Finally, it is noteworthy as a good practice that the regulation of Spain explicitly mentions among the evidence
that needs to be considered by the proceeding authority documents submitted by civil society organisations.91
C) Factors to consider when designing a national system
Are there any legal obstacles in the general procedural regulations of the country that may hinder or make
it difficult to use relevant evidence in statelessness determination (for example an obligation to submit all
documentary evidence in the official language of the state, in certified translation)?
If yes, do specific exceptions exist from these rules in relevant procedures (for example asylum)?
Given the usual difficulties of establishing statelessness with limited evidence, as well as the importance of
contacting other states in many cases, it is desirable that regulation contains clear, but flexible standards
and procedural benchmarks in this respect (for example on how to contact foreign authorities and how to
evaluate the information provided by them). Besides international good practice examples, standards and
guidelines from the field of asylum can also be useful (for example on how to research and assess country of
origin information).
91 Royal Decree No. 865/2001 of 20 July approving the Regulation on the Recognition of the Stateless Status, 20 July 2001, Section 8 (2)
30