Academic literature on the topic 'Family reunions – Law and legislation – European Union countries'

Abstract This article explores and compares the legal frameworks and regulatory practices of the use of DNA analysis for family reunification in Austria, Finland, and Germany. Based on a document analysis, we first provide an overview of the international legislation for family reunification and analyse the situation in the European Union. We show that the three countries have significantly different legislative practices in place to regulate parental testing in immigration contexts and to verify family relations. We outline the key societal and political implications that are associated with these country specific forms of legislation and regulatory practices and highlight the ambivalent role of DNA analysis in family reunification.

The article investigates the mechanism of legal regulation of property relations of partners in de facto unions. The national legislation of European states is analyzed, as well as the recommendations of the Commission on European Family Law, suggestions for improving national legislation are made.It is determined that there are no uniform approaches in the legal regulation of partners in de facto unions in European countries, in particular in six countries such relations are unregulated, in fourteen countries such relations are regulated by different branches of law, and in nine jurisdictions there is a special legal mechanism (Sweden, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Catalonia, Portugal, Scotland, Ireland and Finland).The provisions of the Lithuanian Civil Code on the regulation of de facto marital relations, as well as the legislation of Croatia, Sweden, Norway and other countries are analyzed. It was found that in Scotland, civil partnerships were allowed for same-sex couples back in 2005, and for people of the opposite sex only from June 30, 2021.It is substantiated that in the context of Europeanization of private law, the position on the need to amend the Family Code of Ukraine and introduce the term «de facto union» recommended by the Commission on European Family Law in the Principles of European Family Law on property rights, maintenance and succession of couples in de facto unions.It is proved that in the process of Europeanization of private law the institution of de facto union should be regulated by the norms of the Family Code of Ukraine, which, taking into account the recommendations of the Commission on European Family Law should be improved as follows: contract on selling a dwelling in which partners live, as well as household items, is made with the consent of both partners; to guarantee partners the right to file a claim to the court for consent to dispose of the property without the consent of the other partner; to guarantee the principle of freedom of contract between partners in de facto unions; establish the right to compensation for a significant contribution to the property (or business) or profession of another partner; guarantee the right of the partner to inherit equally with the spouses, etc.

Abstract: The article gives an overview of how new legislation was drafted and adopted in Estonia after the country regained its independence. Estonia was one of the republics of the Soviet Union and became independent again in 1991. The new situation suddenly necessitated new legislation, which had to suit a democratic state with a market economy, and also be in line with the standards of developed European countries. It took ten years (1991–2001) to create the new legislation, the cornerstones of which are the Civil Code and the Commercial Code. The Civil Code was adopted in five parts: the General Part of the Civil Code Act (1994, replaced with a new version in 2001), Family Law Act (1995), Law of Property Act (1993), Law of Succession Act (1997) and Law of Obligations Act (2001); the Commercial Code was passed in 1995. The article introduces the content of all the aforementioned laws. The comparative method was the main method in drafting the new laws. The laws of Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, and the Scandinavian countries, as well as the Civil Codes of the State of Louisiana and the Province of Quebec were followed as the most important examples. Internationally harmonized legislation, such as the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, as well as sample laws such as the Principles of European Contract Law and Principles of International Commercial Contracts were also used as sources. Drafting the new private law legislation largely fell into the period when Estonia was a candidate state to the European Union, which is why he European Union law was already taken into account when preparing the drafts. By the time Estonia became a Member State of the EU (2004), its private law legislation was in harmony with the EU requirements. Although the legislations of former USSR republics and socialist countries have developed at varying paces, the legislative analysis of Estonia, which is the subject of the article, also reflects the developments of the ‘countries in transition’ that are in the same situation and where new social and economic conditions necessitated new laws. A major objective in drafting the new laws was to make them understandable and acceptable to persons from other countries, thus paving the way for international cooperation. Résumé: L’article donne un aperçu de la manière dont l’Estonie, de nouveau indépendante, a procédé à l’élaboration et à l’adoption d’une nouvelle législation. L’Estonie est une ancienne République de l’Union soviétique qui regagna son indépendance en 1991. Dans ce nouveau contexte, le besoin s’est rapidement fait sentir d’avoir une législation qui soit adaptée à un État démocratique, dans lequel fonctionne l’économie de marché et qui satisfasse aux normes des pays développés de l’Europe. L’Estonie a mis dix ans (de 1991 à 2001) pour établir une nouvelle législation, dont les principaux textes de base sont le Code civil et le Code de commerce. Le Code civil a été adopté en cinq parties: la loi relative à la partie gènérale du Code civil (1994, remplacée par une nouvelle version en 2001), la loi sur la famille (1995), la loi sur les biens (1993), la loi sur les successions (1997) et la loi sur les obligations (2001), le Code de commer

Traditionally, common lawyers are used to examining other jurisdictions of their legal family as a source of inspiration for law reform or even as persuasive authority for the development of case law. Developments in continental civil law jurisdictions are less noted. However, particularly in the field of public law, English law is now being influenced by civil law concepts through the mediation of Community law.1 Product liability provides an example in private law of rules shared by the civil and common law jurisdictions of the European Union due to harmonisation by the Product Liability Directive. An important new area of non-contractual liability is environmental liability. Firmly established in the United States, liability for damage to the environment is increasingly being introduced in many countries around the world.3 In the European Union, the first step towards Community-wide legislation was taken in March 1993 with the publication of a Green Paper by the Commission.4 One of the many controversial aspects of a possible environmental liability regime is the issue of standing to sue.

