What is the recognition of foreign judgments - exequatur? In order for a judgment pronounced by the courts of another state to be enforced in Romania, it is necessary for it to go through the procedure of recognizing foreign judgments (exequatur). Otherwise, if the losing party does not voluntarily comply with the judgment, the coercive force of the state cannot be invoked for enforcement.

Which judgments are recognized automatically and do not require the recognition procedure?

For member states of the European Union, this procedure is not necessary, as judgments pronounced in these states are automatically recognized in Romania and can be directly enforced. Additionally, judgments pronounced in third-party states are also recognized automatically if they pertain to the personal status of the citizens of the state in which they were pronounced or if, when pronounced in a third-party state, they were first recognized in the state of citizenship of each party or, in the absence of recognition, were pronounced based on the law determined as applicable under Romanian private international law. They must also not be contrary to the public order of Romanian private international law and must respect the right to defense.

What happens during the recognition procedure for a judgment?

It's important to note that in such a procedure, the case is not retried, and the judgment given by the foreign court is not modified in any way. Instead, a Romanian judge evaluates whether international standards, such as the right to defense, have been adhered to in rendering the judgment.

Foreign judgments recognized in Romania are treated as if they were pronounced by Romanian courts, enjoying the same effects, such as enforceability and res judicata.

What are the conditions that a foreign judgment must meet to be recognized in Romania?

For a request for recognition of a foreign judgment to be accepted, the following conditions must be met cumulatively:

să fie definitivă

instanța care a pronunțat-o să fi fost competentă să judece procesul

să existe reciprocitate în ceea ce privește recunoașterea hotărârilor între statul care a pronunțat hotărârea și România.

What are the grounds for refusing the recognition of foreign judgments?

· If any of these conditions is not met, the request will be rejected, and the judgment will not be recognized in Romania, and its effects will not be enforceable within the country

Recognition of a foreign judgment can be refused for any of the following reasons:

hotărârea este manifest contrară ordinii publice de drept internațional privat român

hotărârea pronunțată într-o materie în care persoanele nu dispun liber de drepturile lor a fost obținută cu scopul exclusiv de a sustrage cauza incidenței legii aplicabile conform dreptului internațional privat român

procesul a fost soluționat între aceleași părți printr-o hotărâre, chiar nedefinitivă, a instanțelor române sau se afla în curs de judecare în fața acestora la data sesizării instanței străine

este inconciliabilă cu o hotărâre pronunțată anterior ei în străinătate și susceptibilă de a fi recunoscută în România

instanțele române aveau competența exclusivă pentru judecarea cauzei

a fost încălcat dreptul la apărare

hotărârea poate face obiectul unei căi de atac în statul în care a fost pronunțată.

What documents are required to obtain the recognition of a foreign judgment?

To have a request for the recognition of a foreign judgment admitted, the following documents must be attached to the request:

hotărârea străină, în original cu apostilă/supralegalizare și copie conform cu originalul

dovada caracterului definitiv al hotărârii

în cazul în care una dintre părți a fost lipsă la proces, trebuie depusă și copia dovezii de înmânare a citației şi a actului de sesizare, comunicate părții care a fost lipsă în instanța străină, sau orice act oficial care să ateste că citația şi actul de sesizare au fost cunoscute, în timp util, de către partea împotriva căreia s-a pronunțat hotărârea

orice alt act de natură să probeze, în completare, că hotărârea străină îndeplinește celelalte condiții prevăzute de art.1096 Cod procedură civilă.

All supporting documents must be filed with the court in the language in which they were originally drafted, along with a certified translation into Romanian.

Which court is competent to hear the exequatur request?

The request for the recognition of a foreign judgment will be filed with the tribunal in the jurisdiction where the natural person has their domicile or, if applicable, the public institution that refused to recognize the foreign judgment is located. If it is impossible to determine the tribunal according to the first paragraph, the jurisdiction belongs to the Bucharest Tribunal.

Is the personal presence of the person requesting recognition of the judgment necessary?

Most requests for the recognition of a foreign judgment are heard with the parties being summoned, except in cases where the judgment shows that the defendant consented to the action being brought. In these cases, the presence of the parties in the courtroom is not necessary, as they can be represented by athe attorney during the hearings.

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