The European Commission has approved (27.01) Greece’s decision to join the 15 countries that have already adopted EU rules - in place since June 2012 - allowing international couples to select which country’s law applies to their divorce or legal separation. The regulation aims to give couples legal certainty and prevent a "rush to court," while at the same time avoiding emotionally and financially costly proceedings.

Under the regulation, couples of different nationalities can agree in advance which law would apply in the event of divorce. In case a couple cannot agree, judges have a common formula for deciding which country’s law applies. "The EU’s rules on cross-border divorce broke new ground for European integration. They showed the way ahead in areas where a lack of unanimity was a stumbling block to progress, turning the legal innovations of the Lisbon Treaty into a practical reality," said Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice Commissioner."