MEPs adopt improved international child support enforcement

López-Istúriz on the international recovery of child support: "Today we made a big step forward in protecting children even if their parents live outside the European Union".

The Hague Convention of 23 November 2007 on the international recovery of child support and other forms of family maintenance is an important tool for parents looking to enforce compliance with the obligation of feeding a child, even if the debtor - normally the parent - is in a third country, i.e. outside the European Union.

"This is an important step in providing the kind of useful protection children need even if their parents live outside the European Union said," said Antonio López-Istúriz MEP, Rapporteur on the dossier. " I hope that, following today's decision, The Hague Convention can enter into force as soon as possible," he added.

The Hague Convention was approved by the European Parliament on 6 April 2011. After that the text was referred to national parliaments for their approval, prior to the ratification of the Treaty (the USA is at this same stage).

Once the approval of all Member States is obtained - except for Denmark which prefers to opt out - the Convention can be ratified; something that will be carried out through the parliamentary report authored by Mr López-Isturiz adopted in Parliament today. Once ratified, it will enter into force.

The aim of the Convention is to create an instrument allowing the enforcement of compliance with child support, even if the debtor is in a third State, that is, outside the European Union. The procedure is intended to be very simple. Requests will be submitted to a previously-designated central authority, who will almost automatically create an enforceable title, recognized in any signatory country of the Convention and that will force the debtor to pay the stipulated remuneration.