PURPOSE: to authorise Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the 1980 Convention).

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2019/308 authorising Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

CONTENT: under this Council Decision, Austria, Luxembourg and Romania are hereby authorised to accept, in the interest of the Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the 1980 Convention).

Austria, Luxembourg and Romania shall, no later than 19 February 2020, deposit a declaration of acceptance of the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention in the interest of the Union.

The 1980 Hague Convention establishes, at the international level, a system of obligations and cooperation between Contracting States and between central authorities and aims to ensure the immediate return of wrongfully removed or retained children. All EU Member States are parties to the Convention.

Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 (‘Brussels II bis’ Regulation) complements and reinforces the 1980 Hague Convention. It aims to protect children from the harmful effects of wrongful removal or retention and to establish procedures to ensure their prompt return to the state of their habitual residence, as well as to secure the protection of rights of access and rights of custody.

The European Union has set as one of its aims the promotion of the protection of the rights of the child. Measures for the protection of children against wrongful removal or retention are an essential part of that policy. In this context, the Union encourages third States to accede to the 1980 Hague Convention and supports the proper implementation of the Convention.

In its Opinion 1/13 of the Court of Justice of the European Union, it was stated that the exclusive competence of the European Union. The decision whether to accept the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan has to be taken at EU level by means of a Council Decision.

Belarus deposited its instrument of accession to the 1980 Hague Convention on 12 January 1998. The 1980 Hague Convention entered into force for Belarus on 1 April 1998. T he 1980 Convention is already in force between these two third countries and 24 EU Member States. Austria, Luxembourg and Romania, consulted by the Commission, gave a favourable opinion on the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the Convention.

The acceptance of Austria, Luxembourg and Romania shall make the 1980 Convention applicable between Belarus, Uzbekistan and all EU Member States except Denmark.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are bound by the Brussels IIa Regulation and are therefore taking part in the adoption and application of this Decision.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the decision shall take effect on the day of its notification.

Decision 2019/308
OJ L 051 22.02.2019, p. 0015

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted by 618 votes to 15, with 16 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision authorising Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

Parliament has approved the authorisation for Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

The acceptance of Austria, Luxembourg and Romania will make the 1980 Convention applicable between Belarus, Uzbekistan and all EU Member States with the exception of Denmark.

T8-0052/2019

The Committee on Legal Affairs adopted the report by Mary HONEYBALL (S&D, UK) on the proposal for a Council decision authorising Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

As the matter of international child abduction falls within the exclusive external competence of the European Union, the decision whether to accept the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan has to be taken at EU level by means of a Council Decision. Austria, Luxembourg and Romania should thus make the declaration of acceptance concerning the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan in the interest of the European Union.

The acceptance of Austria, Luxembourg and Romania would render the 1980 Convention applicable between Belarus, Uzbekistan and all EU Member States except Denmark

The committee called on the European Parliament to approve the proposal without amendment, in order to ensure that EU-wide protection is afforded to the children in question.

A8-0458/2018

PE630.396

PURPOSE: to authorise Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the 1980 Convention).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting the European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its opinion.

BACKGROUND: the 1980 Convention has been ratified by 98 countries including all EU Member States. Its purpose is to restore the status quo by means of the prompt return of wrongfully removed or retained children through a system of cooperation among central authorities appointed by its Contracting Parties.

As the prevention of child abduction is an essential part of the EU policy to promote the rights of the child, the European Union is active at international level to improve the application of the 1980 Convention and encourages third States to accede it.

The 1980 Convention stipulates that the Convention applies between the acceding country and such Contracting States as will have declared their acceptance of the accession.

In its Opinion 1/13 of the Court of Justice of the European Union, it was stated that the exclusive competence of the European Union . The decision whether to accept the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan has to be taken at EU level by means of a Council Decision.

Belarus and Uzbekistan deposited their accession instruments to the 1980 Convention on 12 January 1998 and 31 May 1999 respectively. The 1980 Convention is already in force between these two third countries and 24 EU Member States. Austria, Luxembourg and Romania, consulted by the Commission, gave a favourable opinion on the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the Convention.

As regards parental abduction, the 1980 Convention is the international counterpart to Council Regulation No 2201/2003 (Brussels IIa Regulation), one of the main objectives of which is to discourage parents from abducting their children to another Member State by establishing procedures which ensure the immediate return of the child to the Member State of his or her habitual residence.

14 Council Decisions have been already adopted between June 2015 and December 2017 in order to accept the accession to the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction of 20 third countries (Morocco, Singapore, the Russian Federation, Albania, Andorra, the Seychelles, Armenia, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Peru, Georgia, South Africa, Chile, Iceland, the Bahamas, Panama, Uruguay, Colombia, El Salvador and San Marino).

CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council adopt a decision authorising Austria, Luxembourg and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Belarus and Uzbekistan to the 1980 Hague Convention. The present proposal is evidently linked to the general objective enshrined in Article 3 of the Treaty on the European Union to protect the rights of the child.

Austria, Luxembourg and Romania should submit their declarations of acceptance at the latest 12 months after the date of adoption of this Decision.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are bound by the Brussels IIa Regulation and are therefore taking part in the adoption and application of this Decision.

The acceptance of Austria, Luxembourg and Romania would render the 1980 Convention applicable between Belarus, Uzbekistan and all EU Member States except Denmark.

COM(2018)0530
EUR-Lex