CHILDREN’S RIGHTS UNDER
EUROPEAN UNION LAW
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Dr Geoffrey Shannon
Solicitor
Special Rapporteur on Child Protection
Friday, 13 December 2013
Children’s Rights Under European Union Law
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 Evolution and cooperation in family and
child matters
 Changing of the legal basis
Children’s Rights Under European Union Law
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 Developments from Brussels II Convention
 Amsterdam Treaty
Children’s Rights Under European Union Law
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 13% of marriages international
Children’s Rights Under European Union Law
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 Main legislative choices
Children’s Rights Under European Union Law
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 Variety of Legal Sources
Articles 3 and 6 of the Lisbon Treaty
 Articles 20, 26, 67 and 81, Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union
(consolidated version)
 Articles 7, 9, 24 and 33 of the Charter of
Fundamental Rights of the European Union
 Article 8 of the European Convention on
Human Rights

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 Key concepts
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Jurisdiction
Habitual residence
Domicile
Nationality
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 Define Habitual Residence?
 Case 523/07
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Case 497/10 – Mercredi v Chaffe
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Physical presence a pre-requisite for habitual residence

In the matter of A (children) – Supreme Court – England and
Wales – 9 September 2013
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 Principal objectives
 Same cause of action
 Where two or more States satisfy the jurisdiction
requirements
 Competent Court
 Forum shopping
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 Recognition and enforcement of foreign
judgments
 Non recognition
 Jurisdiction
 Public policy
 Natural justice
 Irreconcilable judgments
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 Interpretation tools
 Regulations’ aims and development
 Ex aequo et bono principle
 Autonomous interpretation
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 EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
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Powerful
Increased prominence
Legally binding
New case law
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 EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
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Art. 24 (1)
Art. 24 (2)
Art. 24 (3)
Art. 20
Art. 21
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 Brussels II Bis
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Art. 15 – particular connection, court best placed and
best interests
Art. 56 – new consultation procedure and new
procedure for enforcement of the placement order
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 Legal Aid Directive No. 2003/81 EC
 Brussels II bis – Council Regulation EC No. 2201/2003
of 27 November 2003
 October 2005 Practice Guide
 Service of Documents – Council Regulation EC No.
1393/2007 of 13 November 2007
 Rome III – Council Regulation EU No. 1259/2010 of 20
December 2010
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 Mediation – Directive No 2008/52/EC
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 Maintenance regulation – Council
Regulation (EC) No 4/2009
comprehensive mechanism to recover and
enforce maintenance
 abolish the need for an enforcement order in
respect of foreign maintenance order
 law applied determined by Protocol
 applicable law regime determines what
maintenance law applies
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 Review of Brussels II Bis
 Proposal on matrimonial property regime
 Proposal on registered partnerships
property regime
 Initiative on Europe-wide civil status
documents
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Proposal for a regulation simplifying the acceptance
of certain public documents – Regulation (EU) No
1024/2012
 International adoption and surrogacy
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 The European Judicial Network:
http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/index_en.htm
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Information on divorce:
http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/divorce/divorce_sco_en.htm
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Information on maintenance obligations:
http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/maintenance_claim/maint
enance_claim_sco_en.htm
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Information on parental responsibility:
http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/parental_resp/parental_re
sp_sco_en.htm
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 The European Judicial Atlas in Civil and
Commercial Matters
Parental responsibility
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/judicialatlascivi
l/html/rc_jmm_information_en.htm
 Maintenance obligations
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/judicialatlascivi
l/html/mo_information_en.htm

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