Renewing structures enabling exercise of citizen rights

In the European Union, in order to ensure that the existence of differing national judicial systems does not prevent citizens from exercising their rights, the EU planned to make it easier to obtain justice in another member state than one's own. In 1999, the EU Council of Ministers planned to set standards designed to simplify the settlement of cross-border disputes involving only modest sums of money; effective protection would also be given to victims of criminal acts in another EU country. There would be a public information system on national judicial systems, complete with practical handbooks. The 15 EU heads also agreed in principle to the mutual recognition of court decisions between EU countries. The EU would also facilitate cooperation between the judges and courts in the different member states. It will be possible, for example, to present the evidence gathered in one EU country to a court in another country, and for a judge from one country to seize goods or funds in another EU country.