 The Brussels Regulation provides general rules with respect to jurisdiction.

The basic
principle is that the courts of the EU Member State in which the defendant is
domiciled will have jurisdiction to hear the dispute, regardless of the defendant's
nationality. Domicile is determined in accordance with the domestic laws of the
Member State in which the matter is brought.
 Article 1 provide that the Brussels 1 Regulation is to apply in civil and commercial
matters whatever the nature of the court or tribunal but that it is not to extend, in
particular, to revenue, customs, or administrative matter. It does not apply to (1) the
status of legal capacity of natural person, rights in property arising out of matrimonial
relationship, will and succession; (2) bankruptcy, the winding-up of insolvent
companies and analogous proceedings; (3) social security; or (4) arbitration.

 While the principle of domicile acts as the general rule for determining jurisdiction, a
defendant may, under certain circumstances, be sued in the courts of a Member State
other than the Member State in which he is domiciled. The Brussels Regulation lists
the following areas of jurisdiction: special and exclusive jurisdiction; jurisdiction on
matters relating to insurance; consumer contracts; and individual contracts of
employment.
 The Regulation sometimes gives “exclusives jurisdiction” to the courts of the
particular country. The terms has special meaning in The Regulation, reflecting the
fact that the Member State have agreed that where a case concern a particular subject
matter the courts of one country within the European Union, and one country only,
can hear the case.
 The cases in which a court has exclusive jurisdiction under art. 22 are defined by
reference to the “object” of the relevant proceeding, which refers to the nature of the
subject matter, not to the purpose of the claimant in bringing the action, Exclusive
jurisdiction is given to the following courts: 1. Immovable property, 2. Corporations,
3. Public Registers, 4. Intellectual property, 5. Enforcement of judgements
 Under the Brussels Regulation, 'special jurisdiction' will include the following:
 matters relating to a contract

 matters relating to maintenance/financial support

 matters relating to tort, delict or quasi-delict

 matters relating to insurance

 matters relating to contracts concluded by consumers

 matters relating to individual contracts of employment