ABSTRACT
The Lugano Convention is designed to extend the principle of the free circulation of judgments to EFTA bloc countries; the Convention has been in force since 1 January 1992 but it only applies to those States that have signed and ratified it. An important matter in relation to the recogniton of judgments is that, under the Convention, provision is made for the accession not only of future EC/EFTA Member States but also for the accession of third States. The provisions of the Lugano Convention are broadly similar to those of the Brussels Convention and it is, for that reason, sometimes referred to as the Parallel Convention.60 One important distinction between the two instruments is that the Lugano Convention does not contain provision for references to the European Court of Justice.
