On March 14, 2025, Patrick Gielen, Secretary General of the International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ), participated in the international conference organized by the land association of Napoli Nord at the University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, in collaboration with the Association for coordination of delegates and custodians (ACDC – Associazione di Coordinamento dei Delegati e Custodi), on the topic: “The role of the delegated professional in Italy and Europe. Analysis and perspectives.”
This high-level event, under the scientific coordination of Professor Roberta Metafora, brought together judges, lawyers, accountants, academics, enforcement agents, and judicial officers to reflect collectively on the evolution of the delegated professional’s role in Europe.
The conference opened with welcoming speeches from Lucia d’Alessandro, Rector of the University, Tommaso Edoardo Frosini, President of the Department of Legal and Economic Sciences, Maria Rosaria Covelli, President of the Court of Appeal of Naples, Carmine Foreste, President of the Naples Bar Association, Eraldo Turi, President of the Association of Accountants of Naples, Maria Candida Cassanelli, President of the Second Civil Chamber of the Naples Court, Stefano Cannavale, President of the Civil Enforcement Section of the Naples Court, Maria Ludovica Russo, Enforcement Judge at the Naples Court, and Giorgia Vialo, President of ADVG Naples.
The first session, focused on the role of the delegated professional in Italy and Europe, was moderated by Roberto Peluso, Judge of the IV Civil Section of the Tribunal of Santa Maria Capua Vetere. It provided a comparative overview of the profession in Italy and other European countries. Speakers included Franco De Stefano, President of the III Civil Section of the Court of Cassation, Stefano Razzano, lawyer and consultant, and Mr. Petkova, representing Bulgaria, who provided an in-depth presentation of the Bulgarian enforcement system and its particularities. The session highlighted the significant differences between national legal systems and the challenges of achieving European harmonization.
The second session, moderated by Maria Ludovica Russo, Enforcement Judge at the Naples Court, addressed the potential expansion of the delegated professional’s competencies from a comparative and European perspective. On this occasion, Patrick Gielen, Secretary General of UIHJ, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the Belgian and French models of enforcement agents. He notably discussed the reform underway in Belgium, introducing the new status of “Facilitator of Justice” starting in 2025, and the creation in France of the new “Commissaire de Justice” profession, resulting from the merger of judicial officers and judicial auctioneers since 2022.
Parick Gielen underlined the major differences between these two systems, regarding both monopolistic and non-monopolistic competences, as well as access to the profession, digital innovations, and the reinforced human dimension of the enforcement agent, now perceived as a trusted third party and mediator. He also emphasized the need to strengthen the exchange of good practices within the European Union and highlighted the key role played by UIHJ in this respect. Professor Francesco de Santis, from the University of Salerno, and Judge Enrico Ardituro also spoke during this session to deepen reflections on the extension of tasks assigned to delegated professionals, especially regarding mediation and the support of litigants.
The third session, moderated by Giorgia Vialo, President of ADVG Naples, focused on best practices in judicial auctions and the digitalization of the forced sale process. Jordi Nieva Fenoll, Professor at the University of Barcelona, Lorella Triglione, Enforcement Judge at the Naples North Tribunal, and Massimiliano Blasone, lawyer and Vice President of ACDC Trieste, presented various initiatives aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and modernity of judicial procedures, particularly through the use of digital tools.
Finally, the last session, moderated by Federico Toledo, Vice President of ADVG, was dedicated to exploring the future of the delegated professional. Raffaele Rossi, Counselor of the III Civil Section of the Court of Cassation, explained, using the examples of Belgian, French and Bulgarian system, the lack of Italian enforcement system in respect of the global code of enforcement and proposed some reforms to improve the role of private professionals for efficiency and take care of rights of parties. This event provided an excellent opportunity for UIHJ to reaffirm its commitment to defending and modernizing the enforcement profession worldwide, in favor of a more effective, accessible, and rights-respecting justice.
