Definitions of authentic instrument and court settlement [European Regulation in matters of international successions]

Definitions of authentic instrument and court settlement

Authentic instrument: Article 3 (i)

The “Successions” Regulation reprises the definition of an authentic instrument already included in Regulation EC n°805/2004 of 21 April 2004 creating a European Enforcement Order for uncontested claims(Article 4(3)^[1]).

According to Article 3i^[2], “authentic instrument means a document in a matter of succession which has been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument in a Member State and the authenticity of which relates to the signature and the content of the authentic instrument; and has been established by a public authority or other authority empowered for that purpose by the Member State of origin. “

Court settlement

However, the Regulation does not provide a particular definition of a settlement. Article 3(h)^[3] states that it is a settlement approved by a court or concluded before a court.

Notes

Article 4
- "General jurisdiction
  The courts of the Member State in which the deceased had his habitual residence at the time of death shall have jurisdiction to rule on the succession as a whole."
Article 3
Definitions
1. For the purposes of this Regulation:
  - a) ‘succession' means succession to the estate of a deceased person and covers all forms of transfer of assets, rights and obligations by reason of death, whether by way of a voluntary transfer under a disposition of property upon death or a transfer through intestate succession;
  - b) ‘agreement as to succession' means an agreement, including an agreement resulting from mutual wills, which, with or without consideration, creates, modifies or terminates rights to the future estate or estates of one or more persons party to the agreement;
  - c) ‘joint will' means a will drawn up in one instrument by two or more persons;
  - d) ‘disposition of property upon death' means a will, a joint will or an agreement as to succession;
  - e) ‘Member State of origin' means the Member State in which the decision has been given, the court settlement approved or concluded, the authentic instrument established or the European Certificate of Succession issued;
  - f) ‘Member State of enforcement' means the Member State in which the declaration of enforceability or the enforcement of the decision, court settlement or authentic instrument is sought;
  - g) ‘decision' means any decision in a matter of succession given by a court of a Member State, whatever the decision may be called, including a decision on the determination of costs or expenses by an officer of the court;
  - h) ‘court settlement' means a settlement in a matter of succession which has been approved by a court or concluded before a court in the course of proceedings;
  - (i) | ‘authentic instrument' means a document in a matter of succession which has been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument in a Member State and the authenticity of which:
    (i) relates to the signature and the content of the authentic instrument; and
    (ii) has been established by a public authority or other authority empowered for that purpose by the Member State of origin.
2. For the purposes of this Regulation, the term ‘court' means any judicial authority and all other authorities and legal professionals with competence in matters of succession which exercise judicial functions or act pursuant to a delegation of power by a judicial authority or act under the control of a judicial authority, provided that such other authorities and legal professionals offer guarantees with regard to impartiality and the right of all parties to be heard and provided that their decisions under the law of the Member State in which they operate:
  - a) may be made the subject of an appeal to or review by a judicial authority; and
  - b) have a similar force and effect as a decision of a judicial authority on the same matter.
The Member States shall notify the Commission of the other authorities and legal professionals referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Article 79.
Article 61
Enforceability of court settlements
1. Court settlements which are enforceable in the Member State of origin shall be declared enforceable in another Member State on the application of any interested party in accordance with the procedure provided for in Articles 45 to 58.
2. For the purposes of point (b) of Article 46(3), the court which approved the settlement or before which it was concluded shall, on the application of any interested party, issue an attestation using the form established in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 81(2).
3. The court with which an appeal is lodged under Article 50 or Article 51 shall refuse or revoke a declaration of enforceability only if enforcement of the court settlement is manifestly contrary to public policy (ordre public) in the Member State of enforcement.