LGBT adoption in Europe

Legal status of adoption by same-sex couples in Europe
  Gay adoption legal
  Step-child adoption legal
  Single LGBT individuals may adopt
  Neither/unknown/ambiguous

Debate has occurred throughout Europe over proposals to legalize same-sex parental adoption as well as step-child adoption.

Currently some types of adoption by same-sex couples are legal in 19 of the 56 countries and in 3 of the 6 dependent territories in Europe. Full joint adoption by same-sex couples is legal in fourteen European countries, namely Andorra, Belgium, Denmark, Finland (effective 2017), France, Iceland, Ireland (not yet determined), Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. An additional four Austria, Estonia (effective 2016), Germany and Slovenia permit step-child adoption in which the registered partner can adopt the biological and, in some cases, the adopted child of his or her partner. In Croatia, a life partner may become a partner-guardian over their partner's child, which is to a great extent comparable to step-child adoption. As for the dependent territories, joint adoption by same-sex couples is legal in Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and Jersey. Several countries are currently considering permitting full joint or step-child adoption by same-sex couples.

Current situation

Full joint adoption

Jurisdiction Entry into force Notes
[1] Andorra Andorra 25 December 2014
[2] European UnionBelgium Belgium 30 June 2006
[3] European UnionDenmark Denmark 1 July 2010
  • The law does not apply to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
[4] European UnionFinland Finland 1 March 2017
[5] European UnionFrance France 18 May 2013
[6] European UnionGibraltar Gibraltar
(British Overseas Territory) 		28 March 2014
[7] Iceland Iceland 27 June 2006
[8] European UnionRepublic of Ireland Ireland Not yet determined
[9] Isle of Man Isle of Man
(British Crown Dependency) 		6 April 2011
[10] Jersey Jersey
(British Crown Dependency) 		2 April 2012
[11] European UnionLuxembourg Luxembourg 1 January 2015
[12] European UnionMalta Malta 13 June 2014
[13][14] European UnionNetherlands Netherlands 1 April 2001
  • The law initially applied to the European Netherlands only.
  • On 2012 its scope was expanded to include the Caribbean Netherlands.
[15] Norway Norway 1 January 2009
[16] European UnionSpain Spain 3 July 2005
European UnionSweden Sweden 1 February 2003
[17][18] European UnionUnited Kingdom United Kingdom 30 December 2005
  • The law does not apply to Northern Ireland and Scotland.
  • In Scotland a separate law came into force on 28 September 2009.[19]
  • In Northern Ireland since 11 December 2013[20]

Step-child adoption

Jurisdiction Entry into force Notes
[21] European UnionAustria Austria 1 August 2013
  • Biological step-child adoption only
[22] European UnionEstonia Estonia 1 January 2016
[23] European UnionGermany Germany 1 January 2005
[24] European UnionSlovenia Slovenia July 2011
  • In July 2011, The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs stated that the existing law allows for second-parent adoption.

Other

Jurisdiction Entry into force Notes
[25] European UnionCroatia Croatia 5 August 2014
  • "Partner-guardianship"

Future legislation

Full joint adoption

Austria In January 2015 the constitutional court found the existing laws on adoption to be unconstitutional and ordered the laws to be changed by 31 December 2015.[26][27]

Germany: The opposition party The Left submitted a bill to the Federal Diet on 23 October 2013. It had its first reading on 19 December 2013.

Slovenia: In December 2014, the opposition party United Left introduced a marriage equality bill into Parliament, which would also give same-sex couples full adoption rights.[28] On 3 March, the Assembly passed the bill in the third reading, in a 51-28 vote.[29] On 10 March the National Council decided not to veto the bill with 14 votes for the veto and 23 against. Now the bill awaits promulgation by the president.[30]

Step-child adoption

Czech Republic: In September 2014, a group of deputies introduced a bill to allow step-child adoption by a partner of the same-sex.[31] In October, the government decided to not take a stance on the bill.[32]

Switzerland: In 2011 and 2012, the Swiss Parliament debated whether to extend stepchild adoption or full joint adoption, ultimately opting for stepchild adoption. In November 2014, the government approved allowing stepchild adoption as part of a broader adoption reform. After approval by parliament, it will likely be put to a referendum.[33]

Public opinion

According to pollster Gallup Europe, women, younger generations, and the highly educated are more likely to support same-sex marriage and adoption rights for gay people than other demographics.[34]

