Opening of the EVS congress in Leuven

President Jürgen Rast opens this year’s congress in Leuven

The spoken word takes precedence

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen
Dear registrars,
Dear Mr Vansina,
I cordially welcome you to the 16th Congress of the European Association of Registrars here in Leuven.
Nearly 200 registrars from twelve European countries have accepted the invitation and have found their way to Belgium. It was not easy for all of us to promise the attention to our congress in Belgium today. Too fresh are still the terrible images of the attacks in Brussels. We have briefly thought of the dead and injured, I thank you
Citizenship in Europe on a turning point – Consequences for international family law and registrars work
This is the theme of this year’s congress. A very current topic, I think. The linkage to the citizenship in family law processes is pushed back further and further for years. In its place the linkage occurs on the habitual residence. A good example is the EG Regulation no. 2201/2003, also commonly known under the abbreviation Brussels IIa and European inheritance prescription.

An interesting discussion in the EU Commission is currently being conducted, classified under the heading “Europe-wide database”.
If currently a date for the introduction of an anti-counterfeit birth certificate is still completely open, we may find that there are considerations in this direction, because as we all know, identity documents are standardized for years by international agreements; but these standards do not apply to European birth certificates. Therefore there are more and more fake original documents such as registry documents which are ultimately then served as a basis for the issue of identity cards.

For example, barcodes on birth certificates could be a step in the protection against forgery.
Here last but not least a transnational cooperation should be useful.

I would like to take this opportunity and make a short report from the association life. Surely you know that the Austrian and the Swiss Association have withdrawn from EVS. They think that EVS has no future. However, their participation at this congress today shows me that the idea of the European Association is alive and active. So the General Assembly has discussed and voted on the proposals of the Program Committee yesterday afternoon. Planned is an extension of our website. Current reports from the individual member associations will regularly appear there. Also an establishment of a newsletter is intended. The expert contributions are made by the members of the Board of Experts.

In the years 2013 and 2014 EVS has conducted two international Seminars. The two successful seminars were organized by our Italian colleagues and took place in Castel San Pietro Terme.

Next year, in addition to the Congress, an international seminar will be organized by the members of our Board of Experts. The seminar will be held in Bad Salzschlirf, at the Akademie für Personenstandswesen. More information can be found then also on our website in time.
Last year, in Kassel I quoted in my opening speech from the Declaration of Gent:
Children can be in a family law relationship:
to a woman alone, to a man and a woman, to a man alone, to two women or two men.
The Declaration of Gent: At that time, a fiction, a reality already today.

Gent 2007 – Leuven, 2016. It is time for a new declaration.

The Board of Experts has prepared a statement on the subject citizenship in Europe and will introduce it to you during the Congress. The written declarations are then handed over to the national representatives of the European Commission tomorrow.
I already thank the Belgian colleagues for the preparation and organization of this year’s congress.

Dear Mr. Vansina, as jury service and registrar of Leuven, we thank you also for the assistance support from you and the city of Leuven.
I would also like to thank the Verlag für Standesamtswesen from Frankfurt am Main, for the financial support of the event.
I wish a good course for the Congress, good discussions and exciting presentations for you all.