European Treaty Series - No. 166 EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON NATIONALITY

Transcription

1 Europen Trety Series - No. 166 EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON NATIONALITY Strsourg, 6.XI.1997

2 2 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 Premle The memer Sttes of the Counil of Europe n the other Sttes signtory to this Convention, Consiering tht the im of the Counil of Europe is to hieve greter unity etween its memers; Bering in min the numerous interntionl instruments relting to ntionlity, multiple ntionlity n sttelessness; Reognising tht, in mtters onerning ntionlity, ount shoul e tken oth of the legitimte interests of Sttes n those of iniviuls; Desiring to promote the progressive evelopment of legl priniples onerning ntionlity, s well s their option in internl lw n esiring to voi, s fr s possile, ses of sttelessness; Desiring to voi isrimintion in mtters relting to ntionlity; Awre of the right to respet for fmily life s ontine in Artile 8 of the Convention for the Protetion of Humn Rights n Funmentl Freeoms; Noting the vrie pproh of Sttes to the question of multiple ntionlity n reognising tht eh Stte is free to eie whih onsequenes it tthes in its internl lw to the ft tht ntionl quires or possesses nother ntionlity; Agreeing on the esirility of fining pproprite solutions to onsequenes of multiple ntionlity n in prtiulr s regrs the rights n uties of multiple ntionls; Consiering it esirle tht persons possessing the ntionlity of two or more Sttes Prties shoul e require to fulfil their militry oligtions in reltion to only one of those Prties; Consiering the nee to promote interntionl o-opertion etween the ntionl uthorities responsile for ntionlity mtters, Hve gree s follows: Chpter I Generl mtters Artile 1 Ojet of the Convention This Convention estlishes priniples n rules relting to the ntionlity of nturl persons n rules regulting militry oligtions in ses of multiple ntionlity, to whih the internl lw of Sttes Prties shll onform. Artile 2 Definitions For the purpose of this Convention: ntionlity mens the legl on etween person n Stte n oes not inite the person's ethni origin; multiple ntionlity mens the simultneous possession of two or more ntionlities y the sme person;

3 3 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 hil mens every person elow the ge of 18 yers unless, uner the lw pplile to the hil, mjority is ttine erlier; internl lw mens ll types of provisions of the ntionl legl system, inluing the onstitution, legisltion, regultions, erees, se-lw, ustomry rules n prtie s well s rules eriving from ining interntionl instruments. Chpter II Generl priniples relting to ntionlity Artile 3 Competene of the Stte 1 Eh Stte shll etermine uner its own lw who re its ntionls. 2 This lw shll e epte y other Sttes in so fr s it is onsistent with pplile interntionl onventions, ustomry interntionl lw n the priniples of lw generlly reognise with regr to ntionlity. Artile 4 Priniples The rules on ntionlity of eh Stte Prty shll e se on the following priniples: everyone hs the right to ntionlity; sttelessness shll e voie; no one shll e ritrrily eprive of his or her ntionlity; neither mrrige nor the issolution of mrrige etween ntionl of Stte Prty n n lien, nor the hnge of ntionlity y one of the spouses uring mrrige, shll utomtilly ffet the ntionlity of the other spouse. Artile 5 Non-isrimintion 1 The rules of Stte Prty on ntionlity shll not ontin istintions or inlue ny prtie whih mount to isrimintion on the grouns of sex, religion, re, olour or ntionl or ethni origin. 2 Eh Stte Prty shll e guie y the priniple of non-isrimintion etween its ntionls, whether they re ntionls y irth or hve quire its ntionlity susequently. Chpter III Rules relting to ntionlity Artile 6 Aquisition of ntionlity 1 Eh Stte Prty shll provie in its internl lw for its ntionlity to e quire ex lege y the following persons:

