Reciprocity For EU Civil Partners?

A member of the parliament of the European Union is planning to campaign that each member nation recognize civil partnerships from other members.

The declaration calls for "Member States with existing same-sex partnership legislation to recognise the arrangements of other Member States that have also made provisions for same-sex partnerships," and also "Calls upon the Commission to draw up guidelines for such mutual recognition by Member States with existing same-sex partnership legislation."

Written declarations have a lifetime of three months, after which, if has been signed by over half the MEPs, it will become a resolution. Resolutions are then formally adopted by the European Parliament and forwarded to the Commission, Council and Member State governments for consideration. "The declaration will be launched in the next few weeks," Ms Bowles continued, "and we are hoping for organisations to join the campaign and put pressure on MEPs to sign up. We are optimistic, because lots of declarations do move on in policy terms."

As example of current laws: British gays' relationships are not recognized in France.