exercise of state authority, matrimonial property regimes and succession law, insolvency proceedings, social security, or – with narrow exceptions – non-contractual obligations.
2. Procedure
An application for a European order for payment must be submitted to the competent court using standard form A and must include, among other things, particulars of the parties, the amount of the claim (including interest), the subject matter of the dispute, the evidence relied upon, and the grounds establishing jurisdiction. The court examines the application for completeness and plausibility and, where the requirements are met, issues the European order for payment within 30 days.
The defendant may lodge a statement of opposition within 30 days of service; in that case, the ordinary proceedings are opened before the courts of the member state of origin, unless the applicant requests that the proceedings be terminated. If no opposition is lodged, the court declares the payment order enforceable; it is then directly recognised and enforced in all other member states without the need for any intermediate procedure – although in certain exceptional cases (including defective service), a review of the payment order may be applied for, or enforcement may be suspended or refused.
3. Costs
The court fees for a European order for payment procedure and for any ordinary civil proceedings following a statement of opposition may not, taken together, exceed the court fees for ordinary civil proceedings not preceded by a European order for payment procedure in that member state.
FAQ
The European order for payment procedure is a standardised, EU-wide court procedure for the swift and cost-effective enforcement of uncontested cross-border monetary claims in civil and commercial matters. It is based on Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006 and applies in all EU member states except Denmark.
Whenever at least one of the parties is domiciled or habitually resident in a member state other than that of the court seized. The relevant point in time is when the application is submitted.
For due and quantified monetary claims arising from civil and commercial matters. It does not apply, among other things, to revenue and customs matters, administrative matters, insolvency proceedings, succession law, matrimonial property regimes, or social security.
By means of standard form A, which is available via the European e-Justice Portal and can also be submitted electronically in many member states. As a general rule, the court with international jurisdiction under the Brussels Ia Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 is the competent court.
No, legal representation is not mandatory for the European order for payment procedure. However, given the legal complexity involved – in particular in assessing jurisdiction and preparing for any subsequent opposition proceedings – legal advice is nonetheless recommended.
The court examines the application and, as a general rule, issues the European order for payment within 30 days of the application being submitted, provided no correction is required. Any time needed for correcting the application is not counted.
If the defendant lodges an opposition in due form and within the time limit of 30 days of service (using form F), the proceedings are automatically continued as ordinary civil proceedings under the national law of the member state of origin – unless the applicant expressly requests that the proceedings be terminated. No grounds need to be given for the opposition.
The court immediately declares the payment order enforceable (using form G) and sends the applicant an enforceable copy.
No. The European order for payment, once declared enforceable, is directly recognised and enforced in all other member states – an additional exequatur procedure is not required.
Yes, in narrowly limited exceptional cases. Under Articles 22 and 23 of the Regulation, the competent court in the member state of enforcement may stay the enforcement proceedings or limit them to protective measures, or make enforcement conditional on the provision of security. Under Article 20, the defendant may, under certain conditions (e.g. defective service, force majeure), apply to the court of origin for a review of the payment order.
The court fees for the European order for payment procedure, together with any subsequent ordinary proceedings, may not in total exceed the costs of ordinary civil proceedings conducted from the outset in that member state (Article 25 of the Regulation).
All forms (A to G) are available free of charge and in multiple languages on the European e-Justice Portal.
As of June 2026. All information on these pages is provided without guarantee or liability.