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Young Private International Law in Europe Workshop on ‘Recognition/Acceptance of Legal Situations’
Following the Second German Conference for Scholars in Private International Law, which will take place on 4 and 5 April 2019 at the University of Würzburg, Germany, the newly established research network Young Private International Law in Europe hosts a workshop on ‘Recognition/Acceptance of Legal Situations’. The organisers, Susanne Goessl (University of Bonn) and Martina Melcher (University of Graz), have kindly provided the following invitation:
Despite common rules, mutual interests, and similar challenges, a pan-European discussion of private international law issues among the ‘junior faculty’ is still missing. We want to change this by creating a network that brings young scholars together and allows a truly European exchange in the context of a particular topic.
With that purpose in mind, a small group of young scholars from various European countries has been engaging in a closer dialogue to address a common issue – namely the ‘recognition/acceptance of legal situations’ as required by the ECJ regarding names and, most recently, marriages. Each group member gathered information regarding their home jurisdiction and drafted a (preliminary) national report. Awareness, legal rules, and methodological approaches differ – sometimes tremendously.
On April 5, 2019, the group will meet in Würzburg (Germany) to present and discuss the preliminary results of the comparative study. During the first session (2.30 – 3.30 pm), which will form an annex to the German Young Private International Law Conference in Würzburg (https://www.jura.uni-wuerzburg.de/lehrstuehle/rupp/tagungen/ipr-nachwuchstagung/) and is open to the public, an overview will be given and particular methodological issues will be addressed. Afterwards, the group and a limited number of external participants will have the chance to engage in a more in-depth discussion in the context of a workshop (4 – 6 pm). The working language for both sessions is English.
We cordially invite any ‘junior faculty’ member of universities in EU Member States who is interested in the topic and the network itself to join us.
For the public session, please register at https://iprtagung2019.typeform.com/to/le2P2c (when prompted, select ‘Friday: project presentation “Recognition of Status”). If you are also interested in joining the workshop, we would kindly invite you to write a short e-mail to Susanne Gössl (sgoessl@uni-bonn.de) or Martina Melcher (martina.melcher@uni-graz.at) by March 1, 2019. Both sessions are free of charge, but for the workshop only a limited number of places is available. In exceptional cases, we might be able to reimburse some of the travel costs.
Further information and a detailed programme are available at: https://www.jura.uni-wuerzburg.de/lehrstuehle/rupp/tagungen/ipr-nachwuchstagung/
Council and Parliament reach agreement on the Directive on Preventive Restructuring Frameworks, Second Chance and Measures to Increase the Efficiency of Restructuring, Insolvency and Discharge Procedures
by Lukas Schmidt
Roughly two years ago the Commission presented the proposal for a Directive on preventive restructuring frameworks, second chance and measures to increase the efficiency of restructuring, insolvency and discharge procedure (see Blogpost ). After a lively debate the Council has now confirmed an agreement reached with the Parliament on the directive in December last year (see press release of 19 December 2018).
According to the press release several provisions were added or amended compared to the Council’s positions including the introduction of provisions on the duties of company directors in insolvency proceedings, an article on worker’s rights to recall that member states should ensure that the existing rights of workers under national and Union law are not affected by the preventive restructuring procedure and provisions on the appointment of a restructuring practitioner.
The text still has to be formally adopted by the Council and Parliament. Member states will then have 2 years for implementation, although they can ask the Commission for an additional year for implementation.
UK Ratifies Hague Choice of Court and Hague Maintenance Conventions
As reported on Twitter by Pacta sunt servanda, the UK has just (on 28 December 2018) signed and ratified the 2005 Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements and the 2007 Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and other Forms of Family Maintenance. Both Conventions currently apply to the UK by virtue of its membership of the European Union but may cease to do so once the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019. (The relevant notifications by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs can be found here and here.)
Importantly, both conventions have been ratified only for the event of a Brexit scenario in which no withdrawal agreement with the EU has been reached and contain the following qualification:
In accordance with Article 29 of the 2005 Hague Convention/Article 59 of the 2007 Hague Convention, the United Kingdom is bound by the Convention by virtue of its membership of the European Union, which approved the Convention on behalf of its Member States. The United Kingdom intends to continue to participate in the 2005/2007 Hague Convention after it withdraws from the European Union.
The Government of the United Kingdom and the European Council have reached political agreement on the text of a treaty (the “Withdrawal Agreement”) on the withdrawal of the
United Kingdom from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. Subject to signature, ratification and approval by the parties, the Withdrawal Agreement
will enter into force on 30 March 2019.The Withdrawal Agreement includes provisions for a transition period to start on 30 March 2019 and end on 31 December 2020 or such later date as is agreed by the United
Kingdom and the European Union (the “transition period”). In accordance with the Withdrawal Agreement, during the transition period, European Union law, including the
2005/2007 Hague Convention, would continue to be applicable to and in the United Kingdom. The European Union and the United Kingdom have agreed that the European Union will
notify other parties to international agreements that during the transition period the United Kingdom is treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements concluded by the European Union, including the 2005/2007 Hague Convention.In the event that the Withdrawal Agreement is not ratified and approved by the United Kingdom and the European Union, however, the United Kingdom wishes to ensure continuity of application of the 2005/2007 Hague Convention from the point at which it ceases to be a Member State of the European Union. The United Kingdom has therefore submitted the Instrument of Accession in accordance with Article 27(4) of the 2005 Hague Convention/Article 58(2) of the 2007 Hague Conventio only in preparation for this situation. The Instrument of Accession declares that the United Kingdom accedes to the 2005 Hague Convention in its own right with effect from 1 April 2019.
In the event that the Withdrawal Agreement is signed, ratified and approved by the United Kingdom and the European Union and enters into force on 30 March 2019, the United Kingdom will withdraw the Instrument of Accession which it has today deposited. In that case, for the duration of the transition period as provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement as stated above, the United Kingdom will be treated as a Member State of the European Union and the 2005 Hague Convention will continue to ha ve effect accordingly.
In the past, it had been questioned if the UK would be able to ratify these conventions before having left the EU (see, eg, Dickinson, ZEuP 2017, 539, 560), which, if the “No Deal” scenario became a reality, would leave a period of at least three months in which the conventions would not apply. By ratifying the Conventions now, the UK seems to have reduced this potential gap to two days as both conventions will enter into force for the UK on 1 April 2019.