Judgment of the Court 4 February 1988

In Case 145/86 REFERENCE to the Court under the Protocol of 3 June 1971 on the interpretation by the Court of Justice of the Convention of 27 September 1968 on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters, by the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden (Supreme Court of the Netherlands), for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between

THE COURT composed of: Lord Mackenzie Stuart, President, G. Bosco and G. C. Rodriguez Iglesias (Presidents of Chambers), T. Koopmans, K. Bahlmann, R. Joliét and T. F. O'Higgins, Judges, Advocate General: M. Darmon Registrar: D. Louterman, Administrator

after considering the observations submitted on behalf of Horst Hoffman, the appellant in the main proceedings, in the written procedure by E. Korthals Altes, of the Hague Bar, and in the oral procedure by H. AE. Uniken Venerna, also of the Hague Bar, Adelheid Krieg, the respondent in the main proceedings, in the written procedure by H. J. Bronkhorst, of the Hague Bar, and in the oral procedure by B. J. Drijber, also of the Hague Bar, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany by C. Böhmer, acting as Agent, the United Kingdom by S. J. Hay, acting as Agent, the Commission of the European Communities, in the written procedure by L. Gyselen, a member of its Legal Department, acting as Agent, assisted by S. Pieri, an Italian civil servant on secondment to the Commission, and in the written procedure by H. van Lier, a member of its Legal Department,

having regard to the Report for the Hearing and further to the hearing on 20 May 1987,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General delivered at the sitting on 9 July 1987,

gives the following

Judgment

Costs

1 Language of the Case: Dutch.