# The principle

## The conflict of law rules contained in the Regulation will apply in the Member States bound by the Regulation to all successions with a foreign element

The choice was made when drafting the Regulation not to limit it to those cases in which the specified law is that of a Member State.

This is stated in Article 20 of the Regulation: "" “any law specified by this Regulation shall be applied whether or not it is the law of a Member State"".”

For the conflict of law rules contained in the Regulation to apply, the following conditions are necessary and sufficient:

- an authority (court or not) of a Member State must be seised,

- the question must fall within the substantive scope of the Regulation.