4 4 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 hilren one of whose prents possesses, t the time of the irth of these hilren, the ntionlity of tht Stte Prty, sujet to ny exeptions whih my e provie for y its internl lw s regrs hilren orn ro. With respet to hilren whose prenthoo is estlishe y reognition, ourt orer or similr proeures, eh Stte Prty my provie tht the hil quires its ntionlity following the proeure etermine y its internl lw; founlings foun in its territory who woul otherwise e stteless. 2 Eh Stte Prty shll provie in its internl lw for its ntionlity to e quire y hilren orn on its territory who o not quire t irth nother ntionlity. Suh ntionlity shll e grnte: t irth ex lege; or susequently, to hilren who remine stteless, upon n pplition eing loge with the pproprite uthority, y or on ehlf of the hil onerne, in the mnner presrie y the internl lw of the Stte Prty. Suh n pplition my e me sujet to the lwful n hitul resiene on its territory for perio not exeeing five yers immeitely preeing the loging of the pplition. 3 Eh Stte Prty shll provie in its internl lw for the possiility of nturlistion of persons lwfully n hitully resient on its territory. In estlishing the onitions for nturlistion, it shll not provie for perio of resiene exeeing ten yers efore the loging of n pplition. 4 Eh Stte Prty shll filitte in its internl lw the quisition of its ntionlity for the following persons: e f g spouses of its ntionls; hilren of one of its ntionls, flling uner the exeption of Artile 6, prgrph 1, suprgrph ; hilren one of whose prents quires or hs quire its ntionlity; hilren opte y one of its ntionls; persons who were orn on its territory n resie there lwfully n hitully; persons who re lwfully n hitully resient on its territory for perio of time eginning efore the ge of 18, tht perio to e etermine y the internl lw of the Stte Prty onerne; stteless persons n reognise refugees lwfully n hitully resient on its territory. Artile 7 Loss of ntionlity ex lege or t the inititive of Stte Prty 1 A Stte Prty my not provie in its internl lw for the loss of its ntionlity ex lege or t the inititive of the Stte Prty exept in the following ses: voluntry quisition of nother ntionlity;

5 5 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 e f g quisition of the ntionlity of the Stte Prty y mens of fruulent onut, flse informtion or onelment of ny relevnt ft ttriutle to the pplint; voluntry servie in foreign militry fore; onut seriously prejuiil to the vitl interests of the Stte Prty; lk of genuine link etween the Stte Prty n ntionl hitully resiing ro; where it is estlishe uring the minority of hil tht the preonitions li own y internl lw whih le to the ex lege quisition of the ntionlity of the Stte Prty re no longer fulfille; option of hil if the hil quires or possesses the foreign ntionlity of one or oth of the opting prents. 2 A Stte Prty my provie for the loss of its ntionlity y hilren whose prents lose tht ntionlity exept in ses overe y su-prgrphs n of prgrph 1. However, hilren shll not lose tht ntionlity if one of their prents retins it. 3 A Stte Prty my not provie in its internl lw for the loss of its ntionlity uner prgrphs 1 n 2 of this rtile if the person onerne woul therey eome stteless, with the exeption of the ses mentione in prgrph 1, su-prgrph, of this rtile. Artile 8 Loss of ntionlity t the inititive of the iniviul 1 Eh Stte Prty shll permit the renunition of its ntionlity provie the persons onerne o not therey eome stteless. 2 However, Stte Prty my provie in its internl lw tht renunition my e effete only y ntionls who re hitully resient ro. Artile 9 Reovery of ntionlity Eh Stte Prty shll filitte, in the ses n uner the onitions provie for y its internl lw, the reovery of its ntionlity y former ntionls who re lwfully n hitully resient on its territory. Chpter IV Proeures relting to ntionlity Artile 10 Proessing of pplitions Eh Stte Prty shll ensure tht pplitions relting to the quisition, retention, loss, reovery or ertifition of its ntionlity e proesse within resonle time. Artile 11 Deisions Eh Stte Prty shll ensure tht eisions relting to the quisition, retention, loss, reovery or ertifition of its ntionlity ontin resons in writing.

6 6 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 Artile 12 Right to review Eh Stte Prty shll ensure tht eisions relting to the quisition, retention, loss, reovery or ertifition of its ntionlity e open to n ministrtive or juiil review in onformity with its internl lw. Artile 13 Fees 1 Eh Stte Prty shll ensure tht the fees for the quisition, retention, loss, reovery or ertifition of its ntionlity e resonle. 2 Eh Stte Prty shll ensure tht the fees for n ministrtive or juiil review e not n ostle for pplints. Chpter V Multiple ntionlity Artile 14 Cses of multiple ntionlity ex lege 1 A Stte Prty shll llow: hilren hving ifferent ntionlities quire utomtilly t irth to retin these ntionlities; its ntionls to possess nother ntionlity where this other ntionlity is utomtilly quire y mrrige. 2 The retention of the ntionlities mentione in prgrph 1 is sujet to the relevnt provisions of Artile 7 of this Convention. Artile 15 Other possile ses of multiple ntionlity The provisions of this Convention shll not limit the right of Stte Prty to etermine in its internl lw whether: its ntionls who quire or possess the ntionlity of nother Stte retin its ntionlity or lose it; the quisition or retention of its ntionlity is sujet to the renunition or loss of nother ntionlity. Artile 16 Conservtion of previous ntionlity A Stte Prty shll not mke the renunition or loss of nother ntionlity onition for the quisition or retention of its ntionlity where suh renunition or loss is not possile or nnot resonly e require. Artile 17 Rights n uties relte to multiple ntionlity 1 Ntionls of Stte Prty in possession of nother ntionlity shll hve, in the territory of tht Stte Prty in whih they resie, the sme rights n uties s other ntionls of tht Stte Prty. 2 The provisions of this hpter o not ffet:

