General Assembly in La Grande Motte 8 – 11 October 2009

Written by Anne Kappl

This year the general assembly 2009 of the European Union of Rechtspfleger (E.U.R.) took place in Southern France in La Grande Motte. On this way a special thank goes to our estimated French colleagues Jean Jacques Kuster and Philippe Gilabert, the President of the French association USAJ. The organization and the arrangements of the general assembly of this year succeeded in a best way.

Representatives from the full member states of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Germany, as well as from the associated member of Japan, further from the USA, Algeria and Croatia met, in order to make progress with the judicial-political goal of a European Rechtspfleger in an efficient justice, which is close to the citizens. Unfortunately the representatives from Estonia, Poland, Romania as well as from Tunesia and Maroc could not participate. We hope to meet them at the next congress in Cuneo, Italy.

On 8 October 2009 the President of the E.U.R. Thomas Kappl took part at the congress of the French association. This congress took place under the presence of the French Minister of Justice, Madame Michèlle Alliot Marie. During the meeting the President of the E.U.R. handed over to her the Green Paper of a European Rechtspfleger.

On 9 October 2009 the general assembly was opened with a ceremony. Professor Serge Guinchard, university of Paris, was concerned with the development of the greffier in France in his speech. Professor Guinchard, who wrote the expert’s report about the transmission of judicial tasks on the greffier for the French Ministry of Justice, stressed that a transmission can take place in the final result only with the change of the French constitution. He compared the situation with the historical development in Austria and in Germany.

During the general assembly the vices-presidents of the member states of the E.U.R. could deliver their working reports of the past year. For the next year it was decided, that in the future the member states do not give their reports any more during the general assembly or the congress.

Starting from 2010 all working reports will be conveyed to the board in writing before the meeting. Of course, every member state has the possibility of supplementing its report with verbal notes. Thus more time is available in the future for requests, discussions and proposals.

How important it is to have time for proposals and discussions, this year it was shown by the discussion about the request of the German association about the financing of the work of the E.U.R.. The problem could be solved with a proposal of the Luxembourgian association. A commission, consisting of several member states of the E.U.R., received the order to compile the further financing of the work of the E.U.R..

It was to be taken from the reports of the vices-presidents, that the Green Paper for a European Rechtspfleger encounters a large interest in Europe and triggered the discussion about the creation of a European Rechtspfleger. In some European states there are efforts to create the legal conditions for the European Rechtspfleger.

In order to underline its demand the general assembly of the E.U.R. requested the European Commission in Brussels and the Ministers of Justice of the European states with a resolution to seize on the basis of the Green Paper judicial-political measures for the creation of a European Rechtspfleger.

As every year the general assembly finished with a dinner. This evening offered also in La Grande Motte all participants the possibility for the exchange of ideas in a wonderful friendly atmosphere. The culmination was traditionally the delivery of the flag of the European Union of Rechtspfleger to the country, which will make the arrangements for the next general assembly or for the next congress. This year the E.U.R.’s flag was handed over to the colleagues of Italy, Gabriele Guarda and Roberto Galullo, in a ceremonial act. Italy will organize the congress of the E.U.R. in 2010 in Cuneo/Piemont.

I already look forward to be able to meet all E.U.R. members in the next year in Italy again and I am sure, that we have to observe exciting developments in the E.U.R. till this time.

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