European Commission seeks to enshrine same-sex parents’ rights

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The European Commission wants to ensure that parenthood rights are respected when people move within the EU, issuing a proposal Wednesday to cement the principle.

The initiative is particularly targeted at protecting the rights of same-sex parents who move through the EU with their children — a goal that could irk EU countries like Hungary and Poland, which have passed anti-LGBTQ+ resolutions in recent years. 

Currently, EU countries have differing parenthood laws, which can create complications for families with issues that cross borders, such as custody or the right to legally represent a child in school or health settings.

On Wednesday, EU officials said they want to end such variations. 

“All children should have the same rights irrespective of how they were conceived or born and of their type of family,” EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said after unveiling the proposal. 

The proposal would set in stone that the parenthood established in one EU country must be recognized in other EU countries. 

“It is unthinkable that a parent in one member state is not recognized as a parent in another member state,” said EU Values and Transparency Commissioner Věra Jourová. “This puts some children at risk, as they would not have guaranteed access to their rights, such as succession, maintenance or decisions on schooling and education.”

The Commission’s proposal must still go through the Council of the EU, which represents EU countries, and the European Parliament. 

Source: Politico