These Regulations make provision consequent upon the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 4/2009 (“the Council Regulation”) which applies in the United Kingdom from the 18th June 2011. The Council Regulation makes provision for rules of jurisdiction throughout the European Union in matters relating to maintenance obligations, as well as making provision for the enforcement of maintenance decisions given in one European Union Member State in another Member State.

Regulations 2 to 6 extend the scope of existing powers to make rules of court necessary for the proper operation of the Council Regulation. Regulation 7 applies the rule making powers in section 48 of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982 to permit procedural rules to be made for authentic instruments and court settlements which are enforceable, by virtue of Article 48 of the Council Regulation, as well as for decisions of courts.