EU and Eastern neighbourhood countries' notaries discuss their role in preventing fraud

"The notary, acting in accordance with laws, protects the legality of transactions and documents in the civil relations. Notarial document is one of the most important guarantors of the stability of civil relations and legality in the state", Juozas Bernatonis, Lithuanian Minister of Justice, said.

The conference speakers were legal academics specialised in the notariat: Peter L. Murray (professor at Harvard Law School, USA), Prof. habil. dr. Vytautas Nekrošius (professor at Vilnius University Law faculty) and also experts practising notarial law: Swiss notary Michel Merlotti (President of the International Notarial Cooperation Commission (CCNI) of the International Union of Notaries), Belgian notary André Michielsens (Vice-President of the Council of the Notariats of the European Union), Richard Bock (Vice-President of the German Federal Chamber of Notaries and President of the Chamber of Notaries of Koblenz) and other notaries.

The Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union coincides with the initiatives of the Lithuanian legislator, which aim to prevent the abuse of securities (shares and promissory notes), validating transparent invoicing for services rendered. Participants were encouraged to get acquainted with and adopt the positive experiences of European notaries in the area of financial security and to share them with Eastern neighbouring countries during the conference.

Decisions on the safety of state finances, transparency of transactions and prevention of money laundering and other abuses are being made in a multilateral dialogue between the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries and the Lithuanian State Tax Inspectorate, the General Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service, whose representatives also made presentations at this international conference.

Conference was hosted by the President of Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries Marius Stračkaitis

Lithuanian Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis

Swiss notary Michel Merlotti

Maarten R. Meijer, the notary from the Netherlands

Vilnius University Faculty of Law Professor Vytautas Nekrošius

Peter L. Murray, professor at Harvard Law School, USA.

Belgian notary André Michielsens, Vice-President of the Council of the Notariats of the European Union