Proposal for a Council Decision authorising the Republic of Austria and Romania to accept, in the interest of the European Union, the accession of Peru to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

The aim of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, to date ratified by 93 countries, including all EU Member States, is to restore the status quo by means of the prompt return of wrongfully removed or retained children through a system of cooperation among central authorities appointed by its Contracting Parties. As the prevention of child abduction is an essential part of the EU's policy to promote the rights of the child, the European Union is active at international level to improve the application of the 1980 Convention and encourages third States to accede to it.

Peru deposited the accession instrument to the 1980 Convention on 28 May 2001. The Convention entered into force in Peru on 1 August 2001. As the matter of international child abduction falls into the exclusive external competence of the European Union, the decision whether to accept the accession of Peru has to be taken at EU level by means of a Council Decision. Member States should thus make the declaration of acceptance concerning the accession of Peru in the interest of the European Union.

The 1980 Convention is already into force between Peru and the overwhelming majority of the EU Member States (25). Only Austria, Denmark and Romania have not yet accepted the accession of Peru to the Convention. In the course of 2015, Peru has communicated to the Commission its interest in making the Convention enter into force also in respect of Austria and Romania, which should therefore be authorized by the European Union to accept the accession of Peru to the 1980 Convention. The acceptance of Austria and Romania would render the 1980 Convention applicable between Peru and all EU Member States except Denmark.

EUR-Lex: COM(2016)367: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2016:367:FIN

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