Meeting of the Commission on European Family Law

The Institute for the State and the Law – BAS was the informal host of the 42nd meeting of the Organising Committee of the Commission on European Family Law.
The Committee met in Bulgaria for the first time, consisting of Prof. Katharina Boele-Woelki (Chair), Bucerius Law School (Dean), Hamburg, Germany; Prof. Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg, Uppsala University, Department of Law, Sweden; Prof. Frédérique Ferrand, University Jean Moulin Lyon 3, Lyon, France; Prof. Cristina González Beilfuss, University of Barcelona, Faculty of Law, Barcelona, Spain; Prof. Emeritus Dieter Martiny, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg, Germany; Prof. Emeritus Nigel Lowe, Cardiff University, Law School, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Assoc. Prof. Velina Todorova, Institute for the State and the Law – BAS, Bulgaria; and Ms Charlotte Mol, Secretary, doctoral student at the Faculty of Law of Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
 
The Commission on European Family Law was established on 1 September 2001 by 26 (currently 29) distinguished experts in the field of family and comparative law from all the Member States of the European Union and other European countries. The aim of the Commission is to carry out innovative theoretical and practical research in connection with the harmonisation of family law in Europe. The most important contribution of the Commission since its establishment has been the elaboration of a system of principles of European Family Law, which are considered the most suitable for achieving harmonised family legislation in Europe. These are: 
Principles of European Family Law regarding Divorce;
Principles of European Family Law regarding Maintenance between Former Spouses;
Principles of European Family Law regarding Parental Responsibilities;
Principles of European Family Law regarding Property Relations between Spouses.

The subject of the Commission's meeting in Sofia was work on the principles of European Family Law regarding de facto cohabitation. The principles will be presented and discussed by the Commission on European Family Law and by other experts in 2018.

V. Todorova, 4 September 2017