25th March 2010

European Union officials have announced proposals for the harmonisation of divorce law in an attempt to prevent disputes over questions of which country's law should be applied in a multi-national divorce case.

In 2008, an introduction of EU-wide rules on decisions regarding divorce law was set aside after strong opposition was lodged by many European member states.

The European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, Viviane Reding, made the unification of divorce law a priority when she took up her position in November 2009.

Announced on 23rd March, the proposals offer new criteria for establishing which family law should apply in each of the one in every five European divorces which involves couples who come from different countries.

An EU spokesman said the plans were designed to facilitate closer co-operation between the conflicting legal systems of the EU with a view to easing the trauma of relationship breakdown for the parties involved.

However, British MEPs voiced misgivings about the proposition.

Ukip MEP Nigel Farage said it was a "massive intrusion into family life" and that the plan to harmonise and centralise European divorce law represented "yet further meddling" by the EU.

Sajjad Karim, a British Tory MEP, said that the party believed the UK should have nothing to do with the scheme.

He said the Conservative party saw it "as another example of the ‘slow creep' of EU legislation.

Reding wants the new divorce law criteria initially put into force for ten member states including, Spain, France and Italy, before being established in all other EU member states, including the UK.