Details

e-APP FOR EUROPE PROJECT
FIRST REGIONAL MEETING TO TAKE PLACE IN HELSINKI, FINLAND

Project funded by the European Union

The first regional meeting of the e-APP for Europe Project, hosted by the Ministry of Justice of Finland, will be held in Helsinki (Finland) on Monday 14 February 2011 (as a one-day event). For more information on the e-APP (electronic Apostille Pilot Program) please see the Apostille Section and the e-APP website at http://www.e-app.info/.

This is the first of three regional meetings to be held in the context of the e-APP for Europe Project. The two additional meetings will take place at a later date in 2011, in Prague (Czech Republic) and Paris (France), respectively.

The Helsinki regional meeting will provide an update on the status of the e-APP for Europe Project, with special focus on the e-Register of Apostilles to be developed by Spain. The Spanish central e-Register of Apostilles may serve as a model for the implementation of this component of the e-APP in other European jurisdictions as well as in other Contracting States of the Apostille Convention. One of the main objectives of the regional meeting will be to promote the implementation of the e-APP in the northern States of the European Union.

In principle, the regional meeting is open to any interested Contracting State of the Apostille Convention or Member of the Hague Conference. However, since places are limited, and as this regional meeting is part of the e-APP for Europe Project (funded by the European Union), priority will be given to States of northern Europe and other EU Member States if need be. 

The e-APP for Europe is a transnational e-justice / e-administration project designed to develop best practices in relation to the Apostille Convention by promoting the e-APP, in particular the use of e-Registers of Apostilles. This is a joint initiative of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and the Ministry of Justice of Spain in association with Finland, France and the Czech Republic, which is being funded by the European Commission under its "Civil Justice" programme. The 18-month project comprises three interrelated elements:

1.   The development and implementation of a central e-Register of Apostilles for all Competent Authorities in Spain
2.   The holding of three regional meetings across Europe to encourage all participating States to implement e-Registers
3.   The holding of the 6th International Forum on the e-APP (which took place in Madrid (Spain) on 29 and 30 June 2010). The Conclusions and Recommendations of the Forum are available on the "Apostille Section" of the Hague Conference website.