Convergence of the European Law on Public Notaries

Abstract

In this paper the author analyzes the functions of public notaries, the evolution of the institution in Europe and its legal features in contemporary European law. The basic normative solutions of the German, Austrian, French, Italian, Hungarian, Slovakian, Slovenian and Croatian law are outlined. The importance of the European law on notaries public is also stressed, which aims to further the cooperation between national chambers on notaries public on European scale, in order to facilitate the cross-border transactions within the territory of the European Union. The gist of the converging common European rules pertaining to notaries public are the principle of independence of notaries and the principle of legality, which means that the notaries are in the performance of their duties bound only by the norms of civil substantive and procedure law. Notaries public perform also a function of public service, since they provide assistance to citizens in drafting their public instruments and private deeds (juridical acts and statements), that produce the required evidentiary strength. Depending on whether a given requirement of form of juridical act can be met only by the assistance of notaries public or by other public bodies, one may distinguish exclusively notarial acts from competing forms of juridical acts.