The European Regulation Brussels IIb is applicable between all the member states of the European Union, except Denmark. The Regulation is directly applicable in the member states and has priority above national legislation.

Brussels IIb contains European regulation on family law, such as marital issues, parental authority/custody and international child abduction within the EU. Brussels IIter regulates in which country the court has jurisdiction to give a decision in a family law dispute. The Regulation also defines how and when a family law judgment is recognized or enforced in another Member State.

Brussels IIb determines that the rules of the Hague Child Abduction Convention apply within the EU and the Regulation provides additional rules for the Convention. 

In 2019 the Brussels IIb Regulation was revised in the European Parliament. One of the aims of the revision is to improve the rules on international child abduction. The Brussels IIa recast Regulation will apply from 1 August 2022 and will be called Brussel IIb.

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