Europaius for developers: Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code

Anyone building an application that works with law needs to quickly verify the wording of provisions, test search functionality and generate test data from real case law during development. The Europaius MCP server can be added to developer tools with a single command and a browser sign-in.
Legal corpus in Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code via MCP
Europaius Ireland: Corpus Contents

The examples in this guide are based on Czech law. The same tools also work with the Europaius Ireland corpus:

3 984
Laws
218
Case law
3 598
Laws with AI explanation

Europaius Ireland → · Search

Claude Code

Claude Code supports remote MCP servers with HTTP transport and OAuth. Simply run claude mcp add --transport http europaius https://mcp.europaius.com/mcp in the terminal. The first time the tool is used, a browser window will open for Europaius sign-in. You can add it for the current project or globally using the --scope user switch.

In the conversation, Claude Code then sees the tools search_law, find_caselaw, get_paragraf and others. A typical scenario: “When implementing the severance pay calculation, check the current wording of Section 67 of the Labour Code and write tests with edge cases for it.” Claude retrieves the provision and derives the tests from the actual text, not from memory.

Cursor and VS Code

Cursor lets you add MCP servers in settings (Cursor Settings → MCP) or in the .cursor/mcp.json file within the project. VS Code with GitHub Copilot uses .vscode/mcp.json. In both cases, the configuration is the same: name, type http, server address. Sign-in happens in the browser, and the editor stores the tokens itself.

A configuration file shared in the repository is safe: it contains no secret key, and each team member signs in with their own email and has their own limits.

What this is used for during development

Data format for programmatic use

The search tool returns JSON with a list of results, each containing id, title, url and snippet. The identifier has the form case:ns:<slug> for decisions, para:CZ:89/2012:§2991 for a provision, and eu:DE:<id> for a document from a foreign country. The fetch tool returns the full text with metadata based on the identifier. For custom scripts outside the editor, an API key is used, see Your own AI agent with a legal corpus.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Claude Code: run claude mcp add --transport http europaius https://mcp.europaius.com/mcp and complete the browser sign-in when asking your first question.
  2. Cursor: add {"mcpServers":{"europaius":{"url":"https://mcp.europaius.com/mcp"}}} to .cursor/mcp.json and click Connect in the MCP settings.
  3. VS Code: add {"servers":{"europaius":{"type":"http","url":"https://mcp.europaius.com/mcp"}}} to .vscode/mcp.json and switch to Agent mode in Copilot Chat.
  4. Verify it works with the query “Fetch Section 2991 of the Civil Code via Europaius”.
Connect Europaius to Your AI
The connector address is the same for all tools. Sign in with your email, done in under two minutes.
https://mcp.europaius.com/mcp
Connection Guide → · Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the older SSE transport still work?

Yes, for older clients the address https://mcp.europaius.com/sse remains available without sign-in. However, we recommend the HTTP variant with OAuth, which provides an overview of the account and limits.

Can I call the server from a CI pipeline?

Yes, using an API key from the price list. You enter the key at sign-in instead of an email address, or use it directly in your own MCP client.

How do I find out which tools the server offers?

In Claude Code, use the /mcp command; in Cursor and VS Code, check the MCP panel. A description of each tool is included in its definition.

Related Guides

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All Guides: Laws & Case Law in Claude: Connect via MCP Connector · ChatGPT with Verified Legal Sources: Europaius Connector · Perplexity with the Europaius legal corpus: custom MCP connector · Why AI Invents Case Law and How to Prevent It · AI in a Law Firm: Deployment with Verified Sources · AI for In-House Lawyers: Contracts, Compliance, Fast Answers · AI for Accountants and Tax Advisors: Laws and Case Law · Case Law Research with AI: NS, NSS and ÚS in One Chat · Comparing Law Across EU Countries with AI: One Query, 25 Countries · Employment Law with AI: Dismissals & Severance Pay · Tenancy Law and AI: Notice, Deposit, Rent Increases by Law · GDPR and AI Compliance: Regulation, Statute and Case Law Combined · Connector or Uploading a Law as a PDF? A Comparison · Statutory Interpretations in AI: Clear, No Hallucinations · Pricing and Limits of the Europaius MCP Connector

General information only; does not replace legal advice. Connecting the connector requires a Europaius account (free of charge). More About Europaius · Europaius IE