POAM’s goals can be summarised in three short points. The aim is to achieve these through designated work packages.

Objective 1

To evaluate the difficult issues of protection of abducting mothers in return proceedings under the 1980 Hague Convention and Brussels IIa through the application of the Protection Measures Regulation and the European Protection Order Directive

The 1980 Hague Convention and Brussels IIa have an unintended potential not only to compel the return of the abducted child but also to de facto compel the return of the mother who was fleeing alleged domestic violence from her partner who has used the international and European Union law to secure the return of his child and the probable return of the child’s mother too. Evidence suggests that this unintended consequence occurs on a frequent basis, and it is important to ensure that there are proper protective measures in place to safeguard the returning mothers i.e. that the measures that are provided by European Union law are satisfactorily tailored and applied in this typical scenario when the domestic violence is at issue.

 

Objective 2

To contribute towards the implementation of the Protection Measures Regulation and the European Protection Order Directive

The POAM research team will develop training materials and deliver specialist training for relevant professionals on the application of the Protection Measures Regulation and the European Protection Order Directive in the specific context of parental child abduction cases committed against the background of domestic violence, with the view of strengthening the protection of abducting mothers fleeing domestic violence. Two local training sessions will take place in each partner Member State (UK, Croatia, Italy and Germany) targeting key stakeholders. The participants will be trained in the correct approach towards the application of the Protection Measures Regulation and the European Protection Order Directive, taking account of the variety of national approaches towards protection measures within the European Union.

Objective 3

To present the findings of research to academics, legal practitioners, judges and other stakeholder groups

The project is unique in that it explores aspects of the Protection Measures Regulation and the European Protection Order Directive in the specific context of return proceedings under the 1980 Hague Convention and Brussels IIa. The POAM project results will be disseminated across the academic community through a journal article which will be published at the end of the project. In addition, as a part of the project, an academic conference will be organised at the University of Münich in Germany, with the aim of sustaining discussion on the topic amongst academic experts.