The celebration of ARERT's 20th anniversary was organised jointly with the CNUE.
On 9 December 2025, notaries, legal experts and institutional partners gathered to assess the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 on international successions. The afternoon was devoted to the ARERT and the use of European Certificates of Succession.
ARERT President Octavian Rogojanu presented the achievements and future ambitions of the European network of probate registers.
- Founded in 2005, ARERT now comprises 22 notarial associations. It provides interconnection between 13 European registers of wills and 5 registers of ECS. The aim is to interconnect more registers in the future and to raise awareness among notaries about the use of the network.
- Today, 3.1% of people living in an EU country are from another EU country. These situations, which potentially affect nearly 14 million people, often give rise to successions with cross-border elements. And this figure is certain to increase in the future.
- One of the challenges ENRWA continues to face is raising awareness among European notaries so that they can confidently handle cross-border successions using our tool, the RERT. That is why, over the years, we have produced communication materials (information sheets and collaboration with the European Notarial Network (ENN) and the CNUE for e-learning) and are active on social media (LinkedIn and website).
During the Conference, the President of the Portuguese Chamber of notaries, Jorge Batista da Silva, presented the creation of their ECS register, which was launched in July 2024. This initiative is proof that notaries are making use of European instruments to strengthen legal certainty and efficiency in cross-border succession matters.
During the round table discussion on the digitisation of ECSs, Maria Vilar Badia, a legal Officer at the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, reiterated the Commission's support for the interconnection of registers.
The day ended with a reception attended by European Commissioner for Justice, Michael McGrath, who outlined the priorities of the strategy for the digitisation of justice by 2030, emphasising that the challenge goes beyond simple technical modernisation and also concerns the functioning of European judicial systems.
The Deputy Director of the Council of the European Union, Alain Pilette, highlighted the persistent obstacles to interconnection and the Council's desire to find new approaches to expand the number of registries participating in it. It is also necessary to educate legal professionals and citizens about the benefits of this initiative.
The President of the CNUE, Cosita Delvaux, highlighted the proactive approach of the notarial profession to digital innovation, as illustrated by the ARERT. She further emphasised the ongoing cooperation with European institutions and expressed the CNUE's willingness to work closely with the Commission and all stakeholders to ensure reliable and forward-looking solutions for citizens, families and businesses.
We had the honour of listening to the first president of ARERT, Belgian notary Karel Tobback. According to him, ARERT is contributing to the creation of Europe through a slow, continuous and innovative process, as opposed to a construction that would be a reaction to crises. Like the other speakers, he emphasised that, more than a technological challenge, the construction of this future Europe requires cooperation between professionals and professional organisations in order to implement relevant initiatives. Finally, he thanked the European Commission for supporting this initiative, which was initially a dream shared by a few people, in the interests of European citizens.
Photos Credits K-PTURE
