Property Regimes of Spouses and Partners in New EU Regulations – Jurisdiction, Prorogation and Choice of Law

There are millions of international couples living and working in the EU. Not a small number of those face difficult time when their marriage or partnership comes to an end. On top of dealing with loss, the couples have to navigate through a lot of administrative and legal obstacles to figure out the division of their property located in different Member States or governed by different national law. These proceedings are lengthy and expensive. European Commission, aware of the issue their citizens face, introduced two proposals for regulations on matrimonial property and property of registered partners. In 2013 the proposals did not get the required unanimity, in 2016 they are being re-introduced in enhanced cooperation.