On 25 and 26 February 2026, Madrid hosted the joint meeting of the Bureau of the International Union of Judicial Officers (UIHJ) and the Executive Committee of the European Union of Judicial Officers (UEHJ). The meeting was organized at the headquarters of the General Council of Spanish Procuradores.
UIHJ Bureau and UEHJ Executive Committee Meeting
The first day was devoted to the joint meeting of the UIHJ Bureau and the UEHJ Executive Committee. Members reviewed the progress of ongoing institutional projects, particularly those relating to the digital transformation of the enforcement of judicial decisions, the development of common professional standards, and the strengthening of the profession’s representation before European and international institutions.
They also assessed recently organized events and prepared upcoming initiatives, ensuring strategic consistency and high scientific quality in future activities. Attention was given to relations with various European and international partner organizations, with a view to consolidating institutional cooperation and enhancing the visibility of the profession.
The meeting resulted in a particularly intense and constructive working day.
Institutional Visits
The morning of 26 February was marked by a series of high-level institutional visits, reflecting the commitment to close dialogue with Spanish judicial authorities.
A first delegation, composed of Marc Schmitz, Luis Ortega, Jean-Didier Bidié and Patrick Gielen, was received by the Minister of Justice of the Community of Madrid, Mr. Miguel Ángel García Martín. Marc Schmitz, President, presented the International Union of Judicial Officers and emphasized the importance of having a competent professional in charge of enforcing judicial decisions.
A second visit took place to the General Council of the Judiciary. The delegation, composed of Marc Schmitz, Luis Ortega, Jos Uitdehaag, Jean-Pierre Herbette and Patrick Gielen, engaged in discussions with representatives of the governing body of the Spanish judiciary. The discussions provided an opportunity to present the International Union of Judicial Officers and to address the importance of harmonizing enforcement rules across Europe, as well as the need to entrust greater responsibilities to Procuradores.
Round Table “A Perspective Beyond Spain”
On the afternoon of 26 February, an international conference was held at the General Council of Spanish Procuradores, structured around a round table entitled “A Perspective Beyond Spain”, dedicated to a comparative analysis of developments in enforcement professions across different legal systems.
The session was opened by Marc Schmitz, President of the UIHJ, who recalled that the effectiveness of judicial decisions constitutes one of the foundations of the rule of law and that national reforms must be considered within an international and comparative perspective. The discussion was moderated by Luis Ortega, Advisor to the President.
The interventions were structured around thematic questions addressed to each national representative, offering a concrete and comparative overview of contemporary developments in the profession.
For France, Jean-Pierre Herbette addressed the consequences of recent reforms that modified the title of judicial officers and restricted the territorial competence of commissaires de justice. His analysis focused on the essential elements of the profession that have remained unchanged despite these transformations, highlighting the continuity of core missions such as authentication, service of documents and enforcement.
For Belgium, Patrick Gielen discussed the practical implementation of Regulation (EU) 2020/1784 on the service of judicial documents, examining its concrete application in Spain and placing it within the broader framework of European judicial cooperation.
For the Netherlands, Jos Uitdehaag presented the scope of powers of Dutch judicial officers, particularly their involvement in forms of enforcement beyond the strictly judicial sphere, as well as complementary tasks such as the recovery of taxes and public levies, illustrating the diversity of European organizational models.
For Portugal, Paulo Teixeira and Paulo Duarte Pinto analyzed the impact of transferring enforcement proceedings to agentes de execução, assessing the efficiency gains observed and clarifying the functional distinction between enforcement agents and solicitadores.
For Greece, Ilias Tsipos addressed the competence of judicial officers in matters relating to official findings, explaining the legal origins of this function under Greek law and the practical challenges encountered in its exercise.
Finally, for Brazil, Malone Cunha presented the reasons behind his country’s accession to the International Union of Judicial Officers, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, training and the exchange of best practices.
Conclusion
Through the joint holding of its statutory meetings, the organization of a high-level international conference and the conduct of strategic institutional visits, this Madrid meeting illustrated the structuring role of the UIHJ and the UEHJ in promoting an efficient, modern and fully effective justice system.
The comparative discussions confirmed the need to strengthen synergies between judicial professions, both at European and international levels, in order to address the challenges arising from digital transformation, the evolution of litigation and increasing requirements for legal certainty.
