Some twenty-five years have passed since the Brussels Convention on Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Judgments was first drafted and it seems to be doing rather well. It is in force in all twelve Member States of the European Community and has become a familiar part of the work of numerous courts in Europe handling commercial disputes. Its success is borne out by the conclusion of the Lugano Convention of 16 September 1988, extending the scheme of the Brussels Convention to the Member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which obtained in only three years after signature the necessary ratifications for its initial entry into force on 1 January 1992. In addition, there is much support among scholars from Eastern Europe for the accession of their countries to the Lugano Convention (which, unlike the Brussels Convention, provides for accession independently of membership of the European Community or EFTA).