Online Meeting of the Board of Experts

On 18 March 2026, an online meeting of the EVS board of Experts took place. Representatives from Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Slovakia participated.

Current Developments and Exchange

At the beginning of the meeting, participants reported on recent developments in civil status law in their respective countries.

In Slovakia, a legislative process is currently underway. A new regulation concerning the subsequent registration of civil status events that occurred abroad is expected to be adopted by the end of May.

Germany is also facing legal changes: a reform of parentage law is being planned. On the one hand, the rights of biological fathers are to be strengthened; on the other hand, misuse in the recognition of paternity is to be more effectively prevented.

Future of the Expert Committee

A key topic of the meeting was the future direction of the Expert Committee. Participants once again emphasized its importance for the ongoing work of EVS.

There was broad agreement that the Expert Committee should once again become a permanent component of future congress programmes. In addition, the idea of an open panel discussion was proposed, for example during the EVS Congress on 26 May 2026 in Ostend (Belgium) or at the following congress in Italy.

Organisation and Communication

Another point of discussion was the proposal to organise two additional online events per year alongside the annual congress. These events could also be open to external participants and would serve as a platform for professional exchange on specific topics.

Topics and Outlook

A further focus was placed on how cases involving unclear identity are handled in civil status law.

In Germany, it is required that an explanatory note be added to a birth register entry if no proof of the parents’ identity is available (Section 35 (1) of the Civil Status Ordinance). In this context, the question arises as to how other countries deal with such cases and with restricted registrations.

The German section will initiate a survey on this topic. The aim is to gain an overview of the approaches taken in different countries. The results will be published on the EVS website and are intended to be presented at a future congress.