Campaign against French inheritance law ramps up pressure
Lobbyists have sent a strongly-worded letter to the president of the European Commission
The European Commission was delayed in its deliberations due to this year's European parliamentary elections
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A campaign lobbying the European Commission for a decision on whether a French 2021 inheritance law breaks EU rules has sent a strongly-worded letter to the Commission’s president, who has been elected for a second term.
The 2021 law seeks to impose French forced heirship rules on people who used EU law to choose the inheritance law of their nationality.
More than six months have passed since the last official update from the Commission over its deliberations on whether the law represents an infringement of EU law by France.
All of the French lawyers – notaires and avocats – and UK-based French law specialists that The Connexion has spoken to consider that it does.
However, the process was been delayed by this year's European parliamentary elections.
Law causes 'acute anxiety'
We passed details of the new justice commissioner, Irishman Michael McGrath, to the campaign after Ursula von der Leyen named her new team.
Readers Ronnie Bennett, from Pays-de-la-Loire, and Patricia Miller, from Occitanie, now heading the campaign jointly, said in their letter the law is causing “acute anxiety”.
Read more: Foreign couples flock to join campaign to end 2021 French inheritance law
British, American, Dutch and other citizens worry about their wishes for their estate being followed after they die.
They have also written to the notaires’ professional body, the Conseil supérieur du notariat.
Some 200 people, mostly couples, joined the campaign after Mr Bennett launched it through The Connexion in July.
There has been no news from the Commission since it received a letter from France in February.
Emails to news@connexionfrance.com will be forwarded to Mr Bennett and Ms Miller on request.
