This brief article describes the impact of the 2003 enactment of the Brussels II bis Regulation, under which courts in the European Union became bound by a separate and additional set of laws governing Hague return cases. Besides adopting procedures for handling cases under the 1980 Convention, Brussels II bis covers a broad range of child-related family law issues, including conflict of law and exercise of jurisdiction. The adoption of Brussels II bis has no direct impact on U.S. courts handling Hague Convention proceedings involving an EU country. 

This document is part of The 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction: A Resource for Judges, a Special Topic Webpage.