With 14 votes against 4 and no abstentions, the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) adopted its opinion on draft legislation facilitating the recognition of parenthood across the EU. Its aim is to maintain and strengthen children’s fundamental rights, both minors and adults, increase legal certainty and reduce costs and red tape.

Parenthood established nationally, recognised across EU

The draft law enables parenthood as established in one EU country to be recognised in order to ensure that children enjoy the same rights under national law in another member state, particularly for custody, maintenance or succession rights. While parenthood would continue to be established nationally, so member states would not be obliged to change their family law to e.g. accept surrogacy, it would have to be recognised as such in all EU countries irrespective of how the child was conceived, born or the type of family it has.

MEPs agreed that the exception, included in the proposal, allowing countries…