Press Release: European Parliament approves European Commission plan to bring legal certainty to cross-border divorces

The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg on 16 June 2010, approved a European Commission plan to allow 14 EU countries to implement rules giving international couples the ability to agree on which law would apply to their divorce. The approval follows a request from nine EU Member States, which wanted to move forward after a 2006 Commission proposal became deadlocked in the Council. EU Justice Ministers endorsed the measure on 4 June (MEMO/10/236). The new solution will help couples of different nationalities, those living apart in different countries or those living together in a country other than their home country. It is first time in EU history that EU countries use the so-called 'enhanced cooperation' mechanism.