31.7.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 199/1 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS REGULATION (EC) No 861/2007 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO- PEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 61(c) and Article 67 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (2), Whereas: (1)  The Community has set itself the objective of maintain- ing and developing an area of freedom, security and jus- tice in which the free movement of persons is ensured. For the gradual establishment of such an area, the Com- munity is to adopt, inter alia, measures in the field of judi- cial cooperation in civil matters having cross-border implications and needed for the proper functioning of the internal market. (2)  According to Article 65(c) of the Treaty, those measures are to include those eliminating obstacles to the good functioning of civil proceedings, if necessary by promot- ing the compatibility of the rules on civil procedure appli- cable in the Member States. (3)  In this respect, the Community has, among other mea- sures, already adopted Council Regulation (EC) No 1348/2000 of 29 May 2000 on the service in the (1) O] C 88, 11.4.2006, p. 61. (%) Opinion of the European Parliament of 14 December 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 13 June 2007. Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (*), Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (4), Council Decision 2001/470/EC of 28 May 2001 establishing a European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters (°), Regulation (EC) No 805/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 creating a European Enforce- ment Order for uncontested claims (6) and Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 creating a European order for payment procedure (7). (4) The European Council meeting in Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999 invited the Council and the Com- mission to establish common procedural rules for simpli- fied and accelerated cross-border litigation on small consumer and commercial claims. (5)  On 30 November 2000, the Council adopted a joint pro- gramme of the Commission and the Council of measures for the implementation of the principle of mutual recog- nition of decisions in civil and commercial matters (%). The programme refers to simplifying and speeding up the settlement of cross-border litigation on small claims. This was taken forward by the Hague Programme (°), adopted by the European Council on 5 November 2004, which called for work on small claims to be actively pursued. () OJ L 160, 30.6.2000, p. 37. (*) OJL12,16.1.2001, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (O] L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). (5) OJ L 174, 27.6.2001, p. 25. (6) OJ L 143, 30.4.2004, p. 15. Regulation as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1869/2005 (O] L 300, 17.11.2005, p. 6). () OJ L 399, 30.12.2006, p. 1. (8 OJ C 12, 15.1.2001, p. 1. (%) OJ C 53, 3.3.2005, p. 1.