Press Release: Commission proposes clearer property rights for Europe’s 16 million international couples

In Europe, there are around 16 million international couples, and at least 650,000 of them face these questions every year when their marriage or partnership comes to an end. Citizens lose time and money figuring out which law applies to their case and which court is competent to help them. Legal divergences between the 27 EU Member States create an incentive for 'forum shopping' or a 'rush to the court.' This happens when one spouse – usually the wealthier one – rushes to a court where he/she thinks the outcome will be the most beneficial.

The European Commission is therefore proposing EU-wide rules to bring legal clarity to the property rights for married international couples and for registered partnerships with an international dimension.

The two proposed Regulations adopted in March 2011 would help identify which law applies to a couple's property rights and the responsible court. The Regulations also provide for rules for recognising and enforcing court judgments on a couple's property in all EU Member States through a single procedure.

European Commission: Memo/11/175: Clearer property rights for Europe's 16 million international couples – frequently asked questions http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/175&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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