Civil union

Recognised nationwide in:

Canada 1

Denmark

France

Germany

Finland

Iceland

New Zealand2

Norway

Portugal

Sweden

United Kingdom

Recognised in some regions in:

Argentina (Buenos Aires)

Australia (Tasmania)

Switzerland (Zürich)

USA : VT , NJ

Other countries:

Ireland

Poland

Notes:

1 - Explicitly referred to as "civil unions" in Quebec and Nova Scotia , common-law marriage extended to same-sex partners nationwide.

2 - Law passed December 9, 2004 Does not come into effect until April 26, 2005

See also

Censored page

Domestic partnership

In France, a pacte civil de solidarité (English: "civil pact of solidarity") commonly known as a PACS, is a form of civil union between two adults (of the same or opposite sex) for organising their joint life. It brings rights and responsibilities, but less so than marriage.

The acronym has generated the French verb pacser.

It was introduced by the government of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in 1998 to be a marked improvement and alternative over the previous certificat de concubinage notoire, which had been restricted to Censored page couples and had been seen as having pejorative overtones. The situation of concubinage only made certain benefits extend to the other partner in a union, and did not settle any issue regarding property, taxes, etc...

On 5 June 2004 Noel Mamere, Mayor of Begles and a Green member of parliament, performed a wedding ceremony for Bertrand Charpentier and Stephane Chapin, purporting to unite them in marriage, not merely in civil union. The ceremony took place despite being forbidden by Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, and warnings by Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin that the mayor would face legal action, including possible suspension from office. It remains to be seen if the marriage would be recognized as a marriage.