In the Member States of the European Union (except Denmark), the rules on the jurisdiction of courts to deal with disputes concerning an international employment contract are to be found in European Union Regulation No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 (Brussels I).
That Regulation, which has been binding in all the States since 1 March 2002, replaces the Brussels Convention of 27 September 1968, as amended by the Convention of San Sebastián of 26 May 1989.
It therefore applies to all actions brought after the entry into force of that Regulation.
In the case of Denmark, on 19 October 2005 an agreement was concluded between the European Union and Denmark on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of decisions in civil and commercial matters. In that agreement, the parties reached agreement on the application of the provisions of Brussels I to relations between the European Union and Denmark.
In 2007, the European Union and certain Member States of EFTA concluded the “new” Lugano Convention of 30 October 2007 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. It replaced the Lugano Convention of 1988 and its rules are similar to those of Brussels I.
The new Lugano Convention is now in force in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the European Union.