Tag Archive for: EU

EU Survey on Protection of Vulnerable Adults

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In February 2021, the European Commission launched a study to assess the need for more effective legal protection of vulnerable adults within the European Union. As part of this study, a survey has now been published online for all legal practitioners working in the area: judges, lawyers, notaries, and other relevant authorities. Input from practitioners will be important in shaping any future legislative initiative.

The survey is open until 4 June 2021 and available at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/vulnerable_adults_practitioners.

Although the survey is in English, respondents are welcome to submit responses in any of the official EU languages.

For more information, see the survey link above or for more specific questions contact the project team at: < crossborder.adults@milieu.be >.

HCCH Monthly Update: January 2021

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Membership 

On 19 January 2021, Namibia deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Statute, becoming the 87th Member of the HCCH. More information is available here. 

Conventions & Instruments  

On 1 January 2021, the HCCH 2000 Protection of Adults Convention entered into force for Belgium. The Convention currently has 13 Contracting Parties. More information is available here. 

On 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom’s new instrument of accession to the HCCH 2005 Choice of Court Convention and new instrument of ratification to the HCCH 2007 Child Support Convention entered into force. The United Kingdom has already been bound by the Choice of Court Convention since 2015 and by the Child Support Convention since 2014, by virtue of the European Union’s approval. To ensure continuity in their application following its withdrawal from the EU, the United Kingdom deposited these new instruments of accession and ratification on 28 September 2020. More information is available here. 

On 18 January 2020, Singapore deposited its instrument of accession to the HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention. With the accession of Singapore, the Apostille Convention now has 120 Contracting Parties. Singapore is the third ASEAN Member State to join the Apostille Convention. It will enter into force for Singapore on 16 September 2021. More information is available here. 

Meetings & Events 

From 22 to 27 January, the Applicable Law Working Group on the HCCH 2007 Maintenance Obligations Protocol met via videoconference. The Group provided guidance in relation to issues of applicable law arising from certain family relationships, the law applicable to preliminary / incidental questions, as well as the interpretation and scope of certain articles of the Protocol. More information is available here. 

Publications & Documentation 

On 29 January, the Permanent Bureau announced the publication of translations, in all European Union languages, of the Practical Handbook for Competent Authorities on the 2007 Child Support Convention, the 2007 Maintenance Obligations Protocol, and the 2009 EU Maintenance Regulation. The translations were made possible with the support of the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission. The Handbook, originally published in English, French, and Romanian, was jointly developed by the HCCH, the Ministry of Justice of Romania, and the French National School for the Judiciary (ENM). More information is available here. 

These monthly updates are published by the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), providing an overview of the latest developments. More information and materials are available on the HCCH website. 

The Final PSEFS Project Event on 20 & 21 October 2020

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We have already reported on PSEFS, that stands for “Personalized Solution in European Family and Succession Law”, a co-funded EU Justice project, on two occasions: here and here.

On Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 October 2020 the project leader University of Camerino and its partners are organising the Final PSEFS Project Events to disseminate at the project results and discuss the pressing issues in the area of cross-border implications of couples’ property and succession. Rich programme includes many speakers from justice and academia. The event will take place online and participation is free of charge while registration is mandatory – here.

Most recent project outcomes include:
– handbook available in 5 languages: M.J. Cazorla González, M. Giobbi, J. Kramberger Škerl, L. Ruggeri & S. Winkler (eds.), Property Relations of Cross-Border Couples in the European Union, Napoli, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, 2020.
– model documents and guidelines for practitioners in 5 languages: M.J. Cazorla González, L. Ruggeri (eds.), Guidelines for practitioners in cross-border family property and succession law (A collection of model acts accompanied by comments and guidelines for their drafting), Dykinson, 2020.
Both are available via this link at the bottom of the page.

Have your say: the EU opens Public Consultation into the possible accession to the 2019 HCCH Judgments Convention

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The EU has opened a Public Consultation into a possible accession to the 2019 HCCH Judgments Convention. The Consultation will run from 22 June 2020 – 05 October 2020 (midnight, Brussels time).

The Consultation is expansive and the target audience is described as follows: businesses and citizens involved or likely to get involved in international trade and investment; public authorities (including justice professionals); social partners organisations (trade unions and employers organisations), trade, business and professional associations, including consumer and business organisations, as well as professional organisations representing lawyers and members of research or academic institutions.

Importantly, the Consultation is not limited to EU Stakeholders. Rather, the EU expressly invites non-EU Stakeholders to participate and have their say.

Given the importance of being able to manage cross-border enforcement risks and validate rights through a predictable, effective and efficient international enforcement mechanism, this Consultation should attract many submissions from around the globe.

The questionnaire, which is available, and can be filled in, in any official EU language, as well as further information concerning the Consultation, can be found following this link.

 

EU Regulation on Mutual Recognition of Protection Measures in Civil Matters

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In its 3244th meeting, held in Luxembourg on 6 June 2013, the JHA Council adopted the regulation on mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters, proposed by the Commission in 2011 (see our post by Marta Requejo here). The text of the regulation, subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, had been previously adopted by the European Parliament at first reading on 22 May 2013, introducing a number of amendments to the Commission’s proposal that were the result of a compromise reached with the Council (the full procedure file is available on the OEIL website; the key events of the legislative history have been reported by Pietro Franzina and Ilaria Aquironi on Aldricus).

Here’s an excerpt of the Council’s press release:

The regulation will enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal and shall apply from 11 January 2015. The United Kingdom and Ireland have decided to take part in the application and the adoption of this instrument.

Denmark will not be bound by it or subject to its application.

What’s new?

The regulation will apply to protection measures ordered with a view to protecting a person when there exist serious grounds for considering that that person’s life, physical or psychological integrity, personal liberty, security or sexual integrity is at risk, for example as to prevent any form of gender-based violence and violence in close relationships, such as physical violence, harassment, sexual aggression, stalking, intimidation or other forms of indirect coercion. It is important to underline that this regulation will apply to all victims irrespective of whether they are victims of gender-based violence.

The national legal traditions in the area of protection measures are highly diverse. In some national laws protection measures are regulated by civil law, in others by criminal law and some regulate them under administrative law.