Brussels, 06/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - International couples who are seeking a divorce will soon be able to choose which EU legal system they would like to use for determining their divorce. This facility is provided in the new European regulation unanimously approved by the legal committee on 2 November. Parliament is expected to approve the proposal as a whole this December in Strasbourg. These rules were developed under simplified co-operation procedure between member states. Fourteen member states are so far participating in the initiative. This involves the first ever use of this procedure in the history of the EU. The legal committee's rapporteur, Tadeusz Zwiefka (EPP, Poland) emphasised that “the new rules aim to discourage overusing the courts. They also seek to protect the member of a couple put in a weak position under this practice. A member state cannot, however, be compelled to recognise a specific marriage, even if its exclusive aim is to dissolve the marriage in question, when this act is not considered as such under the legislation of this member state”. (B.C./transl.fl)