March 9, 2026 / Explotación
On 5 March 2026, the first ELRN Workshop of the year took place online, bringing together members of the European Land Registry Network to exchange knowledge and discuss ongoing developments relevant to land registries and cross-border cooperation within the European Union. The session was moderated by Enrique Maside, ELRA Secretary General and ELRN Coordinator.
The workshop opened with welcoming remarks by Mihai Taus, President of ELRA, who introduced the objectives of the meeting and highlighted the importance of continued collaboration among national land registries in addressing evolving European legal challenges.
Following the opening, Enrique Maside and Elena Prada, ELRA Treasurer, presented an overview of the European Commission’s Working Plan for 2026, outlining the main legislative and policy initiatives expected during the year and discussing their potential implications for land registry authorities.
European Certificate of Succession
The morning session continued with practical case studies concerning the application of the European Certificate of Succession. Doris Smudde, ELRA Contact Point for the Netherlands, presented the first case study, illustrating practical issues encountered in cross-border succession procedures. This was followed by a second case presented by Lorenzo Marcolla, Contact Point for the Servizio Libro Fondiario e Catasto of the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy).
The presentations were followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Elena Prada, which provided participants with the opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss national practices in the registration of succession-related rights.
Free Circulation of Public Documents
After the coffee break, Francisco J. Gimeno (Colegio de Registradores de España) presented the legal framework governing the free circulation of public documents within the European Union. His presentation included an overview of the results of the ELRA comparative analysis on national requirements for registering cross-border divorces in land registers among ELRA members.
Registers as Guarantors of Legal Certainty
The workshop highlighted the role of land registries in ensuring legal certainty in property rights. In this context, Judge Dr. Marta Rekawek-Pachwicewicz, Member of the ELRA Board, together with Mihai Taus, ELRA President, explored the role of land registries as legal professionals, revisiting a topic that had already been introduced in previous ELRN discussions. Their presentation aimed to further examine the concept from a practical perspective, analysing its potential implications and the possible consequences for the functioning and responsibilities of land registry authorities across different jurisdictions.
Internal ELRN Matters
The final part of the workshop was dedicated to internal matters of the European Land Registry Network. Enrique Maside presented several upcoming initiatives, including the ELRN Exchange Programme for the period 2026–2028, as well as the evaluation of the annual activities and the results of the FPA survey covering the period 2022–2025. In addition, he also introduced the ELRA Annual Newsletter 2025.
Closing Session
The workshop concluded with closing remarks by Mihai Taus, who thanked the speakers and participants for their contributions and encouraged continued engagement and cooperation within the ELRN community.
