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In June 2016, the European Union adopted a Regulation concerning the property consequences of international registered partnerships aimed at helping couples to manage their property on a daily basis and to divide it in case of dissolution or the death of one of the couple's members. The Regulation was adopted under the procedure of enhanced cooperation by 18 EU countries: Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Luxembourg, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland and Cyprus. Other EU countries can join the Regulation any time (in such case the country will also have to join the Regulation concerning the property regimes of marriages).
The Regulation will provide international registered partnerships with legal certainty and reduce the costs of legal proceedings as couples will know with clarity which EU country’s courts should deal with matters concerning their property and which national law should apply to resolve such matters. The Regulation will also facilitate the recognition and enforcement of decisions on property matters given in one EU country in another EU country. As a couple's property must be divided in case of death, the Regulation will also facilitate the application of EU rules on cross-border successions. The Regulation is applicable from 29 January 2019.
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