7 7 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 the rules of interntionl lw onerning iplomti or onsulr protetion y Stte Prty in fvour of one of its ntionls who simultneously possesses nother ntionlity; the pplition of the rules of privte interntionl lw of eh Stte Prty in ses of multiple ntionlity. Chpter VI Stte suession n ntionlity Artile 18 Priniples 1 In mtters of ntionlity in ses of Stte suession, eh Stte Prty onerne shll respet the priniples of the rule of lw, the rules onerning humn rights n the priniples ontine in Artiles 4 n 5 of this Convention n in prgrph 2 of this rtile, in prtiulr in orer to voi sttelessness. 2 In eiing on the grnting or the retention of ntionlity in ses of Stte suession, eh Stte Prty onerne shll tke ount in prtiulr of: the genuine n effetive link of the person onerne with the Stte; the hitul resiene of the person onerne t the time of Stte suession; the will of the person onerne; the territoril origin of the person onerne. 3 Where the quisition of ntionlity is sujet to the loss of foreign ntionlity, the provisions of Artile 16 of this Convention shll pply. Artile 19 Settlement y interntionl greement In ses of Stte suession, Sttes Prties onerne shll enevour to regulte mtters relting to ntionlity y greement mongst themselves n, where pplile, in their reltionship with other Sttes onerne. Suh greements shll respet the priniples n rules ontine or referre to in this hpter. Artile 20 Priniples onerning non-ntionls 1 Eh Stte Prty shll respet the following priniples: ntionls of preeessor Stte hitully resient in the territory over whih sovereignty is trnsferre to suessor Stte n who hve not quire its ntionlity shll hve the right to remin in tht Stte; persons referre to in su-prgrph shll enjoy equlity of tretment with ntionls of the suessor Stte in reltion to soil n eonomi rights. 2 Eh Stte Prty my exlue persons onsiere uner prgrph 1 from employment in the puli servie involving the exerise of sovereign powers.

8 8 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 Chpter VII Militry oligtions in ses of multiple ntionlity Artile 21 Fulfilment of militry oligtions 1 Persons possessing the ntionlity of two or more Sttes Prties shll e require to fulfil their militry oligtions in reltion to one of those Sttes Prties only. 2 The moes of pplition of prgrph 1 my e etermine y speil greements etween ny of the Sttes Prties. 3 Exept where speil greement whih hs een, or my e, onlue provies otherwise, the following provisions re pplile to persons possessing the ntionlity of two or more Sttes Prties: e f g Any suh person shll e sujet to militry oligtions in reltion to the Stte Prty in whose territory they re hitully resient. Nevertheless, they shll e free to hoose, up to the ge of 19 yers, to sumit themselves to militry oligtions s volunteers in reltion to ny other Stte Prty of whih they re lso ntionls for totl n effetive perio t lest equl to tht of the tive militry servie require y the former Stte Prty; Persons who re hitully resient in the territory of Stte Prty of whih they re not ntionls or in tht of Stte whih is not Stte Prty my hoose to perform their militry servie in the territory of ny Stte Prty of whih they re ntionls; Persons who, in orne with the rules li own in prgrphs n, shll fulfil their militry oligtions in reltion to one Stte Prty, s presrie y the lw of tht Stte Prty, shll e eeme to hve fulfille their militry oligtions in reltion to ny other Stte Prty or Sttes Prties of whih they re lso ntionls; Persons who, efore the entry into fore of this Convention etween the Sttes Prties of whih they re ntionls, hve, in reltion to one of those Sttes Prties, fulfille their militry oligtions in orne with the lw of tht Stte Prty, shll e eeme to hve fulfille the sme oligtions in reltion to ny other Stte Prty or Sttes Prties of whih they re lso ntionls; Persons who, in onformity with prgrph, hve performe their tive militry servie in reltion to one of the Sttes Prties of whih they re ntionls, n susequently trnsfer their hitul resiene to the territory of the other Stte Prty of whih they re ntionls, shll e lile to militry servie in the reserve only in reltion to the ltter Stte Prty; The pplition of this rtile shll not prejuie, in ny respet, the ntionlity of the persons onerne; In the event of moilistion y ny Stte Prty, the oligtions rising uner this rtile shll not e ining upon tht Stte Prty. Artile 22 Exemption from militry oligtions or lterntive ivil servie Exept where speil greement whih hs een, or my e, onlue provies otherwise, the following provisions re lso pplile to persons possessing the ntionlity of two or more Sttes Prties:

