On Thursday 28 May 2026, it was officially announced during the EVS Congress in Ostend (Belgium) that the European Association of Registrars (EVS) had applied for membership of the International Commission on Civil Status/Commission Internationale de l’État Civil (ICCS/CIEC). With this step, EVS is further strengthening and formalizing its cooperation with the international commission.
The application builds on a cooperation that has grown steadily closer in recent years. EVS and ICCS/CIEC have been exchanging knowledge and experience for quite some time and regularly meet during congresses and consultation moments. International cooperation with the ICCS/CIEC also holds an important place within EVS’s statutory objectives.
Through this application, EVS aims to formally consolidate its existing cooperation with ICCS/CIEC. Both organizations share similar objectives: promoting the exchange of knowledge and cooperation in the fields of civil status, family law, nationality law, and related legal domains, always with a focus on better services for citizens and secure international data exchange.
During the congress in Ostend, it was emphasized that EVS, as an association of practitioners, wishes to continue bringing a valuable voice to the international debate on civil status. The membership application underlines its ambition to continue fulfilling that role in the future, in close cooperation with ICCS/CIEC and always with the citizen’s perspective in mind.