Securing assets during a claim in EU countries

It may be that you want measures to be taken quickly in a Member State other than where your main case is pending without waiting for a final judgment to be given.

It could be that you have started an action in the courts, but proceedings are slow and you are feeling rather put off.  You fear that your debtor will take advantage of the long-drawn-out procedures and the various redress facilities to escape his/her creditors before judgment is actually given. For example, s/he might be tempted to organise her/his own insolvency or to transfer assets. If so, it is in your interests to apply to the court for interim measures.

With the European Account Preservation Order (EAPO), a court in one EU country can freeze funds in the bank account of a debtor in another EU country. The procedure may be used in cross-border cases only, whereby the court carrying out the procedure or the domicile of the creditor must be in a different Member State than the one in which the debtor's account is maintained.

The court may order interim or precautionary measures against the debtor's assets. The purpose of all these measures is to anticipate the final judgment on the merits for a certain period so as to ensure that it will be possible to enforce it.

However there are quite substantial differences in the conditions for ordering these measures in the Member States.

Please select the relevant country's flag to obtain detailed national information.

Last update: 27/07/2022

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