Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'correspondence DG JUST - Azota Popescu'.


 
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