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Oral hearing concerning the applications for a preliminary injunction in the “CETA” proceedings on Wednesday, 12 October 2016, 10:00 a.m.

Press Release No. 67/2016 of 23 September 2016

Reference: 2 BvR 1368/16, 2 BvR 1444/16, 2 BvR 1823/16, 2 BvR 1482/16, 2 BvE 3/16

The Second Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court will conduct an oral hearing on

Wednesday, 12 October 2016, 10:00 am,
in the courtroom of the Federal Constitutional Court,
Schlossbezirk 3, 76131 Karlsruhe

concerning several applications for a preliminary injunction pursuant to § 32 of the Federal Constitutional Court Act (Bundesverfassungsgerichtsgesetz - BVerfGG). These applications are directed against the Federal Government’s approval of proposals for decisions concerning the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) regarding which the Council of the European Union intends to adopt a decision at the end of October 2016.

The Second Senate will deliberate after the oral hearing, and aims to pronounce its judgment on

Thursday, 13 October 2016, 10:00 am,
in the courtroom of the Federal Constitutional Court,
Schlossbezirk 3, 76131 Karlsruhe.

Additional information with regard to the proceedings, and the agenda of the oral hearing, will be made available at a later point in time.

Important Information: Journalists may only send their accreditation requests between Tuesday, 27 September 2016, 12:00 am and Thursday, 6 October 2016, 12:00 am.

Information for Interested Citizens

Interested citizens wishing to attend the oral hearing or the pronouncement of the judgment are welcome but must register at the following address: 

              Mr Stadtler
              Postfach 1771, 76006 Karlsruhe, Germany
              Phone: +49 721 9101-400
              Telefax: +49 721 9101-461
              Email: besucherdienst@bundesverfassungsgericht.de

The registration must indicate the person’s surname, first name, date of birth, and contact data (a phone or telefax number or an email address). 

The visitors’ seats will be allocated in the order in which the registrations are received.

Accreditation Requirements and Information for Journalists 

Accreditation 

The accreditation procedure starts on Tuesday, 27 September 2016, at 12:00 am. Earlier requests will not be considered, and the Federal Constitutional Court will not respond to such requests. 

The accreditation procedure ends on Thursday, 6 October 2016, at 12:00 am. After this period, accreditation is no longer possible. 

For accreditation requests, the forms provided under 

http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Akkreditierungsformular.pdf

(in English) must be used. 

The form must be filled in completely and signed. If applicable, a copy of the valid press card must be enclosed; this is only necessary for the first accreditation during the card’s term of validity. The accreditation request may be sent by email to presse@bundesverfassungsgericht.de or by telefax to +49 721 9101-461. Accreditation requests sent to other email addresses or telefax numbers of the Court will not be considered. 

Members of the Justizpressekonferenz Karlsruhe e.V. may send their accreditation requests to the Federal Constitutional Court’s Press Office without having to use the form. 

Accreditation requests will be considered in the order in which they are received. If requests are received simultaneously, accreditation is awarded by drawing lots. A few days after the expiry of the deadline, the Federal Constitutional Court will notify the applicants by email whether their accreditation was successful or not. 

Availability and Allocation of Seats 

The press gallery holds a total of 42 seats for media representatives, 11 of which are reserved for members of the Justizpressekonferenz. Seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Media representatives who cannot obtain a seat in the press gallery may follow the oral hearing in the press room or – provided seats are available– in the courtroom itself. 

There will be an audio transmission from the courtroom to the press room. The press room is equipped with 60 desk workplaces. A limited number of power outlets for laptop computers is available. The Federal Constitutional Court cannot vouch for the capacity of mobile telephone and data networks. 

Additional Rules Concerning the Courtroom 

It is not permissible to make phone calls, tweet or send other messages, retrieve digital data, or use the internet in any way within or from the courtroom. All electronic devices which can be used for these purposes, in particular mobile phones, laptop computers and tablet computers, may not be used in the courtroom. Media representatives may obtain permission to use computers in offline mode in the press gallery if it is ensured that the devices are not used for audio or image recording or for data transmission. 

Taking Photographs and Filming; Pooling 

1.       Taking photographs, filming, and audio recording is permissible until the presiding Justice of the Senate has established the presence of the parties to the proceedings. After that, photographers and camera teams must leave the courtroom level (including the foyer outside the courtroom and the press gallery). They may go to the reception room on the first floor.   

2.       Media pools will be set up for taking photographs and filming in the courtroom. Two television teams (a public and a private television station with a maximum of three cameras each) and six photographers (four agency photographers and two freelance photographers) will be admitted to the courtroom. The pool representatives undertake to supply, upon request, their photographs and films to other radio and television stations, as well as to photographic agencies. 

Willingness to be a pool representative must be explicitly stated with the accreditation request. Pool representatives are appointed according to the order in which the accreditation requests are received. If requests are received simultaneously, the function of pool representative is allocated by drawing lots. The television stations, agencies, and photographers so chosen are free in determining the members of their teams. 

3.       When taking photographs and filming in the courtroom, photographers, camera operators, and other media representatives must ensure that the Senate has an unobstructed field of vision in all directions. Taking photographs, filming, and audio recording from behind the Justices’ bench is not permissible. Instructions to this end by the court staff must be complied with. Taking photographs and filming is only permitted with silent devices and without a flash. 

4.      After the end of the oral hearing, and during the lunch break, a period of 20 minutes is allocated for interviewing, filming, or photographing the parties to the proceedings or other individuals in the courtroom itself. After this time, only the reception room on the first floor and the entrance hall on the ground floor are available for this purpose. 

Vehicles of Radio and Television Teams; Technicians 

There are only a limited number of parking spaces available for SNG vehicles, editing vehicles, and OB vans. If accredited journalists require parking space, they must indicate so along with the accreditation request on the form provided. The parking spaces are allocated in the order in which the requests are received. The following information is required for the allocation of parking space: number plate, vehicle type, make, dimensions (L x W x H in metres), weight and, if applicable, request for the Federal Constitutional Court to provide electrical hook-up. 

The names, dates of birth, and ID card numbers of the accompanying technicians, and the vehicle data may be submitted after the request for parking space. The form provided under 

http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Akkreditierungsformular.pdf

(in English) must be used for this. This also applies to media represented by members of the Justizpressekonferenz. The form must be sent by email to the address presse@bundesverfassungsgericht.de, or by telefax to +49 721 9101-461, by Tuesday, 11 October 2016, 12:00 am, at the latest. 

Media representatives with allocated parking space may set up the equipment on the day before the oral hearing from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and on the day of the pronouncement of the judgment between 7:00 am and 9:00 am. 

Setting up of Studios 

The Press Office must be consulted in advance should media representatives wish to set up a studio. Studios may be set up in the reception room on the first floor and in the entrance hall on the ground floor. 

This information is based on § 17a of the Federal Constitutional Court Act in conjunction with the supplementary provisions laid down by the First and the Second Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court.