Brussels, 27/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Greece has become the 16th member state of the EU to sign up to the regulation on divorce, the European Commission announced in a press release dated Monday 27 January. The regulation in question allows cross-border couples to choose the country whose law will apply in their divorce or separation. These new rules, which have been in force since June 2012, follow an initial enhanced cooperation decision by several member states. Lithuania joined the group in 2012. The regulation aims to offer legal security to the couples in question and to prevent the phenomena of a “rush to court” and “forum shopping” in the event of divorce, the Commission explains. Cross-border couples will be able to agree in advance on the jurisdiction which will apply in the event of their divorce or separation. In the absence of an agreement between spouses, the judges would have a common formula for determiniong the country whose law would apply. Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia are applying this regulation. (SP/transl.fl)