Hague Convention (1980) on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction: accession of Panama, Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador; acceptance by Austria and Romania

PURPOSE: to authorise Austria and Romania to accept the accession of Panama, Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Abduction children.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2017/2464 authorising Austria and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Panama, Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

CONTENT: the Council Decision authorises Austria and Romania to accept, in the interest of the Union, the accession of Panama, Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador to the 1980 Hague Convention.

Austria and Romania should therefore be authorised to deposit their declarations of acceptance of these four countries by 19 December 2018 at the latest.

The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction establishes, at international level, a system of obligations and cooperation among contracting states and between central authorities and aims at ensuring the prompt return of wrongfully removed or retained children. All the Member States of the Union are parties to the Convention.

At EU level, Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 (Brussels IIa Regulation) complements and reinforces the 1980 Hague Convention.

The Union encourages third states to accede to the 1980 Hague Convention.

The existence of the exclusive competence of the European Union to accept the accession of a third State to the 1980 Convention has been confirmed by the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Panama, Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador respectively deposited the instrument of accession to the Convention on 2 February 1994, 18 November 1999, 13 December 1995 and 5 February 2001. The Convention is already in force with 26 Member States for Panama and with 25 Member States for Uruguay, Colombia and El Salvador.

An assessment of the situation in El Salvador has led to the conclusion that Austria and Romania are in a position to accept the accession of El Salvador under the terms of the 1980 Hague Convention.

The United Kingdom and Ireland shall be bound by the Brussels IIa Regulation and participate in the adoption and application of the Decision. Denmark shall not be bound by this Decision.

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