Property

You can prove your inheritance rights in Italy using a European Certificate of Succession (ECS), issued by competent authorities in France or Italy, which is recognised across the EU.

The succession law of Germany applies, because your father was a German national and the EU Succession Regulation allows choice of law based on habitual residence or nationality — but nationality prevails if chosen before death.

Yes, under EU Regulation (EU) No 650/2012, you can choose the law of your nationality to govern your entire estate, even if you live in another EU country.

Yes, the European Certificate of Succession (ECS) helps you register inherited property in another EU country by proving your status as heir or executor without needing additional national certificates.

Yes, under EU Regulation (EU) No 650/2012, a person can choose the law of their nationality — including German law — to govern their succession, even if they lived in France.

No — inheritance cases involving assets in multiple EU countries are generally handled by courts in the deceased’s last habitual residence, but national courts retain jurisdiction over immovable property located in their territory.

If you die intestate while living outside the EU, your EU property is generally governed by the law of the EU country where the property is located — unless you chose the law of your nationality under the EU Succession Regulation.

No, under EU succession rules you cannot accept only the assets while rejecting the debts — you must accept or reject the entire estate, unless national law allows 'benefit of inventory' to limit liability.

The succession law that applies to your rental property in another EU country is generally the law of the country where the property is located — unless you have made a valid choice of law under EU Regulation No 650/2012.

Under EU law, you have the right to fair and prior compensation for expropriated land, grounded in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.

You can challenge the confiscation before a national court and, if domestic remedies are exhausted, bring a case to the European Court of Human Rights alleging a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the ECHR.

Yes, you may still be able to claim compensation, but strict time limits apply — typically 5 years from the date of seizure under EU case law and national implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Under EU law, if government regulation severely diminishes your property’s value or use without compensation, you may have a claim under the right to property in the EU Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights — but no automatic right to compensation unless it amounts to a 'de facto expropriation'.

In the EU, a building preservation order without compensation may be lawful only if it pursues a legitimate public interest, is proportionate, and complies with national law implementing EU principles — but outright denial of all compensation risks violating the EU Charter’s right to property.

Yes, most large development projects in the EU require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) under Directive 2011/92/EU — especially if they meet thresholds for size, type, or location.

Yes, EU law provides strong protections for wildlife habitats through the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive, which require Member States to protect designated sites and assess development impacts.

No, the EIA requirement cannot be lawfully bypassed for 'urgent' infrastructure projects under EU law — urgency does not exempt a project from the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

Yes, you can enforce a German court judgment in Spain without new proceedings, thanks to EU Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 (Brussels I bis), which provides for automatic recognition and simplified enforcement across EU Member States.

You can enforce a succession certificate from one EU state in another using the European Certificate of Succession (ECS), which is automatically recognised and enforceable across all EU Member States (except Denmark) under Regulation (EU) No 650/2012.

EU law requires timber importers and traders to exercise due diligence to ensure timber is legally harvested, using information on origin, species, and compliance with source-country laws.

Report illegal logging or trade in illegally harvested timber to your national competent authority under the EU Timber Regulation. Anonymous reporting is allowed, and authorities must investigate promptly.

Freezing bank accounts under EU sanctions may be lawful if strictly necessary, proportionate, and subject to judicial review — but it must respect your right to property under the EU Charter.

Yes, in many cases — EU law requires public consultation for certain development projects under the EIA and SEA Directives.

Being denied planning permission while your neighbour received it is not automatically discrimination — planning decisions must be based on objective, site-specific criteria, not equal outcomes.

Yes, you may challenge the decision if the wind farm project was required to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) but did not, as EU law mandates EIA for certain projects likely to have significant environmental effects.