9 9 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 Artile 21, prgrph 3, su-prgrph, of this Convention shll pply to persons who hve een exempte from their militry oligtions or hve fulfille ivil servie s n lterntive; persons who re ntionls of Stte Prty whih oes not require oligtory militry servie shll e onsiere s hving stisfie their militry oligtions when they hve their hitul resiene in the territory of tht Stte Prty. Nevertheless, they shoul e eeme not to hve stisfie their militry oligtions in reltion to Stte Prty or Sttes Prties of whih they re eqully ntionls n where militry servie is require unless the si hitul resiene hs een mintine up to ertin ge, whih eh Stte Prty onerne shll notify t the time of signture or when epositing its instruments of rtifition, eptne or ession; lso persons who re ntionls of Stte Prty whih oes not require oligtory militry servie shll e onsiere s hving stisfie their militry oligtions when they hve enliste voluntrily in the militry fores of tht Prty for totl n effetive perio whih is t lest equl to tht of the tive militry servie of the Stte Prty or Sttes Prties of whih they re lso ntionls without regr to where they hve their hitul resiene. Chpter VIII Co-opertion etween the Sttes Prties Artile 23 Co-opertion etween the Sttes Prties 1 With view to filitting o-opertion etween the Sttes Prties, their ompetent uthorities shll: provie the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe with informtion out their internl lw relting to ntionlity, inluing instnes of sttelessness n multiple ntionlity, n out evelopments onerning the pplition of the Convention; provie eh other upon request with informtion out their internl lw relting to ntionlity n out evelopments onerning the pplition of the Convention. 2 Sttes Prties shll o-operte mongst themselves n with other memer Sttes of the Counil of Europe within the frmework of the pproprite intergovernmentl oy of the Counil of Europe in orer to el with ll relevnt prolems n to promote the progressive evelopment of legl priniples n prtie onerning ntionlity n relte mtters. Artile 24 Exhnge of informtion Eh Stte Prty my t ny time elre tht it shll inform ny other Stte Prty, hving me the sme elrtion, of the voluntry quisition of its ntionlity y ntionls of the other Stte Prty, sujet to pplile lws onerning t protetion. Suh elrtion my inite the onitions uner whih the Stte Prty will give suh informtion. The elrtion my e withrwn t ny time.

10 10 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI.1997 Chpter IX Applition of the Convention Artile 25 Delrtions onerning the pplition of the Convention 1 Eh Stte my elre, t the time of signture or when epositing its instrument of rtifition, eptne, pprovl or ession, tht it will exlue Chpter VII from the pplition of the Convention. 2 The provisions of Chpter VII shll e pplile only in the reltions etween Sttes Prties for whih it is in fore. 3 Eh Stte Prty my, t ny susequent time, notify the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe tht it will pply the provisions of Chpter VII exlue t the time of signture or in its instrument of rtifition, eptne, pprovl or ession. This notifition shll eome effetive s from the te of its reeipt. Artile 26 Effets of this Convention 1 The provisions of this Convention shll not prejuie the provisions of internl lw n ining interntionl instruments whih re lrey in fore or my ome into fore, uner whih more fvourle rights re or woul e ore to iniviuls in the fiel of ntionlity. 2 This Convention oes not prejuie the pplition of: the 1963 Convention on the Reution of Cses of Multiple Ntionlity n Militry Oligtions in Cses of Multiple Ntionlity n its Protools; other ining interntionl instruments in so fr s suh instruments re omptile with this Convention, in the reltionship etween the Sttes Prties oun y these instruments. Chpter X Finl luses Artile 27 Signture n entry into fore 1 This Convention shll e open for signture y the memer Sttes of the Counil of Europe n the non-memer Sttes whih hve prtiipte in its elortion. Suh Sttes my express their onsent to e oun y: signture without reservtion s to rtifition, eptne or pprovl; or signture sujet to rtifition, eptne or pprovl, followe y rtifition, eptne or pprovl. Instruments of rtifition, eptne or pprovl shll e eposite with the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe.

