Council of the European Union 27 November 2003, Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 of 27 November 2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, repealing Regulation (EC) No 1347/2000

Also known as

Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 establishes uniform rules on jurisdiction, recognition, and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters (divorce, legal separation, marriage annulment) and parental responsibility across EU Member States, replacing Regulation (EC) No 1347/2000, with Denmark excluded from its application. Key provisions include: jurisdiction in parental responsibility matters is grounded primarily in the child's habitual residence; judgments on rights of access and child return orders certified in the Member State of origin are directly enforceable in other Member States without any declaration of enforceability or grounds for opposing recognition. The Regulation also establishes a framework for cooperation between designated central authorities, addresses child abduction through complementary application of the 1980 Hague Convention, and applies to proceedings instituted from 1 March 2005.AI