Premier Matteo Renzi told a
meeting on civil rights of lawmakers from his center-left
Democratic Party (PD) on Monday that his government wants a bill
on civil unions approved, ideally before May regional elections.
"The PD agrees overall that we need a law on gay unions,"
said party undersecretary Ivan Scalfarotto.
The question is not if, but how to draft the bill with
regards to issues such as adoption and pensions, he added.
This came after the Lazio regional administrative court
(TAR) on March 9 ruled in favor of gay plaintiffs that only
civil courts, not prefects, can annul the transcription in Italy
of gay marriages contracted abroad.
This was the latest move in Italy's contentious gay
marriage debate after mayors in Bologna, Florence, Reggio
Emilia, Rome, Milan, Trieste and Udine defied central government
and transcribed gay marriages contracted abroad by Italian
citizens.
The mayors, including Rome's Ignazio Marino, have created
special registries for these unions and have proceeded to
officially transcribe them.
Marino said in October that the city's legal department was
considering whether to take the issue to the European Court of
Human Rights.
Last month, Premier Matteo Renzi's ruling Democratic Party
(PD) vowed to set up a work group to frame a law governing civil
unions in Italy after a meeting with LGBT groups in Rome.
LGBT rights groups announced they are planning a mass
wedding celebration in Rome for 100 couples in May.
The European Parliament last week called on EU member
states that have not already done so, to recognise civil unions
and same-sex marriage as a civil and human right.
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