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Poniedziałek, 4 kwietnia 2022 r. - Strasburg

18. Ochrona praw dziecka w postępowaniu w sprawach cywilnych, administracyjnych i rodzinnych (krótka prezentacja)

  Presidente. – L'ordine del giorno reca la breve presentazione della relazione di Adrián Vázquez Lázara sulla tutela dei diritti dei minori nei procedimenti di diritto civile, amministrativo e di famiglia (2021/2060(INI)) (A9-0033/2022).

  Adrián Vázquez Lázara, ponente. – Señora presidenta, el informe que presento hoy ante este Pleno se centra en la protección de los derechos del menor en los procedimientos de derecho civil, administrativo y de familia.

El objetivo principal es conseguir una justicia adaptada a los menores a través de estándares y recomendaciones comunes a toda la Unión Europea para garantizar tres elementos clave. El primero es un trato adaptado a la edad, madurez y necesidades de cada niño que pasa por un procedimiento judicial. El segundo es un acceso efectivo del menor a la justicia y, cuando sea preciso, una representación legal gratuita a cargo de las administraciones públicas y también otros servicios accesorios como la orientación psicológica, muy necesaria, como sabemos, en casos traumáticos para el menor, como puede ser un procedimiento de divorcio. Y el tercero es una mejor formación de jueces y profesionales jurídicos en habilidades para tratar con niños y niñas cuyo futuro se decide en un procedimiento judicial o administrativo.

Asimismo, el informe incluye la mediación como instrumento de resolución de disputas que afecten a menores. Instamos por ello a la Comisión a presentar un nuevo reglamento que regule la mediación transfronteriza que afecte a menores a través de normas comunes que garanticen el reconocimiento y la aplicación de los acuerdos obtenidos en esos procedimientos; también que la calidad de los mediadores transfronterizos se pueda, de alguna manera, aseverar o confirmar a través de un certificado europeo de mediación, y también con normas comunes para contratos de mediación transfronterizos. También instamos a los Estados miembros que aún no lo hayan hecho a crear oficinas de mediación para informar a padres y niños afectados sobre la posibilidad de acudir a la mediación como método menos agresivo que el litigio judicial tradicional, a que garanticen la asistencia jurídica gratuita cuando sea necesario y a explorar el uso de nuevas tecnologías en los marcos de la mediación.

Por último, y no por ello menos importante, a la hora de redactar este informe hemos pensado —y mucho— en padres como Marton y Adam, que querían formar una familia en Hungría y no pudieron, porque la Constitución de ese país solo reconoce a las familias compuestas por parejas heterosexuales. Marton y Adam querían adoptar a un niño, pero finalmente ese niño solo pudo ser adoptado legalmente por uno de los padres, por Adam, a todos los efectos. Por ello, ante la ley, Marton hoy no es el padre de su hijo Andris a efectos legales.

En ese sentido, creo que este informe puede ser una primera piedra de muchas otras que habrá que poner para que los Estados miembros cumplan las sentencias de reconocimiento de paternidad de las familias LGTBI y que todas esas familias de dos padres o de dos madres puedan ver ante la ley el reconocimiento de la paternidad de los hijos, como lo son hoy en día.

Procedura "catch the eye"

  Stanislav Polčák (PPE). – Paní předsedající, já bych chtěl poděkovat panu zpravodaji za představení této velice důležité zprávy. Já ji považuji za velmi vyváženou. Ta justice by skutečně měla být vstřícná k dětem ve všech fázích řízení, které probíhá o jejich právech. Každé dítě musí být vyslechnuto bez ohledu na svůj sociální, ekonomický a etnický původ a musí požívat všech práv. Je zde řada dalších aspektů. To řízení musí být vedeno soudcem, který je ve své specializaci odborníkem, který je citlivý. Zároveň výslech toho dítěte by měl probíhat v přívětivém prostředí.

Je třeba také, abychom chránili nejlepší zájmy dítěte v přeshraničních občanských sporech, abychom účinně vymáhali rozsudky v přeshraničních sporech. A jsem velmi vděčný panu zpravodaji, že zmínil právě i uznávání rodičovských práv stejnopohlavních párů, protože právě práva dětí by nám měla ležet nejvíce na paměti. Musíme vnímat dítě v justici se všemi jeho plnými právy a s plným respektem.

  Mick Wallace (The Left). – Madam President, thanks to the rapporteur. I think it’s a very worthwhile piece of work on your part. And I’m just kind of wondering what kind of a role the EU can play. I’m just conscious of the challenges at home in Ireland at the moment. I mean, you mentioned taking into account the age and needs of the children, the free legal representation and psychological support, and training of judges. I mean, my God, what challenges have we got there? And the mediation offices that need to be put into the structures. These are massive challenges.

