Brussels, 02/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 1 April, the committee on petitions of the European Parliament debated the issue of bi-national divorces and the fate of children torn between two countries and two parents. This discussion, which was initiated by Philippe Boulland (PPE, France), focused largely on the German Jugendamt (Youth Office) which has attracted a good deal of criticism and scores of complaints in recent years, due to the arbitrary decisions it is reported as taking, all of which come out in favour of the German parent.
“Despite the political manoeuvring of German members of the European Parliament aiming to block any debate at the petitions committee on bi-national divorces in Germany, I managed to get this subject included on the agenda as initially planned”, said Boulland.
At a press conference on Tuesday, he explained that “never a week goes by without another petition on the Jugendamt”, with complaints also referring to the abusive use of the European arrest warrant to arrest parents refusing to acknowledge the German institution's order. This subject remains first and foremost national and, so far, the only weapon is through the media, specifically “putting pressure on the governments, make them the guilty party”, said Boulland. “It is time that the family and justice ministers of each member state met and worked together on creating instruments of recourse for parents”, he added. He went on to express his hopes that the European ombudsman would also become involved in the issue. (SP)