In the United Kingdom in 2007, 64% of people said they thought gay couples should be allowed to adopt and 32% said they should not. 55% of respondents thought that male couples should be able to adopt and 59% of people thought that lesbian couples should be able to adopt.[35]

A 2011 poll shows that 60% of the Irish public support gay adoption.[36]

In Portugal, a poll from February 2014 showed that 40,4% of respondents support gay adoption.[37]

Opinion polls for same-sex adoption
Country Pollster Year For Against Don't Know/Neutral/No answer
 Austria Der Standard 2013 56%[38] 37%[38] 7%[38]
 Belgium Ifop 2013 71%[39] - -
 Bulgaria Eurobarometer 2006 12%[40] 68%[40] 20%[40]
 Cyprus Eurobarometer 2006 10%[40] 86%[40] 4%[40]
 Czech Republic CVVM 2014 45%[41] 48%[41] 7%
 Denmark YouGov 2012 59%[42] 31%[42] 11%[42]
 Estonia Eurobarometer 2006 14%[40] 79%[40] 7%[40]
 Finland Yougov 2012 51%[42] 36%[42] 13%[42]
 France Ifop 2014 53%[43] 47%[43] -
 Germany Ifop 2013 74%[44] - -
 Greece Eurobarometer 2006 11%[40] 89%[40] 0%[40]
 Hungary Eurobarometer 2006 13%[40] 81%[40] 6%[40]
 Ireland Red C Poll 2011 60%[45] - -
 Italy Eurobarometer 2006 24%[40] 70%[40] 5%[40]
 Latvia Eurobarometer 2006 8%[40] 89%[40] 3%[40]
 Lithuania Eurobarometer 2006 12%[40] 82%[40] 6%[40]
 Luxembourg Politmonitor 2013 55%[46] 44%[46] 1%[46]
 Malta Eurobarometer 2006 7%[47] 85%[47] 9%[47]
 Netherlands Ifop 2013 85%[48] - -
 Norway Ipsos 2013 67%[49] 32%[49] 1%[49]
 Poland CBOS 2013 8%[50] 87%[50] 5%[50]
 Portugal Eurobarometer 2006 19%[40] 74%[40] 8%[40]
 Romania Eurobarometer 2006 8%[40] 82%[40] 10%[40]
 Russia Levada Public Opinion Center 2013 5%[51] 80%[51] 15%[51]
 Slovakia Eurobarometer 2006 12%[40] 84%[40] 4%[40]
 Slovenia Delo Stik 2015 38%[52] 55%[52] 7%[52]
 Spain Ipsos 2013 72%[49] 27%[49] 1%[49]
 Sweden Ipsos 2013 78%[49] 21%[49] 1%[49]
  Switzerland Ifop 2013 63%[53] - -
 United Kingdom Ipsos 2013 65%[49] 35%[49] -

