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1. For the purposes of this Regulation:

(a) ‘matrimonial property regime’ means a set of rules concerning the property relationships between the spouses and in their relations with third parties, as a result of marriage or its dissolution;

(b) ‘matrimonial property agreement’ means any agreement between spouses or future spouses by which they organise their matrimonial property regime;

(c) ‘authentic instrument’ means a document in a matter of a matrimonial property regime which has been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument in a Member State and the authenticity of which:

(i) relates to the signature and the content of the authentic instrument; and (ii) has been established by a public authority or other authority empowered for that purpose by the Member State of origin;

(d) ‘decision’ means any decision in a matter of a matrimonial property regime given by a court of a Member State, whatever the decision may be called, including a decision on the determination of costs or expenses by an officer of the court;

(e) ‘court settlement’ means a settlement in a matter of matrimonial property regime which has been approved by a court, or concluded before a court in the course of proceedings;

(f) ‘Member State of origin’ means the Member State in which the decision has been given, the authentic instrument drawn up, or the court settlement approved or concluded;

(g) ‘Member State of enforcement’ means the Member State in which recognition and/or enforcement of the decision, the authentic instrument, or the court settlement is requested.

2. For the purposes of this Regulation, the term ‘court’ means any judicial authority and all other authorities and legal professionals with competence in matters of matrimonial property regimes which exercise judicial functions or act by delegation of power by a judicial authority or under its control, provided that such other authorities and legal professionals offer guarantees with regard to impartiality and the right of all parties to be heard, and provided that their decisions under the law of the Member State in which they operate:

(a) may be made the subject of an appeal to or review by a judicial authority; and (b) have a similar force and effect as a decision of a judicial authority on the same matter. The Member States shall notify the Commission of the other authorities and legal professionals referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Article 64.