Estonia Passes Bill Recognizing Same-Sex Partnerships
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husayno/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(TALLINN , Estonia) — The Estonian parliament passed the Cohabitation Bill on Wednesday, granting Estonians in non-marital cohabitation the right to register their relationship and receive many of the benefits of marriage.
The Estonian legislature, the Riigikogu, passed the bill on its second reading. The legislation covers the procedure required to enter into a cohabitation agreement, the rights and responsibilities of those in such an agreement, and the reasons for which such an agreement can be terminated. Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, Neeme Suur, said that the bill amends existing law to, “take into consideration the rights of children.”
While the bill does not establish full marriage equality for same-sex couples, it would make Estonia the first former Soviet republic to offer this level of protections to same-sex couples.
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