Governance

Presidency

Each year, the CNUE member notariats appoint a new President for a one-year term. The President thus represents the 22 CNUE member notariats and 45 000 European notaries in their dealings with the European institutions. The President directs the work of the CNUE, sets guidelines and strives to find consensus to defend the positions of the European notariat.

Peter Stelmaszczyk, CNUE President 2023

The year 2023 will be of paramount importance for the European notariat. In 2024, new elections to the European Parliament will take place. All political campaigns and legislative processes will then be pushed in the background. This means that the EU institutions will have to reach an agreement in the course of this year if they want to pass on draft legislation before the end of the parliamentary term. Therefore, the different and important EU legislative initiatives will naturally shape my agenda in my capacity as President of the CNUE.

My first political priority will be the fight against money laundering. The AML legislative package represents both an opportunity and a challenge. We will be able to demonstrate that we are essential partners of the State in the prevention of illegal activities. Remarkably, the Commission stated in its latest Supranational Risk Assessment that: Human intervention by legal professionals is always necessary to assess money laundering risks – despite the general call for more automation and standardisation!

The prevention of illegal activities is the key and common added value of our profession. This added value should be promoted.

My second main priority will be the digitalisation of our profession, bringing both opportunities and challenges. It is crucial that we meet the challenges of the digital transformation. The EU is currently working on an initiative to improve digital company law. A proposal for a new Directive is expected in early 2023. On this topic, we will work closely with the European institutions and make our voices heard. Despite the digital transformation, we must preserve the inherent characteristics of our profession and ensure that the special features and legal traditions of all our notariats are respected.

The third priority will be the role of the notary in protecting vulnerable adults. The European Union will publish a proposal on the protection of vulnerable adults later this year. This will be our chance to highlight our added value as guardians of the interests of vulnerable people in society.

Finally, the support provided to the Ukrainian notariat will be another priority on the agenda. Various chambers of notaries and colleagues have provided all kinds of assistance through money, housing, material support. The CNUE has already made donations. Thanks to the ENN, a number of important projects have been and will continue to be carried out. However, if we want to provide real support with a lasting impact, we need to request funds from the EU, our governments and the World Bank. We need a Marshall Plan.

Many notaries have been seriously injured or killed, notarial offices and documents have been destroyed, notaries and their employees have been enlisted. Financial resources are scarce. 4,000 out of the 6,600 existing notaries had to cease their activities.

Modernisation of the profession, including digitalisation, has come to an abrupt end. Notaries do their best to uphold the preventive administration of justice. They continue to work while risking their lives. They publish lists of notarial offices that are still open. They support their colleagues without income and provide for the families of the deceased notaries. However, this is not enough in the long term. In 2023, it will be time to gather support: while Ukraine is successfully pushing Russia back, rebuilding Ukraine becomes the top priority. I am convinced that we can succeed.

> See the President’s CV

The different and important EU legislative initiatives will naturally shape my agenda in my capacity as President of the CNUE.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of the Presidents of all the CNUE member notariats. The General Assembly is the political decision-making body of CNUE and usually meets three times a year. Among other things, it elects the President, approves proposals for major policy positions and priorities presented by the Board and ratifies the annual budget and financial accounts.

Board

The Board consists of the President, the Vice-President and five other directors. It is responsible for the day-to-day running of the CNUE’s work and makes decisions on everyday management. It usually meets once a month.

Working Groups

The CNUE set up working groups, the aim of which is to follow current EU developments and to draw up positions for the attention of the decision-making bodies. These working groups are composed of experts appointed by the CNUE member notariats and are chaired by a representative of one of the member notariats. In this way, the CNUE is present in every political or technical dossier that has an impact on the notarial function.

Permanent Office

Our team is composed of 8 members of different nationalities, experts in their fields of activity: lawyers, project managers, communication officers, etc. The members of the Permanent Bureau are responsible for monitoring the policy areas covered by the CNUE, relations with the European institutions, management of EU co-funded projects, internal and external communication, event organisation and the day-to-day management of the association. The Permanent Bureau is coordinated by the Secretary General.