The aim of this study was to identify how Europe’s migrant crisis affected human rights in the European Union. It focuses on the observance of fundamental human rights in the context of migration. Violations directly related to migrants and refugees are considered. Human rights law is the most universal and general branch of law on which all other laws rely. The issue of observance of these rights becomes even more critical in regard to forced migration. While these rights are guaranteed to ‘all members of the human family’, there are conditions under which universally recognized human rights should be protected and justified with particular care. Obviously, inalienable human rights may easily be compromised when it comes to prisoners or refugees. Ensuring human rights in the European Union is based on a variety of international treaties, EU regulations and internal legislation of the member countries which have adopted high standards in the field of human rights protection. With regard to the right to asylum as an essential component of the human rights law, it can be stated that an unprecedented level of integration has enabled the EU to establish a pan-European asylum system based on the standards enshrined in the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 Additional Protocol, as well as to gain considerable experience in dealing with migrants and refugees and ensuring their inalienable rights. In general, legislation in this area is constantly being improved and it reflects modern challenges and threats. The member countries of the European Union are on the way to developing a unified approach to migration policy and international protection issues. However, the asylum system is imperfect and has numerous gaps, which have been repeatedly mentioned by experts and members of the academic community even before the migrant crisis began.

In the light of the announced adoption of the Law on Same-Sex Unions, the question arises whether the draft law is in accordance with the Constitution, especially after the announcements that the law will not be signed. Although the Constitution specifies that marriage is a union of a man and a woman, experts point out that in this case it is not a law on marriage and family, nor does it provide for the possibility of adoption of children by same-sex couples, but that it regulates property, health, pension and other legal relationships of same-sex partners living in the union. At the same time, many public figures have invited traditional religious communities to react in order to defend the "right to freedom and future of the people", emphasizing that contentious issues related to the regulation of mutual rights and obligations of same-sex couples could be resolved by amending the existing laws in those areas. In the countries where similar laws exist, case law has played a significant role, just as various medical and psychological associations. The European case law is not uniform, and cases often end before the European Court of Human Rights, while in the United States at the federal level, all anti-homosexual laws are repealed by a Supreme Court decision (Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 [2003]). Nevertheless, there is no single law in this area and the rights of same-sex couples vary from country to country. The paper will provide an overview of significant court decisions in this area in European countries, as well as the decisions of the US Supreme Court, which may lead us to think about the possible legal consequences of (non)adoption of the disputed Law on Same-Sex Unions, about procedures that could be initiated if partners decided to request judicial protection for the purpose of recognizing their guaranteed human rights, as well as the content and significance of such court judgments.

In the scientific article, the author conducted a scientific study of the foreign experience of legal regulation of the adoption of children by foreigners, primarily according to the legislation of the European Union states and states adjacent to Ukraine. Based on the conducted research, the author came to the conclusion that in the practice of states adjacent to Ukraine and states members of the European Union, there are three approaches to determining the procedure for adopting children by foreign citizens: through the definition of a national regime for foreigners, similar to that which exists for citizens of the relevant state (Latvia); through the determination of conflicts of laws with respect to the law applicable to adoption, which are defined in civil codes (Germany, France, Czech Republic) or separate laws on international private law (Spain, Switzerland); due to the establishment of a separate procedure for adoption (Bulgaria, Belarus, Moldova, Ireland) or an exceptional case of adoption of a child by foreigners using the same procedure for adoption, as with national adoption (Poland, Hungary). In the latter case, the possibility of international adoption is provided, if the child, after being transferred to a foster family, was not adopted in the state of his/her citizenship, because the measures taken to adopt the child were not successful, moreover, in Poland, exceptions to this rule are provided when there is a kinship relationship between the adopter and the adopted child or if the adopter has already adopted a brother or sister of the child being adopted. In the Republic of Bulgaria, foreigners wishing to adopt a child must obtain a permit for international adoption from the Minister of Justice, in the Republic of Belarus - in addition to the written permission for adoption from the Minister of Education, it is also necessary to obtain the child's consent for adoption, the child's stay in the relevant register for a year and the absence of an initiative by citizens of Belarus to adopt a child. In the case of international adoption of citizens of the Republic of Moldova, the ethnic origin of the child, his/her belonging to a certain culture, religion, language and other features that deserve attention must be taken into account; persons wishing to adopt a child must submit a special application - for international adoption, to the Ministry of Health, of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova and the Department of Social Security and Protection of Family Rights as territorial guardianship bodies carry out preliminary and final selection of foreigners who wish to adopt a child who is a citizen of the Republic of Moldova.

