EU-Japan relations and parental child abduction

Question for written answer E-001684/2022 to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Rule 138 Sylvie Guillaume (S&D) Subject: EU-Japan relations and parental child abduction The EU-Japan Joint Committee met informally on 13 April, in preparation for a bilateral meeting that will be held later this year in Tokyo. There was no mention during this encounter, however, of the abduction of European children in Japan – a deeply distressing issue for all European families and parents affected. To address this problem, Japan would need to recognise the shared or joint custody of a child after parental separation, align its legislation with its international commitments and ensure visitation and access rights are coherent with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Can the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy state what progress has been made in the discussions between the EU and Japan with a view to encouraging the Japanese authorities to follow the international recommendations and make the necessary changes to their legal system? PE732.089v01-00