## Report on the Court of Justice Decision Regarding Broadcasting of Hearings
**1. Executive Summary:**
This report analyzes the Decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of April 1, 2025, concerning the rules and arrangements for broadcasting hearings. This new policy aims to promote transparency and access to the CJEU's proceedings by enabling the broadcasting of hearings, specifically the delivery of judgments and opinions, as well as hearings of oral argument under certain conditions. The key provisions address the scope of broadcasting, languages used, duration of availability, and conditions of use for video recordings. This decision impacts parties involved in cases before the CJEU, EU citizens, and the general public interested in the judicial process.
**2. Introduction:**
This report provides an overview and analysis of the Decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concerning the broadcasting of hearings, based solely on the provided policy text. The purpose is to inform interested parties about the policy's objectives, key provisions, and potential impacts.
**3. Policy Overview:**
* This is a **New Policy**.
* **Core Objective(s):** Based on the text, the core objectives are:
* To promote a better understanding of the role of the Court of Justice and its activities.
* To ensure wider access to the pleas, arguments, and observations submitted by parties during hearings, as well as to Opinions of the Advocates General and judgments.
* To leverage technology to provide access to hearings for those unable to attend in person.
**4. Background and Rationale:**
* As a New Policy: The text suggests that the policy addresses a need for increased transparency and accessibility to the Court's proceedings. The increasing number of cases with significant impact on EU citizens necessitates greater understanding of the Court's role. The policy aims to overcome limitations of in-person attendance due to travel or personal circumstances by leveraging technology for broadcasting.
**5. Key Provisions:**
This new policy establishes the following rules and requirements for broadcasting of court hearings.
* **Scope:** The decision applies to broadcasting of hearings for the delivery of judgments of the Court and Opinions of the Advocates General, and also to broadcasting of hearings of oral argument under conditions specified in Article 80a of the Rules of Procedure.
* **Broadcasting of Judgments and Opinions:** Delivery of judgments and opinions will be broadcast live on the CJEU website. The broadcast will be in the language used by the speaker and, where available, in other languages provided through simultaneous interpretation. Recordings will generally remain available on the website, unless the Court decides otherwise, and will be stored for archiving.
* **Broadcasting of Oral Argument Hearings:** Hearings of oral argument will be broadcast *after* the hearing on the CJEU website. The broadcast will be in the language of the case, and in all languages in respect of which simultaneous interpretation is available. Recordings of these hearings will remain available for one month after the close of the hearing, after which they will be removed from the website and stored for archiving. Parties or interested persons can request the removal of a recording if justified, and the Court can also remove a recording on its own motion.
* **Broadcasting Arrangements:** Broadcasting should be complete except in exceptional cases. Participants in a hearing that will be broadcast must be informed, and measures will be taken in the courtroom to minimize collection of images and personal data by excluding certain seats from the camera's view.
* **Nature of Broadcast and Conditions of Use:** The broadcast is not an authentic recording or official record. The simultaneous interpretation is only for facilitation and is not an official record. Copyright in the video recordings is reserved, meaning recording, saving, uploading, or retransmission of any part of the broadcast is prohibited.
**6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:**
Based on the provided text, the following are directly or indirectly affected:
* Parties involved in cases before the CJEU (lawyers, litigants, etc.).
* Interested persons referred to in Article 23 of the Statute.
* EU citizens seeking to understand the Court's role and activities.
* The general public interested in the judicial process.
* The Court of Justice itself, responsible for implementing the broadcasting procedures and managing the website content.
**7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):**
* **Responsible Agency/Bodies:** The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is the primary responsible body.
* **Timelines/Procedures:** The policy enters into force on the first day of the month following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Specific timelines are provided for the availability of recordings of oral argument hearings (one month). Parties have a procedure to request removal of recordings.
**8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:**
* The likely intended outcomes are:
* Increased transparency and public understanding of the CJEU's proceedings.
* Wider access to legal arguments and judicial reasoning, particularly for those unable to attend hearings in person.
* Enhanced accountability of the Court.
* Improved public trust in the judicial system.
**9. Conclusion:**
The Decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding the broadcasting of hearings represents a significant step towards greater transparency and accessibility in the EU's judicial system. By leveraging technology to broadcast hearings, the Court aims to inform and engage a wider audience, ultimately promoting a better understanding of its role and impact on the lives of EU citizens.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe, mentioned in the context of the increasing variety of areas covered by its law.
Court of Justice: The judicial institution of the European Union. The document is a decision of this Court.
1 April 2025: Date of the Decision of the Court of Justice.
Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union: A protocol related to the Statute of the Court of Justice, referred to as 'the Statute'.
Article 31: Article of the Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union, regarding the Statute of the Court.
Rules of Procedure: Rules governing the proceedings of the Court of Justice.
Article 80a: Article of the Rules of Procedure related to broadcasting of hearings.
Practice Directions to parties concerning cases brought before the Court: Document providing guidance to parties involved in cases before the Court.
points 66, 88 and 89: Specific points within the Practice Directions to parties concerning cases brought before the Court.
Advocates General: Legal officers who present opinions on cases brought before the Court of Justice.
Article 80a5 to 7: Specific articles within the Rules of Procedure related to broadcasting of hearings.
OJ L, 12.5.2025: Official Journal reference, indicating the series (L), date (12th May 2025).
Article 23 of the Statute: Article of the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union related to interested persons.
Luxembourg: The location where the decision was made.
