Judgment of the Court 17 May 1994

In Case C-294/92, REFERENCE to the Court, under Article 3 of 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 Court of Appeal, London, for a preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between

THE COURT, composed of: O. Due, President, J. C. Moitinho de Almeida, M. Diez de Velasco and D. A. O. Edward (Presidents of Chambers), C. N. Kakouris, R. Joliét (Rapporteur) G. C. Rodríguez Iglesias, M. Zuleeg and P. J. G. Kapteyn, Judges, Advocate General: M. Darmon, Registrar: L. Hewlett, Administrator,

after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of: George Lawrence Webb, represented by Michael Briggs, Barrister, instructed by Bower, Cotton & Bower, Solicitors, Lawrence Desmond Webb, represented by Mark Blackett-Ord, Barrister, instructed by William Sturges & Co, Solicitors, the United Kingdom, represented by Sue Cochrane, of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, acting as Agent, the Commission of the European Communities, represented by Xavier Lewis and Pieter van Nuffel, of its Legal Service, acting as Agents,

having regard to the Report for the Hearing,

after hearing the oral observations made on behalf of George Lawrence Webb, represented by Michael Briggs and Philip Moser, Barrister, Lawrence Desmond Webb, the United Kingdom, represented by John D. Colahan, of the Treasury Solicitor's Department, acting as Agent, and David Lloyd Jones, Barrister, and the Commission at the hearing on 16 November 1993,

after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 8 February 1994,

gives the following

Judgment

Costs

1 Language of the case: English.