Recently we have witnessed important scientific developments in artificial (or assisted) reproductive technologies (ART). At the same time, there have been social and cultural evolutions in thinking about same-sex marriage and families. Laws on child-parent relations in various countries have not changed at the same pace and not in the same direction, due to the difficulties to integrate new phenomena in the longstanding traditions of national family laws. Belgium and Switzerland have regulated ART but not surrogacy, and have taken legislative steps to protect children's right to know their origins. Other countries consider several ART practices contrary to public policy (Germany, France and Italy). Some have regulated child-parent relations emanating from ART (The Netherlands and the United Kingdom); some are or have been destinations of "reproductive" tourism (Spain and Greece). Others are reluctant to recognise same-sex parenthood (Croatia and Poland). This is resulting in extraordinary diversity and even political tension.
JUST BONDING will analyse the different laws, as well as how legal systems accept or refuse to accept parent-child relationships established in other countries. Project partners will study how principle of the best interests of the child and other fundamental rights influence the establishment, recognition and contestation of child-parent relations. They will identify appropriate conditions for legal recognition of these new forms of parenthood.