See also

References

  1. ↑ (Catalan) Llei 34/2014, del 27 de novembre, qualificada de les unions civils i de modificació de la Llei qualificada del matrimoni, de 30 de juny de 1995.
  2. ↑ (Dutch) Wet van 18 mei 2006 tot wijziging van een aantal bepalingen van het Burgerlijk Wetboek, teneinde de adoptie door personen van hetzelfde geslacht mogelijk te maken
  3. ↑ (Danish) Lov om ændring af lov om registreret partnerskab, lov om en børnefamilieydelse og lov om børnetilskud og forskudsvis udbetaling af børnebidrag
  4. ↑ (Swedish) Lag om ändring av äktenskapslagen
  5. ↑ (French) LOI n° 2013-404 du 17 mai 2013 ouvrant le mariage aux couples de personnes de même sexe
  6. ↑ CIVIL PARTNERSHIP ACT 2014
  7. ↑ (Icelandic) Lög um breytingu á lagaákvæðum er varða réttarstöðu samkynhneigðra (sambúð, ættleiðingar, tæknifrjóvgun)
  8. ↑ Children and Family Relationships Act 2015
  9. ↑ Civil Partnership Act 2011
  10. ↑ Civil Partnership (Jersey) Law 2012
  11. ↑ (French) Mémorial A n° 125 de 2014
  12. ↑ AN ACT to regulate civil unions and to provide for matters connected therewith or ancillary thereto
  13. ↑ (Dutch) Wet openstelling huwelijk
  14. ↑ (Dutch) Invoeringswet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba
  15. ↑ (Norwegian) Lov om endringer i ekteskapsloven, barnelova, adopsjonsloven, bioteknologiloven mv. (felles ekteskapslov for heterofile og homofile par)
  16. ↑ (Spanish) Ley 13/2005, de 1 de julio, por la que se modifica el Código Civil en materia de derecho a contraer matrimonio
  17. ↑ Adoption and Children Act 2002
  18. ↑ Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007
  19. ↑ The Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (Commencement No. 4, Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2009
  20. ↑ Gay adoption: Northern Ireland ban lifted
  21. ↑ "Adoptionsrechts-Änderungsgesetz 2013" (in German). Parlament Republik Österreich. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  22. ↑ "Kooseluseadus" (in Estonian). Riigikogu. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  23. ↑ (German) Gesetz zur Überarbeitung des Lebenspartnerschaftsrechts
  24. ↑ "Confronting Homophobia in Europe" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-10-10.
  25. ↑ (Croatian) Zakon o životnom partnerstvu osoba istog spola
  26. ↑ "Adoptionsverbot für homosexuelle Partner aufgehoben". Vienna Online. 14 January 2015.
  27. ↑ "Österreich: Adoptionsverbot für Homo-Paare verfassungswidrig". Queer.de. 14 January 2015.
  28. ↑ Time to bestow marriage equality to same-sex couples?
  29. ↑ Slovenian parliament votes to legalise same-sex marriage
  30. ↑
  31. ↑ (Czech) Sněmovní tisk 320 Novela z. o registrovaném partnerství
  32. ↑ (Czech) Vláda se neshodla na novele o adopci registrovanými partnery
  33. ↑ Adoption par le conjoint du même sexe: le Conseil fédéral a livré sa copie, 29 November 2014, 360.ch
  34. ↑ "Public opinion and same-sex unions (2003)". ILGA Europe. Retrieved 29 January 2006.
  35. ↑ Gay Adoption 28 Jan 2007 (2007-01-28). "UK Polling Report". UK Polling Report. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
  36. ↑ http://www.thejournal.ie/nearly-three-quarters-of-irish-people-in-favour-of-gay-marriage-2011-03/
  37. ↑ http://expresso.sapo.pt/portugueses-querem-referendo-sobre-coadocao=f855888
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 "Umfrage: Mehrheit will Ehe und Adoptionsrecht für Homosexuelle". Der Standard. 3 November 2013.
  39. ↑ (PDF) http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2255-1-study_file.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 40.5 40.6 40.7 40.8 40.9 40.10 40.11 40.12 40.13 40.14 40.15 40.16 40.17 40.18 40.19 40.20 40.21 40.22 40.23 40.24 40.25 40.26 40.27 40.28 40.29 40.30 40.31 40.32 "EUROBAROMETER 66 FIRST RESULTS" (PDF). TNS. European Commission. December 2006. p. 80. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 "Postoje veřejnosti k právům homosexuálů – červen 2014" (PDF). CVVM. CVVM. 11 July 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 42.4 42.5 "Le mariage et l’adoption pour tous, un an après" (PDF). YouGov. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 "68% des Français désormais favorables au mariage pour tous et 53% à l'adoption par les couples homosexuels". atlantico. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  44. ↑ (PDF) http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2255-1-study_file.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  45. ↑ . Thejournal.ie http://www.thejournal.ie/nearly-three-quarters-of-irish-people-in-favour-of-gay-marriage-2011-03/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 "Politmonitor: Breite Mehrheit für Homo-Ehe". Politmonitor. Luxemburger Wort. 10 March 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 Vella, Matthew (5 June 2012). "Heartening change in attitudes to put gay unions on political agenda". MaltaToday. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  48. ↑ (PDF) http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2255-1-study_file.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 49.4 49.5 49.6 49.7 49.8 49.9 49.10 "Detailed Tables". Ipsos. 18 June 2013. p. 13. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 "STOSUNEK DO PRAW GEJÓW I LESBIJEK ORAZ ZWIĄZKÓW PARTNERSKICH" (PDF). CENTRUM BADANIA OPINII SPOŁECZNEJ. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 "Vast majority of Russians oppose gay marriage and gay pride events – poll". Levada Public Opinion Center. Russia Today. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 "Večina podpira istospolne poroke, do posvojitev je zadržana". RTV Slovenia (in Slovenian). 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  53. ↑ (PDF) http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2255-1-study_file.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)