A Historic First: EAPIL as Observer at the 2026 Council on General Affairs and Policy of the HCCH

In March 2026, the European Association of Private International Law had the distinct honour of joining as an observer, for the first time, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). The invitation to participate in the HCCH’s principal governing body was a recognition of EAPIL’s contribution to the development and understanding of private international law across Europe and beyond. Represented by Secretary General, Giesela Rühl, EAPIL had the chance to discuss ongoing projects of the HCCH and to exchange views with delegates of HCCH Member States including the European Union.

This year’s Council brought together 546 participates (316 onsite and 230 online) from 77 Member States and 31 observers. It discussed work related to possible legal instruments in the areas of parentage and surrogacy, jurisdiction in transnational civil or commercial litigation, central bank digital currencies, carbon markets, digital tokens, digital economy, restructuring and insolvency and intellectual property. In addition, the Council discussed matters of governance and strategy, including the strengthening of post-Convention assistance, promotion and implementation of existing HCCH instruments, statistical monitoring, and cooperation with other international and regional actors. Attention was also given to the HCCH’s future work programme and priorities for the coming years. The conclusions and decisions of the CGAP are available here.

The breadth and ambition of the discussions demonstrated the central role of the HCCH in shaping practical and forward-looking solutions in private international law. For EAPIL, participation in these exchanges provided a valuable opportunity to follow the global policy debate at close range and to reinforce the Association’s engagement with colleagues and institutions from around the world.

EAPIL thanks the HCCH Secretariat for the invitation to The Hague and looks forward to continued dialogue and cooperation with the HCCH and its Members in the years ahead.