In Dublin, an Agreement on Qualified European Appraiser was signed between the European Group of Valuers’ Associations TEGoVA (The European Group of Valuers’ Associations) and the Croatian Society of Court Experts and Appraisers, according to a statement from HDSViP. With this agreement, HDSViP has received authorization for education and for granting the status of ‘Qualified European Appraiser’ (REV) to its individual members for a period of five years, as well as the use of the REV designation during that period.
HDSViP emphasizes that the results of expert opinions from court experts and appraisers are becoming increasingly important for the outcome of every procedure, which means that the selection of the most qualified and suitable expert and appraiser is crucial for the objective and accurate determination of facts as a basis for a fair and just judicial decision.
The agreement in Dublin is a continuation of the successful work of this association, as they state, this summer, HDSViP President Melita Bestvina was elected President of Euro Expert at the Assembly in Madrid. This is a multi-disciplinary European organization that represents court experts in the EU and whose members are chambers or associations of court experts from EU member states. HDSViP points out that this appointment rewards the 36 years of work of this association.
The statement notes that HDSVIP, as a non-governmental and non-partisan organization, will intensify its efforts to improve the institution of court experts and appraisers after this recognition and work on their continuous professional development, given that judicial decisions often depend on the material assessment of facts. An ethical code and disciplinary responsibility are important in expert evaluations and assessments to avoid any bias and incompetence that could harm citizens and the entire community. On the other hand, it is emphasized that there are also difficulties faced by court experts and appraisers in Croatia, namely irregular payments and the absence of legal regulations and price lists for all professions according to the complexity of the evaluations. For this reason, they highlight the good news of the re-establishment of cooperation with the Ministry of Justice. They expect joint work with Minister Ante Šprlja on preparing a proposal for the Law on Court Experts and Appraisers. Legalizing the work of court experts and appraisers (which has so far been regulated by regulations) will enable similar standards and frameworks for work that already exist in the EU.
Otherwise, HDSViP has 1,450 members and brings together court experts from all professions, counting over 50 specialties from agronomy, economics, construction, medicine, to occupational safety, real estate appraisal, art valuation, precious items, and more.
