The European Commission assured the President of the French Senate, Gérard Larcher, in a letter to him on Tuesday 24 March that it would continue the dialogue with the Japanese authorities on the subject of children deprived of all links with their European parent as a result of abduction by their Japanese parent.
On 5 February 2020, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the European Union to speak with one voice on this subject.
In this letter signed by Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, the Commission assures that it is well aware of the problems related to the implementation of the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction by Japan due to the absence of joint custody and access in the Japanese legal system.
Several attempts have already been made to raise awareness among the Japanese authorities by the EU Delegation in Japan, the Commission recalls. The next “human rights” consultations to be held with the country this year will allow the issue to be addressed again, she believes.
“Depending on the response from the Japanese authorities, a European approach encouraging Japan to improve the implementation of the Convention, possibly with third countries sharing our positions, could be envisaged in the future”, the Commission points out.
See the letter (in French): https://bit.ly/2UgfDqo (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)