A request for the postponement of oral proceedings is allowable only if the party concerned can advance serious reasons which justify the fixing of a new date (see T1088/99 (OJ 12/2002, 568), T300/04, J4/03 and T178/03). The request to fix another date must be filed as soon as possible after the grounds preventing the party concerned from attending the oral proceedings have arisen. It must be accompanied by a sufficiently substantiated written statement indicating these reasons (see Notice of the Vice-Presidents Directorates-General 2 and 3 dated 1 September 2000, OJ 10/2000, 456).