Forced adoptions in the United Kingdom

9.12.2016

Question for written answer E-009309-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Fernando Ruas (PPE)

The long series of cases brought before the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions has raised awareness of the alarming number of forced adoptions in the United Kingdom, involving children whose parents originally come from other Member States such as Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia and Denmark.

A child is taken away from his or her parents every 15 minutes in the United Kingdom.

In 2015, 31 100 children were taken away from their parents and placed in the care of the authorities.

The vast majority of these children are subsequently placed with adoptive families, irreversibly and without parental consent.

A study on adoption without consent containing a series of recommendations was submitted to the Committee on Petitions in June 2015 and updated in May 2016.

Parliament adopted a resolution on this subject on 28 April 2016, shortly before the Commission presented its proposal for a revision of the Brussels IIa regulation on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility. A hearing was also held in November.

In the Commission's view, how might its proposal and the ongoing interinstitutional dialogue help to ensure that the law is applied more fairly and minimise the problems described above?