11 11 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI This Convention shll enter into fore, for ll Sttes hving expresse their onsent to e oun y the Convention, on the first y of the month following the expirtion of perio of three months fter the te on whih three memer Sttes of the Counil of Europe hve expresse their onsent to e oun y this Convention in orne with the provisions of the preeing prgrph. 3 In respet of ny Stte whih susequently expresses its onsent to e oun y it, the Convention shll enter into fore on the first y of the month following the expirtion of perio of three months fter the te of signture or of the eposit of its instrument of rtifition, eptne or pprovl. Artile 28 Aession 1 After the entry into fore of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Counil of Europe my invite ny non-memer Stte of the Counil of Europe whih hs not prtiipte in its elortion to ee to this Convention. 2 In respet of ny eing Stte, this Convention shll enter into fore on the first y of the month following the expirtion of perio of three months fter the te of eposit of the instrument of ession with the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe. Artile 29 Reservtions 1 No reservtions my e me to ny of the provisions ontine in Chpters I, II n VI of this Convention. Any Stte my, t the time of signture or when epositing its instrument of rtifition, eptne, pprovl or ession, mke one or more reservtions to other provisions of the Convention so long s they re omptile with the ojet n purpose of this Convention. 2 Any Stte whih mkes one or more reservtions shll notify the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe of the relevnt ontents of its internl lw or of ny other relevnt informtion. 3 A Stte whih hs me one or more reservtions in orne with prgrph 1 shll onsier withrwing them in whole or in prt s soon s irumstnes permit. Suh withrwl shll e me y mens of notifition resse to the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe n shll eome effetive s from the te of its reeipt. 4 Any Stte whih extens the pplition of this Convention to territory mentione in the elrtion referre to in Artile 30, prgrph 2, my, in respet of the territory onerne, mke one or more reservtions in orne with the provisions of the preeing prgrphs. 5 A Stte Prty whih hs me reservtions in respet of ny of the provisions in Chpter VII of the Convention my not lim pplition of the si provisions y nother Stte Prty sve in so fr s it hs itself epte these provisions. Artile 30 Territoril pplition 1 Any Stte my, t the time of signture or when epositing its instrument of rtifition, eptne, pprovl or ession, speify the territory or territories to whih this Convention shll pply.

12 12 ETS 166 Europen Convention on Ntionlity, 6.XI Any Stte my, t ny lter te, y elrtion resse to the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe, exten the pplition of this Convention to ny other territory speifie in the elrtion n for whose interntionl reltions it is responsile or on whose ehlf it is uthorise to give unertkings. In respet of suh territory, the Convention shll enter into fore on the first y of the month following the expirtion of perio of three months fter the te of reeipt of suh elrtion y the Seretry Generl. 3 Any elrtion me uner the two preeing prgrphs my, in respet of ny territory speifie in suh elrtion, e withrwn y notifition resse to the Seretry Generl. The withrwl shll eome effetive on the first y of the month following the expirtion of perio of three months fter the te of reeipt of suh notifition y the Seretry Generl. Artile 31 Denunition 1 Any Stte Prty my t ny time enoune the Convention s whole or Chpter VII only y mens of notifition resse to the Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe. 2 Suh enunition shll eome effetive on the first y of the month following the expirtion of perio of three months fter the te of reeipt of notifition y the Seretry Generl. Artile 32 Notifitions y the Seretry Generl The Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe shll notify the memer Sttes of the Counil of Europe, ny Signtory, ny Prty n ny other Stte whih hs ee to this Convention of: ny signture; the eposit of ny instrument of rtifition, eptne, pprovl or ession; ny te of entry into fore of this Convention in orne with Artiles 27 or 28 of this Convention; ny reservtion n withrwl of reservtions me in pursune of the provisions of Artile 29 of this Convention; e ny notifition or elrtion me uner the provisions of Artiles 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30 n 31 of this Convention; f ny other t, notifition or ommunition relting to this Convention. In witness whereof the unersigne, eing uly uthorise thereto, hve signe this Convention. Done t Strsourg, this sixth y of Novemer 1997, in English n in Frenh, oth texts eing eqully uthenti, in single opy whih shll e eposite in the rhives of the Counil of Europe. The Seretry Generl of the Counil of Europe shll trnsmit ertifie opies to eh memer Stte of the Counil of Europe, to the non-memer Sttes whih hve prtiipte in the elortion of this Convention n to ny Stte invite to ee to this Convention.