Press Release: The Commission proposes to simplify the settlement of international successions and to make the rules governing them more predictable

On 14 October 2009 the Commission adopted a proposal that should considerably simplify the rules on successions with an international dimension in the European Union. The aim is to make life easier for citizens by laying down common rules enabling the competent authority and law applicable to the body of assets making up a succession, wherever they may be, to be easily identified. In addition to providing more effective guarantees for the rights of heirs, legatees and other interested parties, the proposed Regulation will take some of the stress out of succession planning by enabling people to choose the law that will govern the transmission of all their assets. The Commission is also proposing the creation of a European Certificate of Succession enabling an heir or the administrator of a succession to prove their capacity easily throughout the EU.

European Commission: MEMO/09/447: Simplification of regulation on international successions http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/447&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en=en

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