Order of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 22 June 2016 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Court of Appeal — Ireland) — M. H. v M. H.

(Case C-173/16) (1)

((Reference for a preliminary ruling - Article 99 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice - No reasonable doubt - Jurisdiction in matrimonial matters - Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 - Article 16(1)(a) - Determination of the time when a court is seised - Concept of ‘the time when the document instituting the proceedings or an equivalent document is lodged with the court’))

(2016/C 343/28)

Language of the case: English

Referring court

Court of Appeal

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: M. H.

Defendant: M. H.

Operative part of the order

Article 16(1)(a) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, repealing Regulation (EC) No 1347/2000, must be interpreted to the effect that the ‘time when the document instituting the proceedings or an equivalent document is lodged with the court’, within the meaning of that provision, is the time when that document is lodged with the court concerned, even if under national law lodging that document does not of itself immediately initiate proceedings.

(1)  OJ C 211, 13.6.2016.