Italy - March 2023

The Minister of the Interior has ordered Milan’s city council to cease registering the children of same-sex couples, and instead register those children as adopted. The procedure is lengthier and provides only limited parental rights. Despite the 2016 legalization of same-sex civil unions, Italy still lacks specific laws protecting same-sex parenting, and the legislative void has led to different interpretations of existing laws across the country. The government's order has sparked protests in Milan and condemnation from the EU parliament as it risks discriminating against children of LGBTQIA+ couples. On 14 March, the Senate's European Policies Committee rejected a proposed European regulation recognizing the rights of gay couples’ children and the adoption of a European certificate of filiation.

Sources: Euractiv, Corriere della Sera, Reuters, The Guardian