The convention establishes a procedure whereby each contracting state designates a "central authority" to receive and review incoming "letters of request" for taking evidence in that country.

The central authority reviews the letter of request to determine that it complies with the requirements of the convention.

In addition, six states that are not members of the HCPIL (Barbados, Colombia, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Nicaragua and Seychelles) have joined the Hague Evidence Convention.

[6] That statute also governs the procedure for evidence-gathering in Israel in aid of foreign criminal investigations.

[8]Insofar as requests to United States courts are concerned, parties may also use the simpler discovery provision codified at 28 U.S.C.

Between states of the European Union, the convention has largely been supplanted by Council Regulation (EC) No.

1206/2001 on Cooperation Between the Courts of the Member States in the Taking of Evidence in Civil or Commercial Matters.