First Same-Sex Couples to Register Partnership

The new law, which allows registration of gay and lesbian partnership, has come into force in 1.7.2006. Since then, two homosexual couples and one lesbian couple have officially registered their partnership.

The law was initially suggested in 1998, but the parliament formally passed it only this year. Under the law, same-sex partners – just like married couples - got the following rights: to receive information about each other’s health state; to inherit property; to reject a job on the basis of the place and the character of the other partner’s job. However, same-sex couples still cannot adopt children; cannot receive widows or widower’s pension; and are not subject to joint taxation.