In a digital age with growing international trade within a more borderless European Community, the need to obtain evidence in other jurisdictions is central to ensuring real and timely justice in transborder civil cases. Practices and rules established more than a century ago for the sharing of information between different jurisdictions, each following different legal traditions, must be updated and reconciled to face today’s reality.

The CEELI Institute is therefore delighted to partner with the University of Silesia, the Association of Croatian Judges, and the Polish Judicial Association Iustitia, with support from the European Commission, to produce this practical handbook on obtaining evidence in civil and commercial cases across national borders. The handbook provides practical guidance for EU judges hearing civil cases in national courts to navigate an evolving landscape of European Directives that seek to promote the timely and efficient sharing of cross-border information consistent with the rights guaranteed by EU law. We hope that this guide will become a valuable judicial reference to further these important EU initiatives.

This handbook has been prepared as a part of the project “International Judicial Training: Boosting Judicial Competencies in a Post-pandemic Reality” (EC International Judicial Training JUST-2022-JTRA101089959) organized in cooperation between the CEELI Institute, the Interdisciplinary Center for Judicature of the University of Silesia, the Association of Croatian Judges, and the Polish Judges’ Association Iustitia. This handbook is designed for active civil judges from EU member countries, focusing on applying EU instruments in civil justice and providing access to the full extent of rights guaranteed by EU law.