Hague Maintenance Convention and Protocol of 2007

What is the issue?

Maintenance creditors in Switzerland are entitled to administrative support for the enforcement of their maintenance claims, also against maintenance debtors abroad. However, the legal bases regulating this support in Switzerland are now outdated. The Hague Maintenance Convention and the Hague Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations (both of 2007) provide modern instruments to better assist maintenance creditors. The Federal Council recommends that Switzerland accede to the Maintenance Convention and the Protocol. However, before accession to the Hague Maintenance Convention, it must be clarified at which level (federal, cantonal, communal) the processing of cases should take place. 

What has happened so far?

• On November 23, 2007, the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance is adopted together with the Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations.
• On June 21, 2019, the National Council adopts the Postulate Vogler 19.3105 "Protecting Families and Relieving the Burden on Communities. Evaluating the ratification of the Hague Maintenance Convention."
• On June 18, 2021, the Federal Council adopts the postulate report (Medienmitteilung) (This document is not available in English).
• On June 17, 2022 and December 14, 2022, respectively, the National Council and the Council of States adopt the Motion Paganini 22.3250 "Hague Maintenance Convention. Preparation and ratification by Switzerland".

Documentation

Documents of the Hague Conference

• Hague Maintenance Convention of 2007
• Explanatory report on the Maintenance Convention, published by the Hague Conference
• Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations
• Explanatory Report on the Protocol on Maintenance Obligations, published by the Hague Conference

Parliamentary requests and reports of the Federal Council

(These documents are not available in English)

• Postulat Vogler 19.3105
• Postulat Vogler 19.3105
• Postulato Vogler 19.3105
• Bericht des Bundesrats zum Postulat Vogler (PDF, 469 kB, 29.11.2021)
• Rapport du Conseil fédéral donnant suite au postulat Vogler (PDF, 472 kB, 29.11.2021)
• Motion Paganini 22.3250
• Motion Paganini 22.3250
• Mozione Paganini 22.3250
• Bericht des Bundesrats "Harmonisierung Alimentenbevorschussung und Alimenteninkasso"
• Rapport du Conseil féderal "Harmonisation de l’avance sur contributions d’entretien et de l’aide au recouvrement"
• Rapporto del Consiglio federale "Armonizzazione dell'anticipo e dell'incasso degli alimenti"

Note

For the complete documentation see the pages in German, French or Italian.

Dossier

Last modification 14.12.2022