European Union

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for cross-border marriages.

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Falling in love is never predictable, and when a couple decides to marry, nationality is usually the last thing on their minds. A growing proportion of EU marriages are between persons of different nationalities, however cross-border marriages do come with additional formalities and legal complexities.

Laws on marriage are decided by individual EU countries. EU powers are limited to facilitating free movement of persons and developing judicial cooperation on cross-border issues.

If you are planning to marry a citizen of another EU country, you will be happy to learn that administrative formalities will soon be easier. Until recently, EU administrations demanded translation and legalisation of foreign documents, but this procedure was simplified in 2016 with an EU law. As of 16 February 2019, couples won’t need to pay for legalisation of their translated documents, and a multilingual standard form will be introduced for documents like birth or marriage certificates.

© glogoski / Fotolia

International EU couples may discover, however, that choosing a matrimonial property regime is subject to complicated rules. Recognising the problem, 18 EU countries cooperated to adopt a law in 2016 that sets out the rules applicable to matrimonial property regimes in cross-border situations.

Finally, EU rules come to the help of married couples when they move in together. Freedom of movement is one of the EU’s basic foundations. All EU citizens can move to another EU country to live, work and study. A spouse who wants to join their partner, but does not plan to work or study is entitled to residence as a dependant.

Further information

• European Commission website on marriage, https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/family/couple/marriage/index_en.htm
• European Commission website ‘Your EU spouse and children’, https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/family-residence-rights/eu-wife-husband-children/index_en.htm
• Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on promoting the free movement of citizens by simplifying the requirements for presenting certain public documents in the EU, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM%3A230101_2

Kingsley Moghalu is a confident man. He needs to be. The former UN official and deputy central bank governor turned politician will take on President Muhammudu Buhari in Nigeria's presidential elections next February, and the odds are stacked against him.

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for child victims of violence.

Twitter Hashtag #EUandME

Unfortunately, children are still victims of abuse and violence across Europe. Although it is difficult to assess the extent of violence against children and much of it remains hidden, existing estimates give cause for great concern. Violence against children can take various forms (physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or neglect) and can happen in numerous situations (at home or in the family, at school, within institutions responsible for childcare, or within the community).

Children have the same rights as adults because human rights apply to all age groups. Lacking in physical and psychological maturity they are particularly vulnerable and they need protection in order to grow and develop.

© soupstock / Fotolia

Although child protection systems are principally the responsibility of individual countries, the European Union also plays an important role. The EU is deeply committed to protecting children against violence. For that purpose, it has adopted a number of laws (for example against sexual abuse and exploitation and child pornography, against human trafficking, and for the protection of children in criminal proceedings) and initiatives (better internet for children). EU action in this area has a direct impact on the relevant laws and policies introduced by EU countries.

To protect children’s rights and combat violence towards children more effectively, the EU is also funding a number of projects within its Rights, Equality and Citizenship, and Justice programmes, both running until 2020.

Further information

• EPRS publication on violence towards children in the EU, 2014, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2014/542139/EPRS_IDA(2014)542139_EN.pdf
• European Commission, website on violence against children, https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/rights-child/violence-against-children_en
• EPRS publication on combating sexual abuse of children (Directive 2011/93/EU), 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2017/598614/EPRS_STU(2017)598614_EN.pdf

With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for EU nationals held as political prisoners in third countries.

Twitter Hashtag #EUandME

EU citizens are sometimes imprisoned without due process or sentenced after a politically motivated trial in non-EU countries that do not uphold the rule of law or human rights standards. These include journalists reporting from difficult situations, human rights defenders, and people visiting for personal reasons.

© vchalup / Fotolia

The EU is committed to promoting human rights and freedoms all over the world and has robust mechanisms in place to protect human rights defenders. It also aims to protect its citizens abroad as far as possible. EU diplomacy, coupled with individual EU countries’ efforts, can really make a difference. The EU monitors situations closely and often puts pressure on governments, either confidentially or publicly, to find a solution. Its diplomatic service sometimes issues statements calling for a fair trial or for the presumption of innocence to be upheld in line with international human rights norms.

