论涉外继承事项的协议管辖:欧盟经验及对我国的启示

The Consensual Jurisdiction of International Succession Matters:EU Experience and Enlightenment to China

涉外继承协议管辖是意思自治原则向欧盟涉外家事管辖权领域渗透的典型范例。欧盟不仅彻底打破了涉外继承纠纷管辖性质的专属性,而且逐步颠覆了涉外家事诉讼不得援引涉外协议管辖制度之传统立场。为方便当事人诉讼和促进人的跨国自由流动,《罗马条例Ⅳ》不仅在第5条规定当事人可以明示协议选择管辖法院,而且在第9条引入涉外继承默示协议管辖。欧盟同一制继承理念意味着不动产和动产在内的整体继承事项均属于涉外协议管辖的客体,以避免继承的碎片化。欧盟涉外继承协议管辖的条件不同于其他涉外家事协议管辖条件,体现了基于法律选择而选择法院的特征。涉外继承主要涉及私人权利,与国家重大政治、经济利益和公共秩序等联系较弱。目前,我国已允许家事财产争议适用协议管辖,继承诉讼同样涉及家庭财产的处理与分割,所以,将涉外协议管辖制度引入我国涉外继承管辖权领域并无不可。

The consensual jurisdiction of international succession is another typical example of the penetration of the principle of autonomy of will into the field of international family jurisdiction in the European Union. The EU has not only completely broken the exclusive nature of the jurisdiction of international succession disputes, but also gradually subverted the traditional position that international family litigation should not invoke the international consensual jurisdiction system. In order to facilitate litigants’ litigation and promote the transnational free flow of people, Rome Ⅳ Regulation not only stipulates in Article 5 that parties can choose the court of jurisdiction by express agreement, but also stipulates international tacit prorogation of jurisdiction in Article 9. The idea of EU unitary inheritance means that the overall inheritance matters including real estate and movable property belong to the objects of international consensual jurisdiction, so as to avoid the fragmentation of inheritance. The applicable conditions of international succession consensual jurisdiction are different from other international family prorogation of jurisdiction, which reflects the characteristics of choice of forum following the choice of law. International succession mainly involves private rights and has weak links with major national political and economic interests and public order. Family property disputes in China have been allowed to apply consensual jurisdiction. Succession litigation also involves the handling and division of family property. It is not impossible to introduce the international consensual jurisdiction system into China’s international succession jurisdiction.