21 December 2021
The representatives of the governments of the member states today appointed nine judges of the General Court.
- Mr Lauri Madise and Mr Iko Nõmm (Estonia), Ms Anna Marcoulli and Mr Savvas S. Papasavvas (Cyprus) and Ms Tuula Pynnä and Mr Heikki Kanninen (Finland) were reappointed as judges of the General Court for a term of office starting on 1 September 2022 and ending on 31 August 2028. These appointments are part of the partial renewal of the General Court which takes place in 2022 and which concerns the posts of 26 Judges.
- Mr Damjan Kukovec (Slovenia) was appointed as judge of the General Court for a period from the date of entry into force of the appointing Decision until 31 August 2025. This appointment was made in the context of the third stage of the reform of the General Court which entails the appointment of nine additional Judges to the General Court from 1 September 2019, five of whom with a term of office ending on 31 August 2025.
- Mr Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos (Greece) was appointed as judge of the General Court for a period from the date of entry into force of the appointing Decision until 31 August 2022. Mrs Suzanne Kingston (Ireland) was appointed as judge of the General Court for a period from the date of entry into force of the appointing Decision until 31 August 2025. These appointments follow the appointment of Mr Dimitrios Gratsias (Greece) as judge at the Court of Justice and of Mr Anthony Collins (Ireland) as advocate-general at the Court of Justice from 7 October 2021. It was therefore for each of those two Member States to propose a candidate for the vacant post of judge of the General Court for the remainder of the respective term of office.
Background
The Court of Justice of the European Union consists of two courts: the Court of Justice and the General Court.
The judges and advocates-general are appointed by common accord of the governments of the member states after consultation of a panel responsible for giving an opinion on prospective candidates’ suitability to perform the duties concerned.
They are chosen from among individuals whose independence is beyond doubt. For appointment to the Court of Justice, candidates must possess the qualifications required for appointment, in their respective countries, to the highest judicial offices, or be jurisconsults of recognised competence. For appointment to the General Court, they must possess the ability required for appointment to high judicial office.