In a video message at the ILGA-Europe Annual Conference "Family matters! Reaching out to hearts and minds" in Zagreb, Croatia, the Commissioner urged all European countries to give equal legal recognition to LGBTI couples and families. The European Court of Human Rights has clearly recognised that same-sex couples living in a stable partnership with or without children fall within the notion of ‘family life' protected by the European Convention. The Commissioner stressed that sexual orientation and gender identity should not be used as grounds to deny parental rights or restrict people's access to adoption procedures.
