Brussels, 18/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 18 October, Greece announced its decision to join the 15 EU member states that are subject to the EU regulation allowing international couples to choose the country whose law will govern the modalities of their divorce. In a press release, the European Commission hailed this step from Athens.
The new regulation, which has been in force since June 2012, made the EU's first case of “enhanced cooperation” concrete. Fourteen member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain) came to an agreement in 2011 on a regulation aiming to offer legal security to the couples concerned and to prevent the phenomena of “a rush to court” and “forum shopping” in case of divorce, the Commission states. Lithuania followed these 14 member states in 2012, and now there is Greece. Thanks to the regulation, international couples can agree in advance on the law that would apply in the case of divorce or separation. In the absence of an agreement, judges will have a common solution to determine which country's law would apply. (SP/transl.fl)