Cross-border rights of access for grandparents to their grandchildren according to the European Union Court of Justice

Abstract

The  concept of  «right  of  access»  of  article  1,  paragraph  2,  letter a), and  of article  2, points 7 and  10,  of 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 should be interpreted as including the right of access for grandparents to their grandchildren. The  CJEU  states  that  the  concept of visiting rights  includes not  only  the  right of the  parents  to  visit  their children, but  also  that  of other  persons with whom it is  important that  the  minor maintain  personal relationships, in  particular his  or her grandparents, whether or not  they  are holders  of parental responsibility. And  so that  there is no  interference and  this  right  is granted  to a close relative  of the  child in a manner that  is contradictory to that  attributed to a beneficiary of parental responsibility (for  example, in the  right  of custody of a parent  and  in  the  right  of access  of the other  parent)  of being  the jurisdictional organ  of the minor’s habitual residence,  the  one  that  decides  on  visiting rights.