The swearing into office of the seven new judges next Thursday will mark the third and final stage of European judicial reforms approved in 2015.

The court has also taken various measures to accompany its increase in size and “to enable the enlarged College to work efficiently”, it said in a statement.

The number of chambers of the General Court will increase from nine to 10, with each comprising five judges, and they will split into six rotating formations instead of two permanent formations as at present.

The method for composing the Grand Chamber has also been changed in order to allow judges who are not presidents of chambers to sit in successive cases.

Specialised chambers have been created, with four of the 10 chambers to handle staff cases and six to deal with intellectual property matters, and all other actions to be allocated among all the chambers.

Finally, the court has decided to “deepen the involvement of the president and the vice-president in the judicial activity”. In future, the president will, instead of the vice-president, replace any judge who is prevented from acting. In one case per chamber per year, the vice-president will be called upon to sit in the chambers in an extended composition of five judges.

In a statement, the court said: “With that series of measures, the General Court, assisted by its registry and the common services of the institution, seeks to draw, in the interests of parties to cases, the greatest benefit from the enlargement of its College as decided upon by the legislature.

“The objective of delivering high-quality decisions within the shortest time possible remains its constant priority.”