Europäischer Gerichtshof, EuGH

European Court of Justice (ECJ), the court of the European Communities created in 1958, domiciled in Luxembourg, responsible for interpreting and implementing the contracts and treaties of the European Union and guaranteeing EU legislation. The ECJ consists of 15 independent judges (one from each member state), supported by 9 advocates general; the judges remain in office for a period of six years and are appointed by the governments of the member states. A Court of First Instance has also been in existence since 1989; it deals with claims and suits brought by private individuals and firms. The ECJ supervises compliance with EU treaties in the member states and the activities of the EU organs (nullity actions, actions for failure to act). The majority of decisions passed by the ECJ are what are known as preliminary rulings which serve as interpretations or judgements on the validity of EU legislation implementation in the member states. The Austrian judge at the European Court of Justice has been Peter Jann since 1995.