Unification of Judicial Practice Concerning Parental Responsibility in the European Union – Challenges Applying Regulation Brussels II Bis

Pranevičienė, Kristina

doi:10.2478/bjlp-2014-0007

Abstract

The article briefly describes international legislation in parental responsibility matters and focuses on the Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, repealing Regulation (EC) No 1347/2000 (in practice called Brussels II a or Brussels II bis). The essay reveals and analyses the difficulties which occur while hearing parental responsibility cases within the European Union. Particular attention is given to special cases which were difficult to resolve for the national courts of the Republic of Lithuania. Also, the practice of the Court of Justice of the European Union is examined. The guidelines on how to avoid the problems of establishing jurisdiction are given. The relations of 1980 Hague Convention on international child abduction and Regulations Brussels II bis are revealed and the reasons for adoption of the Regulation are highlighted. The article also proposes improvements for Article 15 of the Regulation and the effective application of a modified forum non conveniens doctrine in parental responsibility cases.

References

1. Beaumont, Paul. R., and Lara Walker. “Shifting the Balance Achieved by the Abduction Convention: the Contrasting Approaches of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice.” Journal of Private International Law Vol. 7, No. 2 (August, 2011): 231-249.10.5235/174410411796868689
Search in Google Scholar
2. Beaumont, Paul R., and Peter E. McEleavy. The Hague Convention on International Child Abduction. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Search in Google Scholar
3. Boele-Woelki, Katharina, and Cristina Gonzalez Beilfuss. Brussels II bis: Its Impact and Application in Member States. Antwerpen - Oxford: Intersentia, 2007.
Search in Google Scholar
4. Fiorini, A. “Rome III Choice of Law in Divorce: is the Europeanization of Family Law Going Too Far?” International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family No. 22 (2008): 178-205.10.1093/lawfam/ebn006
Search in Google Scholar
5. Francq, Stéphanie. “Parental Responsibility under ‘Brussels II’.” ERA Forum, Volume 4, Issue 1 (2003): 54-72.10.1007/s12027-003-0018-8
Search in Google Scholar
6. Jarukaitis, Irmantas. Europos Sąjunga ir Lietuvos Respublika: konstituciniai narystės pagrindai (European Union and the Republic of Lithuania: constitutional elements of the membership). Vilnius: Justitia, 2011.
Search in Google Scholar
7. Kruger, Thalia. Civil Jurisdiction Rules of the European Union and their Impact on Third States. Oxford University Press, 2008.
Search in Google Scholar
8. Magnus, Ulrich, et al. Brussels II bis Regulation. Munich: Sellier European Law Publishers, 2012.10.1515/9783866539044
Search in Google Scholar
9. Martiny, Dieter. “Hague Conventions in Private International Law and on International Civil Procedure”: 682-683. In: Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law. Vol. 4. Oxford University Press, 2012.
Search in Google Scholar
10. McEleavy, Peter. “Brussels II bis: Matrimonial Matters, Parental Responsibility, Child Abduction and Mutual Recognition.” International and Comparative Law Quarterly Vol. 53, Issue 2 (April 2004): 503-512.10.1093/iclq/53.2.503
Search in Google Scholar
11. Official information of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour // http://www.vaikoteises.lt (accessed May 29, 2014).
Search in Google Scholar
12. Rauscher, Thomas. Europäisches Zivilprozeßrecht. Kommentar. 2. Auflage. Band 1. München: Sellier, European Law Publishers GmbH, 2006.
Search in Google Scholar
13. Ripley, Peter. “A Defence of the Established Approach to the Grave Risk Exception in the Hague Child Abduction Convention.” Journal of Private International Law Vol. 4, No. 3 (December, 2008): 443-477.10.1080/17536235.2008.11424347
Search in Google Scholar
14. Trimmings, Katarina. Children Abduction Within the European Union. Studies in Private International Law. Hart Publishing, 2013.
Search in Google Scholar
15. Župan, Mirela. “EU Enforcement Mechanisms Serving the Best Interest of a Child.” Presentation in the conference “Enforcement of courts decisions as a condition for an effective judicial protection” which was held on 24‒25 of October 2013 in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania.
Search in Google Scholar

Unification of Judicial Practice Concerning Parental Responsibility in the European Union – Challenges Applying Regulation Brussels II Bis

Abstract

Paradigm

My account