To be honest, I’m totally innocent as to how much of a role the EU can play. I know some things are the competency of Member States, so I’m curious as to how much of a strong role the European Union can actually play in pressuring the Member States to do things so much better, because it’s a huge area where things leave so much to be desired.

(Fine della procedura "catch the eye")

  Virginijus Sinkevičius, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, first of all I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Vázquez Lázara, the Committee on Legal Affairs, and all of those who contributed to this report.

The Commission notes with great satisfaction that the report aims to ensure that the best interests of the child are the primary consideration in judicial proceedings, regardless of whether they are civil, criminal or administrative, and regardless of the reason why a child comes in contact with the justice system. This highlights that the Commission and the Parliament share the same objectives that the rights of the child are protected.

The EU has a very strong acquis on child—friendly justice. In the criminal law domain we have the 2016 Procedural Safeguards Directive as regards children accused, or the Victims’ Rights Directive, along with the legislation on child sexual abuse and trafficking in human beings. In the family law area, in the Brussels IIa Regulation, its recast, and the maintenance regulations are contributing to the creation of child—friendly settings. These are complemented by several strategies, including the EU strategy on the rights of the child adopted in March last year, where child—friendly justice is one of the thematic areas. The strategy sets out concrete actions that the Commission will implement by the end of its mandate to make justice more child friendly. The Commission will notably contribute to the training of justice professionals on the rights of the child and child—friendly justice; strengthen the implementation of the 2010 Guidelines on Child—Friendly Justice with the Council of Europe; propose in 2022 a horizontal legislative initiative to support the mutual recognition of parenthood between Member States.

But let me come back to our existing family—law instruments to address and ensure a child—friendly justice. I would like to highlight, for example, the Brussels IIb Regulation, which enters into application on 1 August. This regulation covers many of the important elements highlighted in your report, including new obligations for the Member States to provide children who are capable of forming their own views with a genuine and effective opportunity to express their views, either directly or through a representative or an appropriate body. This obligation extends to all proceedings concerning parental responsibility. It will offer better protection for children and will facilitate cross-border procedures for families, which in turn reduces time and costs and increases efficiency.

Mediation is also encouraged in the new regulation. As from 1 August this year, courts deciding on parental child abduction will be called upon to invite the parties to consider engaging in mediation or other means of alternative dispute resolution unless it is contrary to the best interests of the child or it’s otherwise not appropriate.

Overall, these new rules reinforce the rights of children by ensuring that their perspectives are heard in the legal proceedings concerning them. We therefore welcome that the European Parliament report calls for proper implementation of these rules. The Commission will be intensifying its efforts to ensure that the new regulation is effectively applied by all Member States. To ensure this, we have already started working on the update of the practice guide on the application of the Brussels IIb Regulation. It should be available before the regulation starts to apply.

As to the new legislative initiative on parenthood, the proposal will aim to ensure that parenthood established in one Member State is recognised in the other Member States so that the legal links between children and their parents are not compromised when the family moves to another Member State or returns to its Member State of origin. This will further protect the rights of children such as their right to an identity, the right to be raised by and to maintain a relationship with both of their parents, the right to a family life and other rights derived from parenthood, such as the right to maintenance or succession rights. We are grateful for the Parliament’s support for this, including its parliamentary resolution on this matter in September last year. The Parliament’s earlier resolution on the cross-border aspects of adoption will also be taken into account in the preparation of this legislation.

As regards the acceptance of accessions to the 1980 Hague Convention on Child Abduction, I would like to recall that in the period of 2015-2021, 20 Council decisions have been adopted concerning no less than 27 third countries, and three Commission proposals are currently still pending at the Council. The assessment of the level of implementation by third countries is a common endeavour of the Commission and Member States.

The problems regarding the enforcement of return and decisions and visiting rights in Japan is a matter of great concern for the Commission, which worked closely with the EEAS and the EU delegation in Japan to establish a continuous dialogue with Japan on these matters, notwithstanding the difficulties linked to different social and legal concepts.

Finally, besides the measures taken at the EU level, we also note that this report calls on Member States to implement several actions in order to better protect the rights of the child in civil, administrative and family law proceedings. Many of these are in line with the recommendations to Member States outlined in the EU strategy on the rights of the child, such as support to judicial training providers. We have also recommended Member States to develop robust alternatives to judicial action, including alternatives to detention, the use of restorative justice and mediation in the context of civil justice, and to enhance cooperation in cases with cross-border implications to ensure full respect of the rights of the child.

As you can see, there is strong and significant EU action in the area of the protection of the rights of the child, with a wide range of legislative and policy instruments.

I would like to once again thank the Parliament for this report and its support.

PREDSEDÁ: MICHAL ŠIMEČKA
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