The European Parliament also champions the causes of political prisoners with EU citizenship, highlighting their cases in its urgency resolutions and addressing their ordeals during MEP delegations’ visits to the countries concerned. Groups of EU parliamentarians can, meanwhile, issue statements or address letters to the national authorities in question. Finally, Parliament does its best to make sure that these people and their struggles are not forgotten. For instance, the Swedish-Eritrean citizen Dawit Isaak, a journalist detained in Eritrea since 2001, has twice been nominated – in 2009 and 2017 – as one of the three finalists for the Sakharov Prize.

Further information

• EPRS briefing EU support for human rights defenders around the world, 2017, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/614626/EPRS_BRI(2017)614626_EN.pdf
• European Commission webpage on Consular protection for European Union citizens abroad, https://ec.europa.eu/consularprotection/content/about-consular_en

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions, and press opportunities.

Weekly schedule of President Donald Tusk 1-7 October 2018

EU antitrust regulators are asking retailers and manufacturers whether Amazon’s sales of own brand products similar to theirs have harmed their business, a move which could lead to a formal case and possibly fines against the U.S. tech giant.

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Former Israeli diplomats have accused NGO Monitor, a right-wing pressure group, of sowing misinformation that undermines EU efforts on conflict resolution.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2018 - EP

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

© Rawf8 / Fotolia

China is a major strategic partner for the European Union, despite divergences on human rights issues, as well as on some economic and foreign policies. At their 20th EU-China summit in July, the two sides agreed to further develop their partnership and to seek to avoid global trade wars, which many analysts fear could be triggered by US President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies. They agreed, in principle, to support reform of the World Trade Organization, which has been snubbed by President Trump. However, China’s increasingly close military ties with Russia cause concern in the EU. Trade, security and connectivity will be important topics of the 12th ASEM (EU-Asia) summit in October, which will gather heads of state or government of 51 European and Asian countries.

This note offers links to recent commentaries, studies and reports from major international think tanks on China, its ties with the EU and related issues. More studies on the topics can be found in a previous edition of ‘What Think Tanks are thinking’, published in March 2018. One of the forthcoming publications in this series will be devoted to wider EU-Asia relations.

EU-China relations

China and the EU: The contradictions of exercising joint trade leadership
Centre for European Policy Studies, September 2018

‘Tell China’s stories well’: Implications for the Western narrative
Polish Institute of International Affairs, September 2018

Europe’s China vetoes
European Council on Foreign Relations, August 2018

US-China trade war: What’s in it for Europe?
Bruegel, August 2018

Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials: Implications for the competitiveness and independence of strategic industries
Istituto Affari Internazionali, August 2018

Trading places: How the EU-China summit underlined U.S. isolationism in trade under Trump
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018

Europe, China and a changed global order
Friends of Europe, July 2018

Trump provides China an opening in Europe
Carnegie Europe, July 2018

Big in Asia: Behind the rhetoric of EU relations with China and Japan
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018

With “strategic partners” like this, Who needs competitors? Europe needs to change its military to military relations with China
German Marshall Fund, July 2018

Trump cannot bring Europe and China together
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018

China’s strategic investments in Europe: The case of maritime ports
Bruegel, June 2018

Reciprocity and mutual benefits: EU-China cooperation on and protection of geographical indications
Centre for European Policy Studies, June 2018

The strategic rationale for European engagement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Swedish Institute of International Affairs, June 2018

European and Chinese trade competition in third markets: The case of Latin America
Bruegel, June 2018

Tomorrow’s silk road: Assessing an EU-China Free Trade Agreement
Centre for European Policy Studies, June 2018

EU–China innovation relations: From zero-sum to global networks
Chatham House, May 2018

How China approaches international law: Implications for Europe
European Institute for Asian Studies, May 2018

Blue China: Navigating the maritime silk road to Europe
European Council on Foreign Relations, April 2018

China’s international relations in the new era of Xi Jinping: Implications for Europe
European Institute for Asian Studies, March 2018

