Case C-658/17: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 23 May 2019 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Sąd Okręgowy w Gorzowie Wielkopolskim — Poland) — Proceedings brought by WB (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Judicial cooperation in civil matters — Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 — Article 3(1)(g) and (i) — Definition of a ‘decision’ in a matter of succession — Definition of an ‘authentic instrument’ in a matter of succession — Legal classification of the national deed of certification of succession — Article 3(2) — Definition of a ‘court’ — Failure by the Member State to notify the European Commission of notaries as non-judicial authorities exercising judicial functions like courts)
Date: 2019-05-23
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: inheritance, judicial cooperation in civil matters in the EU, jurisdiction, law of succession, notary, official document, private international law








C_2019263EN.01000602.xml










5.8.2019   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 263/6






Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 23 May 2019 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Sąd Okręgowy w Gorzowie Wielkopolskim — Poland) — Proceedings brought by WB
(Case C-658/17) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Judicial cooperation in civil matters - Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 - Article 3(1)(g) and (i) - Definition of a ‘decision’ in a matter of succession - Definition of an ‘authentic instrument’ in a matter of succession - Legal classification of the national deed of certification of succession - Article 3(2) - Definition of a ‘court’ - Failure by the Member State to notify the European Commission of notaries as non-judicial authorities exercising judicial functions like courts)
(2019/C 263/07)
Language of the case: Polish

Referring court

Sąd Okręgowy w Gorzowie Wielkopolskim

Parties to the main proceedings

WB

Intervener: Przemysława Bac, acting in her capacity as notary

Operative part of the judgment







1.


The second subparagraph of Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and acceptance and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession and on the creation of a European Certificate of Succession must be interpreted as meaning that failure by a Member State to notify the Commission of the exercise of judicial functions by notaries, as required under that provision, is not decisive for their classification as a ‘court’.
The first subparagraph of Article 3(2) of Regulation No 650/2012 must be interpreted as meaning that a notary who draws up a deed of certificate of succession at the unanimous request of all the parties to the procedure conducted by the notary, such as the deed at issue in the main proceedings, does not constitute a ‘court’ within the meaning of that provision and, consequently, Article 3(1)(g) of that regulation must be interpreted as meaning that such a deed does not constitute a ‘decision’ within the meaning of that provision.










2.


Article 3(1)(i) of Regulation No 650/2012 is to be interpreted as meaning that a deed of certification of succession, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, drawn up by a notary at the unanimous request of all the parties to the procedure conducted by the notary, constitutes an ‘authentic instrument’ within the meaning of that provision, which may be issued at the same time as the form referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 59(1) of that regulation, which corresponds to the form set out in Annex 2 to [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1329/2014 of 9 December 2014 establishing the Forms referred to in Regulation No 650/2012].






(1)  OJ C 134, 16.4.2018.