Marriage can be interpreted as an institution of law, a legal fact, a special form of contract, a specific legal structure. In recent years, there has been an active debate about the neutralization of this definition regarding the gender difference between spouses. Many countries have legalized same-sex unions. The Constitutional Court of Russia and the European Court of Human Rights consider cases of discrimination based on sexual orientation. It is impossible to deny the importance of the institution of marriage for the legal field of any state. Marriage as a legal fact significantly affects the property and personal rights of spouses and other family members. In 2020 a number of amendments were made to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, among which was an amendment stating that marriage is a union of a man and a woman. There was a lot of controversy around this amendment. The rationale for introducing this definition into the text of the Constitution of the Russian Federation was the establishment of a final understanding of the institution of marriage. However everything is not clear. Is the consolidation of marriage as a constitutional and legal category a guarantee of preserving the traditional understanding of the marriage union? The article analyzes the category of «marriage» in the framework of the constitutional legislation of Russia. The article analyzes the significance of the amendment on marriage in the text of the Basic Law and the impact of this fact on the development of legislation on marriage and family relations.

Abstract. This article analyzes the basic principles of international legal acts, the Constitution of the USA and the countries ofthe European Union, regulating relations in the sphere of protection personal and family life. Due to the fact that the concept of “noninterferenceinto privacy” is relatively new to the criminal procedural legislation of Ukraine, the basics for normative legal regulationof a justified interference with privacy by state authorities while conducting criminal investigations are emphasized; their importancefor criminal investigation is paid special attention in judicial consideration along with taking into account the specifics of national le -gislation. The purpose of the article is to investigate the concept of the right to non-interference within the privacy.The study determined the peculiarities of national regulatory approaches to non-interference with private life that have developedlegislation and years of experience in protecting human rights and freedoms. This paper summarizes the international experience ofleading countries in the field of protection of personal and family life is generalized. Since the concept of “non-interference with privatelife” is relatively new to the domestic legislation of Ukraine, it is of great interest to study foreign experience of legal regulation of thisbasis of criminal proceedings. The specificity of the purpose and objectives of the study necessitated the use of dialectical, comparative-legal, historical-legal, formal-logical, system-structural, sociological, and statistical and other methods of scientific search.As a result of the research, on the basis of the analysis of international legal documents, the Constitution of Ukraine, the CriminalProcedure Code of Ukraine and the positions covered in scientific publications, special attention is paid to the urgency on observing theguarantees of non-interference with privacy in criminal proceedings, when there is a high risk of violation of rights and legitimate interestsof its participants. It is argued that restrictions on these rights are possible only in the manner guaranteed by the law and solely toachieve the objectives of criminal proceedings in order to protect the state, society and individual citizens from criminal encroachments.

An analysis of European standards and main trends in the field of legal regulation of forensic DNA analysis has been carried out. It has been established that the general European legislation defines recommendations on the general principles of using DNA analysis within the framework of the criminal justice system, establishes the obligation of each state to create and maintain a national DNA database, exchange information based on DNA databases, take measures to protect personal data, store DNA profiles of persons convicted of sexual offenses against children, to accredit forensic laboratories to ensure the proper quality of molecular genetic research. Taking into account the experience of European countries, it can be seen that a comprehensive approach to the improvement of domestic legislation, namely the implementation of the law on the national DNA database, the introduction of amendments and additions to the current Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine, other laws and departmental regulations regarding the use of DNA analysis in criminal proceedings, is a necessary prerequisite for bringing this area of law enforcement to a new qualitative level. Together with the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On the State Registration of Human Genomic Information”, it is necessary to introduce changes and additions to the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine in order to harmonize the provisions of these normative legal acts, which primarily concern the improvement of the procedure for obtaining samples for molecular genetic research. It has been substantiated that the experience of Germany and the Netherlands regarding the legal regulation of mass DNA testing at the stage of pre-trial investigation of serious and especially serious crimes can be useful for Ukraine. Taking into account the rapid development of forensic DNA analysis technologies and the introduction of the latest methods, which are characterized by a much greater degree of interference in the personal and family life of a person, compared to traditional methods of STR profiling, there is a need for a legislative definition of the permissible limits of forensic DNA research within the framework of criminal proceedings in Ukraine.

Defence date: 18 July 2003
Examining board: Prof. Gráinne de Búrca, Supervisor ; Prof. Elspeth Guild ; Prof. Steve Peers ; Prof. Bruno de Witte
PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digitised archive of EUI PhD theses completed between 2013 and 2017