Coronavirus: Notaries in Europe continue to work

Notaries are continuing to work not only in the Netherlands, but also across the rest of Europe. Most offices are open, and many employees are working from home. This is evident from an inventory of measures taken at the 22 European notaries' offices compiled by the Council of Notaries of Europe, the CNUE.

CNUE President Georgios Rouskas emphasizes that notaries play a vital role in the financial and social lives of European citizens. "It is crucial to save lives and continue to provide the notary's public services during this COVID-19 crisis, meeting the needs of people in all sectors."

Open or closed
In 11 countries, notary offices are free to decide for themselves whether to remain open. In those countries, half of the notary offices are often closed. In France, the advice is to close the office and work digitally and by phone as much as possible. In Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, and Malta, offices are only open for urgent matters. In Spain, the office of a notary who is ill must be closed. The notary must then immediately arrange for a substitute.

Closure
Emergency laws have been enacted in Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and Romania, allowing professional organizations to decide to close notary offices. The Lithuanian professional organization subsequently decided to close the offices, but after protests, their ministry decided that notary offices must remain open under strict conditions. Notaries must prepare for their work remotely as much as possible, and signing deeds may only be done with, among other things, masks and gloves. Estonia and Latvia are the most advanced in remotely signing deeds digitally. Latvia is now seeing increased use of its digital platform.

Financial problems and state aid
Several notaries are reporting significant financial difficulties. In the Czech Republic, notary offices are experiencing a revenue loss of 80 to 90 percent. In Austria, this is 70 to 80 percent. The Austrian government has taken measures to partially compensate for this loss. For example, the government is paying 80 percent of employees' salaries during the coronavirus crisis. Tax payments can be deferred, and small offices with fewer than 10 employees are receiving assistance through a direct financing plan. In Germany, the government has also taken measures to protect financial liquidity, for example, by deferring taxes. Measures are also being developed in Estonia. The Maltese notary has asked its government to be included in the financial crisis plan. The Portuguese notary has been granted a three-month deferral of membership fees.

Inventory
The CNUE continues to inventory the measures and possible legislative changes that are important for the notarial profession.