EU Family Law

What defines a ‘family’ in the European Union?

The concept of family in the European Union is constantly evolving, reflecting increasingly diverse structures and societal values. The traditional notion of a family – a married, opposite-sex couple living with their biological children under the same roof – has long been shifting.

This course will explore the rapid and substantial changes in family structures, concepts, and legal frameworks that have emerged across Europe in recent years. Marriage and registered partnership laws have undergone significant transformations, including the increasing recognition of same-sex marriages, the acceptance of private divorce, and the growing legal protection of partnerships outside of marriage.

The primary objective of this course is to introduce participants to the core principles, key institutions, and major regulatory issues in family law, both from the perspectives of EU Member States and the European Union itself.

Through expert-led presentations and discussions, participants will gain valuable insights into the evolving legal landscape of family law in the EU.

• Divorce, matrimonial matters, parental responsibility maintenance, and the property regime of legalised couples in the context of national legislations across Member States.
• The European Union’s regulatory response and the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union in ensuring a uniform interpretation of relevant Regulations.
• Cross-border child relocation cases, one of the most complex and challenging issues in family law.

What you will learn:

The course has two main objectives:

• To familiarise participants with family law institutions and highlight the key differences among Member States’ legal systems in addressing family law matters.
• To provide insight into the legal and policy considerations underpinning the development of European Union legislation in the field of family law.

Course methodology

The course will be structured around a combination of lectures and case studies, incorporating the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union to highlight its role in ensuring the uniform interpretation of EU Regulations.

Adopting a practical and realistic approach, the course will equip participants with knowledge on:

• Fundamental concepts of family law.
• The legal framework governing EU family law.
• How EU legal instruments assist national authorities in handling cross-border family law cases and how citizens benefit from enhanced cooperation.
• EU legal instruments related to divorce, parental responsibility, maintenance, and the property regime of legalised couples.

EU and national civil servants, lawyers and in-house counsels dealing with family law, and national judges.

Project number: 2551201

Course venue
European Centre for Judges and Lawyers – EIPA Luxembourg
8 rue Nicolas Adames
1114 Luxembourg

Programme Organiser
Ms Elisa Dolci
Tel: +352 691 108 038
e.dolci@eipa.eu

Fee
The fee includes documentation, refreshments and a lunch. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration.

Discounts
EIPA member fee
EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount
The early bird discount is not cumulative with other discounts or promo codes, except for the EIPA member fee.

Loyalty coupon
As a token of appreciation we offer all our participants a loyalty coupon for one of our future courses. The offer can be shared with colleagues and relevant networks. The coupon will expire one year after its release. This discount is not cumulative with other discounts, except for the EIPA member fee.

Meals
Dietary preferences can be indicated on the registration form.

Hotel reservations
EIPA has special price arrangements with a number of hotels. Most rates are including breakfast and tourist tax. Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please book directly via the links below. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel upon checking out.

Kirchberg

• Hotel D’Coque***, via https://www.coque.lu/coque-hotel-superior/online-booking, tel.: +352 43 60 60 222

Luxembourg Centre

• Hotel Parc Plaza****, at the rate of €182, (Reservation code: EIPA0118): https://www.goereshotels.com/parc-plaza-en
• Hotel Parc Bellevue***, at the rate of €150, (Reservation code: EIPA0118): https://www.goereshotels.com/belle-vue-en: +352 44 23 23 23 23; e-mail: reservation@goereshotels.com;
• Hotel Simoncini****, at the rate of €190, tel.: +352 22 28 44; e-mail: simhotel@pt.lu or simoncinihotel@pt.lu; https://www.hotelsimoncini.lu/.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed online registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation.

Cancellation policy
For administrative reasons you will be charged €150 for cancellations received within 15 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants. EIPA reserves the right to cancel the activity up to 2 weeks before the starting date. In that case, registration fees received will be fully reimbursed. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, accommodation, etc.).

A few days before the start of the course you will receive the log-in details for accessing the course materials. You can log in here.