Ref. Ares(2011)945889 - 07/09/2011
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL JUSTICE
Directorate A: Civil justice
Unit A.1 : Civil justice policy
Brussels,
JUST.A.1/HD/ea/D/(2011)1033839
A/Ares(2011)817653
Ms Azota Popescu
c/o Association Catharsis
Str.Toamnei, nr.16
Braşov
Romania
e-mail:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx
Dear Ms Popescu,
Thank you for your e-mail dating of 27 July 2011 addressed to Ms. Le Bail asking for a
copy of the document that confirms or disproves the EU decision regarding the blocking
of the international adoptions in Romania. On behalf of Ms. Le Bail, I am sorry to inform
you that there is no such document issued by the European Union.
To supplement the information we already provided to you with the letter of 17 January
2011, please find below information concerning latest occasions when this topic had
been discussed in the European Union.
A long debate took place during the European Parliament Plenary meeting of 19 January
2011 when the European Commission replied to a parliamentary question on
international adoptions. The Commission confirmed that it supports the accession of
third countries to the 1993 Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoptions and its correct
implementation by participating in the relevant meetings of the contracting parties. The
Commission does not consider specific European rules on intra-EU adoptions to be
necessary, since all EU Member States are parties to the Hague Convention, but is
closely following the issue of international adoption within the European Union, given
the link between adoption and children’s rights.
You may read further about the discussion and on the Resolution adopted by the
European Parliament on the website of the European Parliament:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressroom/content/20110119IPR11957/html/Adoption
-in-the-EU-ensuring-children's-right-to-a-family-life.
The Commission has also replied to parliamentary questions on international adoptions
in writing on 20 May and 27 May 2011 as follows: The Commission believes that the
European Commission, B-1049 Brussels - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11.
Office: MO59 02/066. Telephone: direct line (32-2) 29 69851. Fax: (32-2) 29 96457.
correct implementation of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption provides for
a sufficient legal framework to solve problems relating to cross-border adoptions
between Member States. Nevertheless, it also points out that ratification of this
Convention does not oblige countries to make children available for inter-country
adoptions. The Commission stated that "the 1993 Hague Convention aims at
implementing Article 21 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, by
establishing safeguards to ensure that inter-country adoptions take place in the best
interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights. The Commission
believes that it is the sole responsibility of the Romanian authorities to take steps in order
to comply with the recommendation of the UN Committee for the Rights of the Child
(UNCRC)."
We hope that we have provided you with helpful information on your matter.
Yours sincerely,
Salla SAASTAMOINEN
Head of Unit