Workshops – The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction – 03-12-2025 – Committee on Legal Affairs

Committee on Legal Affairs, on the initiative of Ewa Kopacz, VP and EP Coordinator on Children’s Rights and with a support of Policy Department, organised a workshop to mark the 45th anniversary of signing of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of the International Child Abduction.

The aim of the Convention was to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed to, or retained in, any contracting state and to ensure that custody and access rights are effectively respected and this is one of the most successful private international law instruments with currently 103 countries as contracting parties. The workshop highlighted the success and importance of the Convention, addressed some ongoing issues with its implementation and examined the correlation between the Convention, Brussels IIb Regulation and other Hague Conventions that deal with cross-border family disputes. It also discussed the use of mediation in cross-border family disputes, as quicker, cheaper and more child friendly procedure to resolve conflicts between parents, especially when children are involved.

Location : Altiero Spinelli 3G2