Close Menu
    Latest Category
    • Finance
    • Tech
    • EU Law
    • Energy
    • About
    • Contact
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Login
    • EU News
    • Focus
    • Guides
    • Press
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Directory
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Home » Ministers agree update to EU rules on protecting children in cross-border family disputes

    Ministers agree update to EU rules on protecting children in cross-border family disputes

    npsBy nps12 December 2018Updated:25 June 2024 No Comments3 Mins Read
    — Filed under: EU Law EU News Headline1 Social
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    Ministers agree update to EU rules on protecting children in cross-border family disputes

    Image Pixabay

    (BRUSSELS) – EU Justice Ministers reached a political agreement Friday on a proposal to update the rules that protect children in cross-border family proceedings, including international child abduction.

    The new rules will speed up the legal and administrative proceedings and ensure that the child’s best interest is always taken into account.

    The number of international divorces now reaches some 140,000 per year in the EU and there are annually up to 1,800 cases of parental child abduction within the EU.

    The updated rules will allow for faster enforcement of decisions, by abolishing intermediate procedures and by aligning the conditions under which a decision may be rejected or suspended.

    They will also ensure that children have an opportunity to express their views in all proceedings concerning their case, in particular on custody or if a child was abducted by one of the parents.

    Finally, the Regulation will set clearer rules on the placement of a child in another Member State and on child abduction cases.

    In more detail, the new rules amend the existing Brussels IIa regulation on a number aspects and foresee in particular:

    • enhanced and clearer rules on intra-EU child abduction cases with the introduction, for example, of clear deadlines to ensure these cases are treated in the most expeditious manner;
    • clearer rules on the opportunity for the child to express his/her views with the introduction of an obligation to give the child a genuine and effective opportunity to express his/her views;
    • the complete abolition of exequatur for all decisions in matters of parental responsibility. This will save time and money for citizens whenever a decision needs to circulate from one member state to another. This abolition of exequatur is associated with a number of safeguards;
    • clearer provisions on the placement of a child in another member state, including the need to obtain consent for all placements, except where a child is to be placed with a parent;
    • the harmonisation of certain rules for the enforcement procedure. While the enforcement procedure remains governed by the law of the member state of enforcement, the regulation includes some harmonised grounds for suspending or refusing enforcement, thereby giving more legal certainty to parents and children.
    • Clearer rules on the circulation of extra judicial agreements. The text foresees that these agreements, for example on divorce or legal separation, will be allowed to circulate only if they are accompanied by a special certificate.

    The decision in the Council was taken by unanimity, as required by the special legislative procedure for judicial cooperation in family matters.

    The European Parliament was consulted and adopted its opinion in January 2018. The Council will now finalise the adoption of the Regulation in the coming months.

    Council Regulation on jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, and on international child abduction (recast) – General approach

    Commission website : new rules to better protect children in cross-border family proceedings

    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    nps
    • Website

    Related Content

    Van driver - Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels

    Risk Management Strategies for Your Delivery Business

    Accessibility - Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels

    EU accessibility act into force for key digital products

    Christophe Hansen - Photo © European Union 2025

    EU agrees new trade deal with Ukraine

    Space satellites - Photo by Kevin Stadnyk on Unsplash

    EU cuts red tape in space

    Euro - ECB-Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

    Glimmer of risk appetite post UK-US trade deals – Euro currency news daily

    EU agenda - Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

    EU Agenda: Week Ahead – 30 June-5 July 2025

    LATEST EU NEWS
    Accessibility - Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels

    EU accessibility act into force for key digital products

    30 June 2025
    Christophe Hansen - Photo © European Union 2025

    EU agrees new trade deal with Ukraine

    30 June 2025
    Space satellites - Photo by Kevin Stadnyk on Unsplash

    EU cuts red tape in space

    30 June 2025
    Euro - ECB-Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

    Glimmer of risk appetite post UK-US trade deals – Euro currency news daily

    30 June 2025
    Repair faulty goods - Image by Militiamobiles from Pixabay

    Cross-border disputes to be made easier under new EU alternative dispute resolution rules

    26 June 2025

    Subscribe to EUbusiness Week

    Get the latest EU news

    CONTACT INFO

    • EUbusiness Ltd 117 High Street, Chesham Buckinghamshire, HP5 1DE United Kingdom
    • +44(0)20 8058 8232
    • service@eubusiness.com

    INFORMATION

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Info

    Services

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • EU News

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Facebook
    eubusiness.com © EUbusiness Ltd 2025

    Design and developed by : 

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?