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Same-sex unions are not currently recognized by law in Greece. In 2008 Greece passed a law which regulated cohabitation, but this law barred same-sex couples from enjoying some rights if they were cohabitants. On November 7, 2013, the ECtHR ruled that it is discriminatory to exclude same-sex couples from the benefits afforded by this law. == Registered partnership == The former government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis (which governed until October 2009) was opposed to same-sex marriage. The New Democracy-led government had proposed legislation that offers several rights to unmarried couples, but only applies to opposite-sex couples. If introduced, the law was expected to be declared unconstitutional or against EU principles if brought to Greek or European Courts.〔(Greek gays demonstrate for marriage ), 365gay.com, 28 September 2008〕 The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), under George Andreas Papandreou presented in April 2006, a legislative proposal for the recognition of unmarried couples, homosexual and heterosexual, following the French example of the Civil solidarity pact. However, according to some LGBT groups, the proposal's controversial terminology made little headway on LGBT rights and PASOK's proposed 'partnership' banned same-sex couples from adopting. In November 2008, PASOK once again submitted a draft law on civil partnership, even though it made no progress in the legislature.〔 (Η ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΝΟΜΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΣΟΚ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΣΥΜΦΩΝΟ ΣΥΜΒΙΩΣΗΣ )〕 Gay rights group OLKE announced its intention to sue Greek municipalities that refuse to marry gay couples, pointing out a loophole in the 1982 law that legalized civil marriage between "persons", without reference to gender.〔(Greek gays find loophole in marriage law ), Pink News, 13 March 2008〕 Responding to government proposals in 2008 to introduce legal rights for cohabiting couples, Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens, the most respected-bishop of the Church of Greece, suggested that "There is a need to change with the time". It is unclear, however, whether this view applied to same-sex couples, particularly as the Church has previously opposed gay rights in general and civil union laws in particular.〔(Greeks consider recognising same-sex couples )〕 Before the legislative elections of 2009, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) announced its support for same-sex registered partnerships in a reply to a questionnaire sent by gay rights group OLKE. PASOK ended up winning the election.〔(New gay friendly government after elections? )〕 On September 17, 2010 the minister of Justice Haris Kastanidis announced that a special committee had been formed to prepare a registered partnership law that would include both same-sex and different-sex couples.〔 («Δεν αρκεί το σύμφωνο ελεύθερης συμβίωσης» )〕〔 (Σύμφωνο Συμβίωσης για ομόφυλα ζευγάρια προωθεί η κυβέρνηση )〕 The committee was constituted on 29 July 2010 and, according to its members, its work is to make proposals regarding the modernization of Family Law. Until the end of 2010, matters regarding heterosexual couples would be discussed, while those regarding same-sex couples would be discussed after January 2011.〔 (Ερχεται το σύμφωνο συμβίωσης )〕 On February 8, 2011 the European Court of Human Rights decided to merge and accept two cases of four couples regarding the breach of article 8 (respect of private and family life) combined with article 14 (freedom from discrimination) and article 13 (effective remedy). The cases were brought to the ECtHR as a result of the Greek state introducing cohabitation agreement legislation that specifically and expressly excluded same-sex couples. The ECtHR gave Greece until May 31, 2011 to submit its observations, a deadline which will probably be extended for a few months. On 19 August 2011, a government official announced that the government aims to introduce legislation allowing the registration of same-sex relationships soon. In February 2013, Minister of Justice Antonis Roupakiotis stated that the government considers amending the cohabitation agreement law to include same-sex couples.〔 (Διάλογος για την επέκταση του συμφώνου συμβίωσης σε ομόφυλα ζευγάρια )〕〔 (Ρουπακιώτης: Διάλογος για το σύμφωνο συμβίωσης για ομοφυλόφιλους )〕 On 7 November 2013, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in ''Vallianatos and Others v. Greece'' that excluding same-sex couples from cohabitation agreements is discriminatory.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=ECHR: "Exclusion of same-sex couples from civil unions is illegal" )〕 On 12 November, PASOK announced its intention to introduce a bill extending the cohabitation agreement law to same-sex couples, something that eventually never happened.〔 (Ανάληψη πρωτοβουλίας του ΠΑΣΟΚ για το σύμφωνο συμβίωσης )〕〔 (Τροπολογία για το σύμφωνο συμβίωσης από το ΠΑΣΟΚ )〕 In November 2014, it was announced that many major changes to Greece's Family Code would be considered, the most prominent being the extension of cohabitation agreements to gay couples. It was also reported that the Ministry of Justice is not considering same-sex marriage.〔(Same-Sex Civil Partnership Agreements in Greece )〕 On 9 February 2015, the SYRIZA-led coalition government, sworn in on 27 January 2015, has promised to extend cohabitation agreements to same-sex couples. On 24 April 2015, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice announced the government's intention to bring a bill before Parliament within two months.〔 (ΕΝΤΟΣ ΔΥΟ ΜΗΝΩΝ ΤΟ ΝΟΜΟΣΧΕΔΙΟ Σύμφωνο συμβίωσης και στα ομόφυλα ζευγάρια )〕 Shortly after a committee was formed to study the issue until 15 June 2015.〔 (Σύσταση και συγκρότηση νομοπαρασκευαστικής επιτροπής για το σύμφωνο συμβίωσης )〕 The bill was published on 10 June 2015.〔(Greece Proposes Civil Partnerships For Same-Sex Couples )〕〔(Greece to introduce bill giving same-sex couples civil union rights )〕 On 9 November 2015, a new draft of the cohabitation agreement bill granting all the rights of marriage except adoption was published. The bill was sent for public consultation which will end on 20 November. Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos announced that same-sex adoption will be studied in the future.〔 (New Greek Draft Law Allows Civil Partnership Rights to Same Sex Couples )〕〔 (Δημόσια Διαβούλευση για το σχέδιο νόμου ««Σύμφωνο Συμβίωσης και άλλες διατάξεις» )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Recognition of same-sex unions in Greece」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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