Foreign relations and security

Why Russia and China are strengthening security ties
Carnegie Moscow, September 2018

China is filling the void at the United Nations
Observer Research Fundation, September 2018

China: Zwischen Schlüsselrolle und Marginalisierung
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, September 2018

Chinese strategy, military forces, and economics
Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2018

Russia and China have a message for the West
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, September 2018

Dispelling the dominant myths of China in Africa
Atlantic Council, September 2018

China’s summer of discontent
German Marshall Fund, August 2018

Beijing’s ultimate goal: The military-civilian fusion
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, August 2018

Fear and loathing on the new silk road: Chinese security in Afghanistan and beyond
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018

The South China Sea needs ASEAN more than ever
International Crisis Group, July 2018

China-Vatican talks: Covert negotiations aim to end decades of severed relations
Istituto Affari Internazionali, July 2018

The Rise of China’s security-industrial complex
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018

China und der Kampf gegen die drei üblen Kräfte
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, June 2018

The security strategies of the US, China, Russia and the EU: Living in different worlds
Finnish Institute of International Affairs, June 2018

China’s strength is in making the West doubt the value of doubt
Chatham House, June 2018

China-Taiwan relations
Council on Foreign Relations, June 2018

China and the international order
Rand Europe, May 2018

Economy and trade

Rule of law in China: A priority for businesses and Western Governments
Foreign Policy Centre, September 2018

Inequality in China
Bruegel, September 2018

China’s greater bay area has real economic power
Chatham House, September 2018

The unlikely, obvious solution to the trade war
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 2018

The 21st century maritime silk road
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, September 2018

China’s Belt and Road Initiative turns five
Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2018

The power of China’s energy efficiency policies
Institut français des relations internationales, September 2018

More shots fired in US-China trade war
Atlantic Council, September 2018

How did China manage its currency over the summer?
Council on Foreign Relations, September 2018

Trump and China formalize tariffs on $260 billion of imports and look ahead to next phase
Peterson Institute for International Economics, September 2018

China’s peaking emissions and the future of global climate policy
Brookings Institution, September 2018

How Chinese cybersecurity standards impact doing business in China
Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2018

How the United States should confront China without threatening the global trading system
Peterson Institute for International Economics, August 2018

Goodbye deleveraging: Fiscal and monetary expansion to support growth in China
Bruegel, August 2018

Weaker renminbi is more than a snub to Trump
Chatham House, August 2018

The Chinese race to artificial intelligence
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, August 2018

China’s new investment rules
Brookings Institution, August 2018

Managing risk to build a better belt and road
Chatham House, July 2018

The global innovation sweepstakes: A quest to win the future
Atlantic Council, June 2018

What would happen if China started selling off its treasury portfolio?
Council on Foreign Relations, June 2018

It is America’s move in its competition with China
German Marshall Fund, June 2018

China’s new role in the global economy
Bruegel, May 2018

On Chinese investment and influence in Europe
Carnegie Europe, May 2018

The invisible silk road: Enter the digital dragon
European Institute for Asian Studies, May 2018

Game of institutional balancing: China, the AIIB, and the future of global governance
Rajaratnam School of International Studies, May 2018

The role of investors in promoting sustainable infrastructure under the belt and road Initiative
Chatham House, May 2018

The future of nuclear power in China
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 2018

How big is China’s digital economy?
Bruegel, May 2018

China’s financial opening: Will it be different this time?
Bruegel, May 2018

EU-China FDI: Working towards more reciprocity in investment relations
Mercator Institute for China Studies, April 2018

China a look behind the wall
Observer Research Foundation, April 2018

Beijing’s ambitions in the South China Sea: How should Europe respond?
Istituto Affari Internazionali, April 2018

China’s global connectivity politics: On confidently dealing with Chinese initiatives
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, April 2018

High on the party, low on the state: A quantum leap in the process of China’s reconstruction
Centre for Eastern Studies, April 2018

China, the world and the next decade: Better growth, better climate
Grantham Research Institute on climate change, April 2018

Read this briefing on ‘China‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

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