This is the time of year when we consider retirements from and elections to our Council.

INSOL Europe is driven by the expertise, insight and active participation of its members. Through Council, members have the opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction of the Association, represent their professional community at a European level, and help shape the future of insolvency and restructuring across Europe.

In October there will be one general (non-reserved) seat vacancy on Council, which is open to any member. Countries with 30 or more members are entitled to a reserved seat on Council and in October this year, vacancies will arise for the following seats: Germany, Italy, Portugal and UK.

Members will shortly receive further information about the opportunities on Council and the process whereby nominations can be made for the vacant seats.

Full details of the nominations process can be found on our website.

Across the Channel Islands, we are seeing a noticeable increase in creditor driven activity, although overall insolvency numbers remain low compared to larger onshore jurisdictions, writes Stephen Alexander (Partner, Mourant Ozannes (Jersey) LLP) and INSOL Europe Country Coordinator, Stephan Venter (Senior Associate, Mourant Ozannes (Jersey) LLP), and Nicole De Sousa (Associate, Mourant Ozannes (Jersey) LLP)

Higher interest rates, refinancing pressures, and weaker performance in real estate and fund structures are prompting more frequent use of creditor remedies, including statutory winding ups and related enforcement steps, such as enforcement under the Security Interests (Jersey) Law 2012, where security has been taken over intangible movable property.  Lenders, trade creditors and investors are generally being more proactive, and less willing to extend deadlines or delay action where value may be at risk.

In Jersey, creditor led procedures remain central, with creditors' winding up under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 being used increasingly.  We are also seeing more “just and equitable” winding up applications where an independent office holder is needed to take early control, preserve assets, or manage disputes between shareholders or at fund level.  Given that Jersey currently has no administration type rescue process (although a statutory administration regime (similar to the UK regime) is expected to be implemented later this year), restructurings presently tend to be either fully consensual or run through winding-up routes, sometimes supported by pre pack sales or by using UK processes for eligible group structures.

Guernsey shows a similar trend under the Companies (Guernsey) Law 2008, with both compulsory and voluntary liquidations acting as practical tools for enforcement and restructuring.  Institutional creditors are more prepared to start winding up proceedings where covenant resets or informal standstill arrangements are no longer viable, particularly in real estate holding companies and leveraged finance structures.  Guernsey's updated rules around office holder appointments and reporting also support cross border solutions, allowing liquidations to align with foreign recognition processes where necessary.

Looking ahead, creditor windings up are likely to remain the principal response to financial distress in both islands, with legislative change expected to remain gradual.  For stakeholders with exposure to Jersey or Guernsey entities, the direction of travel is clear: early engagement, careful review of security packages, and contingency planning around creditor driven options are becoming increasingly important.  Firms with on the ground restructuring and insolvency capability in both jurisdictions continue to play a key role in shaping outcomes through formal windings up, mixed enforcement strategies and cross border restructuring work. 

This and other insolvency statistics updates are published on our website here

The mission of the INSOL Europe Judicial Wing is to foster and share research, learning and experience on matters of common interest and to promote best practice in matters concerning 

• the conduct in courts of law of restructuring and insolvency proceedings, and
• cross-border cooperation between courts in insolvency and restructuring matters.

In pursuing its mission, the Judicial Wing actively encourages judges with an interest in insolvency and restructuring matters to engage with its work and become members.

The Judicial Wing was established in 2006 during INSOL Europe’s Annual Congress in Bucharest, with an initial membership of five judges from five EU Member States. Today, it comprises 37 members representing 23 countries.

Members meet privately on the day preceding INSOL Europe’s Annual Congress and also participate in a mid-year online meeting. These gatherings provide a valuable opportunity for judges specialising in cross-border insolvency cases to exchange experiences, discuss emerging issues, and share best practices in a collaborative environment.

The Judicial Wing is led by three Co-Chairs: Vassilis Portokallis (Greece), Elsbeth de Vos (Netherlands), and ICC Judge Catherine Burton, who recently succeeded Michael Quinn in this role.

For further information about the Judicial Wing, please visit their web-page here.

INSOL Europe has been working on a project with Lexis+® UK, on a joint project to obtain updates from INSOL Europe’s membership and Country Coordinators reflecting on how the new restructuring procedures created by EU Member States to implement Directive (EU) 2019/1023 on harmonisation have been used to date in practice.

News analysis is now available on the INSOL Europe website.

The consolidated table produced by Lexis+UK as at 12 February 2026 is available here.

Thank you to the project members

• Kathy Stones, Lexis+® UK Restructuring and Insolvency
• Alice van der Schee, Van Benthem & Keulen B.V., Netherlands, INSOL Europe Immediate Past President 
• Adrian Thery, Garrigues, Madrid, Spain

and all the members who have made contributions.

The Younger Academics Network of Insolvency Law (YANIL) and the INSOL Europe Academic Forum (IEAF) are pleased to announce that the 7th YANIL Research Workshop on Restructuring and Insolvency Law will take place on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 (afternoon) and Wednesday, 14 October 2026 (morning) in Portugal.

The Workshop will consist of two sessions, the first being held in Portimão (ISMAT- Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes) on 13 October, and the second session convening in Vilamoura on 14 October, just before the IEAF Academic Conference.

The workshop provides a forum for early-career insolvency academics to present their research to peers and experienced academics, engage in lively discussions, and receive useful feedback and input on their work. Selected applicants are expected to deliver their presentation in person at the workshop. The Workshop is organized in connection with the IEAF’s Academic Conference of INSOL Europe, that will take place in Vilamoura on 14 October (afternoon) and 15 October.

For further information and to apply to present your research, visit the YANIL Events page.

This workshop will be organised by YANIL but registration will be via the Academic Forum Conference registration form. Details to be announced shortly.