Informe sobre el valor probatorio de los documentos públicos en materia de sucesiones en los Estados de la UE

La comisión de Asuntos Jurídicos del Parlamento Europeo ha publicado un informe que había encargado sobre el valor probatorio de los documentos públicos en materia de sucesiones en los Estados de la UE. El estudio, que lleva por título "The evidentiary effects of authentic acts in the Member States of the European Union, in the context of successions", ha sido elaborado por Paul Beaumont, Jonathan Fitchen y Jayne Holliday, todos ellos de la Universidad de Aberdeen. El anexo II contiene un análisis del tema por países. El informe relativo a España ha sido elaborado por Miriam Anderson (Universidad de Barcelona) y Maria Font (Universidad Rovira i Virgili de Tarragona).

En el resumen ejecutivo se afirma lo siguiente:

At present the way authentic instruments are used in the context of succession, along with their evidentiary effects, differ between the Member States. This has the potential to cause misapplication of the EU Succession Regulation. The study aims to provide authorities in the Member States with guidance as to what constitutes an authentic instrument for the purpose of succession as well as guidance as to the evidentiary effects of the authentic instrument in the Member State of origin so that Article 59 of the Succession Regulation and Annex 2 Form II of the Implementing Regulation can be applied correctly.

El informe formula las siguientes recomendaciones:

As well as a general recommendation to further publicise the existence and availability of the country profiles other than by the publication of this study on the European Parliament study website a number of further recommendations are put forward aimed at the EU, its Member States and relevant professionals working with succession authentic instruments. These recommendations include:

• changes to the text of Article 59 of the Succession Regulation to allow a court in the Member State addressed the option of either requiring the production of a completed Annex 2 Form II form concerning any succession authentic instrument unaccompanied by this form, and/or allowing such a court the option of directly consulting the completing authority as to the meaning of its entries on the Annex 2 form provided;
• a change to the text of Article 59 of the Succession Regulation to allow an authority or court in the Member State addressed an option to request a translation of the authentic instrument and/or the accompanying Annex 2 Form II when necessary. At the moment the possibility of requesting a translation seems to be restricted to cases where the applicant is trying to enforce an authentic instrument (see Articles 60(1) and 47(2) of the Succession Regulation);
• the encouragement, as a matter of good professional practice, of the use of a fully completed and legally referenced Annex 2 Form II form whenever the issuing authority is aware that an authentic instrument in a matter of succession is to be sent abroad;
• the encouragement of accuracy and clarity at the Member State and professional levels concerning the technical terminology of ‘acceptance’ employed in the Succession Regulation by Article 59;
• and also encouraging publicity at all professional levels concerning the abolition of legalisation requirements by Article 74 of the Succession Regulation.

Véase el informe [aquí]

Para la parte relativa al ordenamiento español véase aquí.

Agradezco la información a la profesora María Font i Mas, de la Universidad Rovira i Virgili de Tarragona.