Declarações
Artigos:
By Note No 4 dated 23 June 2011, the Embassy of Spain informed the depositary of the following declaration :
The Ministry of Justice of Spain has put in place a new system for the issuance of Apostilles, which includes the possibility to issue both electronic and paper Apostilles.
Starting on 16th May 2011 in two pilot Competent Authorities (Superior Courts of Justice of the Region of Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha), the new system will be progressively deployed in the Competent Authorities in Spain.
The Competent Authorities formerly designated as Secretaries of the "Territorial Courts" (Secretarios de Gobierno de las Audiencias) are now referred to by their current official denomination: "Chancellor Secretariats of the Superior Courts of Justice" (Secretarías de Gobierno de los Tribunales Superiores de Justicia).
The main features of this new system are explained below:
Format of the Apostille certificate
- As of 16th May, the Apostille issued with the new system will follow the sample format attached and will be digitally signed.
- Apostilles issued with the new system for paper documents will be printed and printed on the document or attached to it by means such as metallic staples and stamps.
- Electronic Apostilles issued with the new system will also be digitally signed and will contain the public document as an attachment. The digital certificate will guarantee that the Apostille and the electronic public document embedded in it have not been altered after its issuance.
- For a transitional period of time and until the new system for issuance of Apostilles is deployed in all Competent Authorities, the Government of Spain will be issuing both the current and the new Apostille model which are equally valid and authentic.
e-Register of Apostilles
- The authenticity of Apostilles issued by Competent Authorities in Spain may be verified at the Spanish electronic Register of Apostilles at the website of the Ministry of Justice. The exact website will be included in the Apostille.
- In the case of electronic Apostilles, the e-Register will also allow to verify the authenticity of the underlying electronic public document.
By Note No 89 dated 4 August 1997, the Embassy of Spain informed the depositary of the following declaration concerning Gibraltar:
"La Embajada de España saluda atentamente al Ministerio Real de Asuntos Exteriores y tiene el honor de poner en su conocimiento que la Colonia de Gibraltar viene expidiendo apostillas del Convenio de La Haya número XII de 5.10.1961 en las que, como "país", figura el nombre del citado territorio.
El Reino de España considera que el modelo de apostilla utilizado por las Autoridades del Reino Unido en Gibraltar implica una clara violación del Convenio de La Haya citado, cuyo artículo 13 sólo permite a los Estados-parte del mismo extender dicho Convenio a todos los territorios de cuyas relaciones internacionales estén encargados, pudiendo en consecuencia estos territorios expedir apostillas, pero nunca como "países", tal y como aparece en las expedidas por Gibraltar.
Gran Bretaña, en efecto, extendió en su momento la aplicación territorial del Convenio a Gibraltar, que tiene la consideración, según las propias Autoridades británicas, de territorio dependiente y no de "país". La autoproclamación en el modelo de apostilla citado de Gibraltar como "país" no sólo no es aceptable por España, sino que no refleja el actual estatuto que dicho territorio posee desde el punto de vista del Derecho Internacional.
En consecuencia, el Reino de España declara que no acepta la validez de las apostillas expedidas por el Reino Unido en Gibraltar en las que aparezca el nombre de la Colonia como "país".
El Reino de España solicita al Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de los Países Bajos que comunique esta decisión a los Estados-parte del citado Convenio. (...)".