The judicial departments can delegate this competence to the respective higher regional courts. In the scope of the applicable bilateral or multilateral recognition and enforcement agreements, recognition and enforceability are subject to the principles laid down in such agreements. In the event that no bilateral or multilateral recognition and enforcement agreement exists, foreign court decisions are only enforced if a court order for execution declares such decisions to be admissible. Unless any other procedure is explicitly required by law, the court order for execution must be passed within the framework of proceedings leading to a judgement. Character and length of such proceedings are identical with those of the normal proceedings leading to an enforceable legal document.
Special procedures exist with Belgium, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
Most bilateral or multilateral recognition and enforcement agreements provide for optional or mandatory decree proceedings. Such decree proceedings are mandatory within the scope of the Brussels Civil Jurisdiction and Judgements Convention and of the Lugano Civil Jurisdiction and Judgements Convention. In the Act for the Execution of International Recognition and Enforcement Agreements in Civil and Commercial Cases of 30 May 1998, the Federal Republic of Germany has laid down the rules for exequatur proceedings in the scope of the Brussels Civil Jurisdiction and Judgements Convention. Under this act, the enforcement of foreign legal documents is permitted on application. The language to be used in court and for documents is German.