A. CALOT ESCOBAR: Registrar of the Court.
K. LENAERTS: President of the Court.
Official Journal of the European Union: The official gazette of the European Union where the decision will be published.
http:data.europa.eueliprocrules2025857oj: Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) pointing to the location of the document.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/857 12.5.2025
DECISION OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE
of 1 April 2025
on the rules and arrangements for implementing the broadcasting of hearings [2025/857]
THE COURT,
Having regard to the Protocol on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘the Statute’), and in particular
Article 31 thereof,
Having regard to the Rules of Procedure, and in particular Article 80a thereof,
Having regard to the Practice Directions to parties concerning cases brought before the Court, and in particular points 66,
88 and 89 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) As the areas covered by European Union law become increasingly varied, the Court of Justice is receiving a growing
number of cases and is called upon to adopt decisions that often have a real impact on the everyday life of Union
citizens. In that context, it is essential to promote a better understanding of the role of the Court and its activities
and to ensure wider access to the pleas, arguments and observations submitted by parties during hearings of oral
argument, as well as to Opinions of the Advocates General and judgments delivered by the Court.
(2) While attendance at Court hearings is certainly an ideal means of achieving that goal, in-person participation in such
hearings is not always possible, either because of the travel involved or for other reasons relating, in particular, to the
personal, economic or financial situation of the persons concerned. It is appropriate, therefore, to use the
opportunities technology offers and to provide for certain hearings to be broadcast via the website of the Court of
Justice of the European Union.
(3) In view of the specific nature of the judicial function and, in particular, the need to ensure that proceedings during
hearings of oral argument are undisturbed, a distinction must be drawn between those hearings and hearings at
which Opinions of the Advocates General or judgments are delivered.
(4) It is also necessary to specify, first, the nature of, and arrangements for, the broadcasting undertaken, taking due
account of personal data protection requirements, and, second, the conditions of use of video recordings of hearings,
which are linked to the need to ensure the practical effect of the provisions set out in Article 80a(5) to (7) of the Rules
of Procedure.
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Scope of this Decision
1. The provisions of this Decision implement Article 80a of the Rules of Procedure.
2. This Decision applies to the broadcasting of hearings for the delivery of judgments of the Court of Justice and of
Opinions of the Advocates General. It applies equally to the broadcasting of hearings of oral argument, provided that the
conditions referred to in Article 80a of the Rules of Procedure are satisfied.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/proc_rules/2025/857/oj 1/3EN
OJ L, 12.5.2025
Article 2
Broadcasting of hearings for the delivery of judgments or Opinions
1. The delivery of judgments of the Court and Opinions of its Advocates General shall be broadcast live via the website
of the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘the Institution’), on the date fixed for such delivery.
2. The broadcast shall take place in the language used by the speaker to deliver the judgment or Opinion and, as the case
may be, in the other language(s) available during the hearing concerned.
3. Unless the Court decides otherwise, the recordings of hearings for the delivery of judgments or Opinions shall remain
available on the website of the Institution.
4. Those recordings shall be stored by the Court for archiving and communication purposes.
Article 3
Broadcasting of hearings of oral argument
1. Hearings of oral argument which are broadcast shall be broadcast, after the hearing, via the website of the Institution.
2. The broadcasting of hearings of oral argument shall take place in the language of the case and in all languages in
respect of which provision has been made for simultaneous interpretation.
3. Without prejudice to Article 80a(6) and (7) of the Rules of Procedure, the video recordings of hearings that have been
broadcast shall remain available on the website of the Institution for a period of one month after the close of the hearing,
after which they will no longer be available on that website and will be stored by the Court for archiving purposes.
4. Where a party or an interested person referred to in Article 23 of the Statute considers that the video recording of a
hearing in which he or she took part should be removed from that website, he or she shall inform the Court of this as
soon as possible, setting out the circumstances that justify that removal. If the Court grants that request, the recording
concerned shall be removed from the website forthwith. The Court may also remove a recording of its own motion, where
this is justified by the circumstances of the case.
Article 4
Arrangements for the broadcasting of hearings
1. Save in exceptional cases, the broadcasting of hearings to which this Decision relates shall be in full.
2. The participants in a hearing before the Court that is to be broadcast, whether they are parties, interested persons
referred to in Article 23 of the Statute or any other person, shall be duly informed of the broadcasting of that hearing and
measures shall be taken, within the courtroom, to minimise the collection of images and personal data. Accordingly,
certain seats, duly identified, shall be excluded from the field of view of the cameras.
Article 5
Nature of the broadcast and conditions of use of video recordings of hearings
1. The broadcasting of a hearing of the Court via the website of the Institution shall not, in any circumstances,
constitute an authentic recording or an official record of that hearing; nor shall it constitute the minutes thereof.
2. Simultaneous interpretation of the proceedings in a hearing of oral argument, available as needed, is intended to
facilitate communication during such hearings and shall not constitute an official record of the proceedings. Only those
statements made in the courtroom shall be authentic.
2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/proc_rules/2025/857/ojEN
OJ L, 12.5.2025
3. Copyright in video recordings made available via the website of the Institution is reserved. It shall therefore be
prohibited to record, save or upload, in any form, all or part of a hearing of the Court that is broadcast via the website of
the Institution, whether images or sound, including the sound of the various interpretation channels. The retransmission,
in any form, of all or part of a hearing of the Court shall also be prohibited.
Article 6
Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on the first day of the month following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
Done at Luxembourg, 1 April 2025.
Registrar President
A. CALOT ESCOBAR K. LENAERTS
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/proc_rules/2025/857/oj 3/3