A Representation of the UIHJ at the Highest Level
It is in Stockholm, capital of Sweden, that was hosted this major event on enforcement procedures. It was a question of continuing the works of the preceding seminars which are held in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, since 1999. These meetings are always followed with much interest and prove to encounter a growing success. Thus, from 12 to 14 September, a hundred Scandinavian judicial officers met in Stockholm to exchange ideas and to work within workshops.
The UIHJ was represented by its higher authorities: its president, Jacques Isnard, its first vice-president, Leo Netten, and one of its vice presidents, Roger Dujardin, thus showing the great interest of our organisation for these Scandinavian meetings.
The topic of the seminar was “the situation of the debtor beyond borders - the debtor in focus”. This topic was declined in sub-topics in workshops. It included a comparative study in the Scandinavian countries on the rights and obligations of the debtor, on the rights and obligations of third parties, on the seizure of bank accounts and finally on the prevention of the difficulties. The goal of the seminars is to find means of harmonising enforcement in Scandinavia.
Everyone Wants to Settle His Debts
The opening ceremony was chaired by Mrs. Eva Liedtröm Adler, judicial officer and director of the National Enforcement Service, and by Mr. Olof Dahnell, new president of the Chamber of the Swedish judicial officers.
Then several speakers covered various subjects on the role and the situation of both debtors and creditors. The first speaker was Mr. Eugene Palmér, former Director of the National Enforcement Service, who talked about the following topic: “Everyone wants to settle his debts”. Mr. Palmér stressed the importance to act very quickly in order to avoid that a citizen become debtor and remains one. He also presented a comparative study with other countries and indicated how these countries treat the exessive debts.
Then Mr. Tomas Bernsprang, former debtor and current representative of a body of representation of debtors, the approached the topic of: “Why debtors do not pay their debts?” On a very live tone, he told how he became a debtor and how, after many years of suffering and sacrifice, he could finally pay off all his debts.
A representative of a debt collecting agency, Mr. Anders Cardell, also intervened to present the point of view of creditors with respect to debtors and the role of the National Enforcement Service.
To balance the relations and the opposite interests of debtors and creditors, Mr. Hakan Meurling, lawyer at the National Commission of Data Processing and Freedoms, spoke about the “Monitoring of the creditors and the methods of collecting debts by society”.
In Sweden there is a public file on debtors. This file relates to unwilling debtors and the insolvent ones. Mr. Bernt Vestlund, representative of this institution, informed the participants on the conditions of access to this register and which were the information which one could find there.
A Remarkable Intervention
The UIHJ always takes part in the Scandinavian seminars, just as the fellow-members of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). However, for the first time Jacques Isnard, president of the UIHJ, participated as a speaker. His presentation, entirely in English, was entitled: “The situation of the debtor - the debtor in question, the debtor in focus”. This very relevant comparative study of the Member States of the UIHJ met an enormous success among the Scandinavian judicial officers.
For the participants other than those of the Scandinavian countries, a special program had been planned. While the Scandinavian judicial officers were occupied with the workshops, the representatives of the UIHJ, Jaques Isnard, Leo Netten and Roger Dujardin, as well as the Baltic fellow-members, could visit the National Enforcement Service of Stockholm where they could get more acquainted with the enforcement system in Sweden.
All the topics approached aroused a keen interest and the debates were particularly animated. This very positive assessment leads to predict the continuation of the seminars as for the future. The participants left Stockholm the head filled with new ideas and new contacts with their Scandinavian counterparts.
The next seminar will be in Denmark. The baton is now handed over to this country to organise the next seminar which will take place in 2009.
