The EU should lift all national obstacles to the recognition of same-sex relationships, say MEPs, even though this is a not an area which falls directly under EU power.

In a resolution on the rights of LGBTIQ persons in the EU (adopted with 387 votes in favour, 161 against and 123 abstaining), the European Parliament emphasises that these citizens should be able to fully exercise their rights, everywhere in the Union.

The resolution states that marriages or registered partnerships formed in one member state should be recognised in all of them in a uniform way, and same-sex spouses and partners should be treated the same as their opposite-sex counterparts.

The resolution also urges all EU countries to accept the adults mentioned in a child’s birth certificate as their legal parents, regardless of their biological connection or whether surrogate mothers or third party gametes were used.

Following the European Court of Justice ruling “Coman & Hamilton”, which found that “spouse” provisions in the Free Movement Directive also apply to same-sex couples, the Commission should take enforcement action against Romania, where the government has not changed national legislation to reflect this ruling, MEPs ask.

The Parliament also called for further EU action (infringement procedures, judicial measures and budgetary tools) against Poland and Hungary.