Act Regulating the Placement of Foreign Children
with a view to Adoption

Act of December 8, 1988, establishing rules concerning the placement of foreign foster children in the Netherlands with a view to adoption

Chapter 1 Definitions

Article 1 Definitions
In this Act and the provisions based on it the next terms have the following meaning:
- ‘Minister’: the Minister of Justice;
- ‘foreign child’: a child born outside the Netherlands that is not of Dutch nationality within the meaning of Dutch law and that in view of an adoption is or will be cared for and raised in the Netherlands by another family than its parents under such circumstances that the carers in fact have taken over the place of the parents;
- ‘prospective adoptive parents’: spouses or a person who have/has received or wish to receive a foreign child in view of an adoption;
- ‘adoptive parents’: spouses or a person who have/has adopted a foreign child;
- ‘principle approval': a written notice of the Minister specified in Article 2;
- ‘accredited body’: the legal person who holds a permit as referred to in Articles 15 and 16.
- ‘intermediary service’: any activity of an accredited body aimed at bringing about or supporting the placement of a foreign child in view of an adoption with or at prospective adoptive parents.

Chapter 2 The principle approval

Article 2 Preceding principle approval of the Minister
The placement in the Netherlands of a foreign child in view of an adoption is permitted only if a preceding written notice of the Minister has been obtained in which he in principle approves the placement.

Article 3 Duration and extend of a principle approval
- 1. The principle approval applies for a period of four years and may each time be prolonged for a period of four years. The period for which it is granted or prolonged, however, does not exceed the day on which one of the prospective adoptive parents has reached the age of forty-six years, unless special circumstances indicate otherwise.
- 2. The principle approval concerns the placement of a foreign child or, in the event of brothers and sisters (siblings) or children who in another way are so attached to each other that it is difficult to separate them, of two foreign children at the same time. The Minister may in particular circumstances authorize the placement of more children at the same time.

Article 4 Request for a principle approval or its prolongation
A request for a principle approval or for the prolongation of the validity period thereof will only be taken into consideration if:
a. the request is submitted by the prospective adoptive parents. Where a prospective adoptive parent who solely submits the request is married or has a registered partner or another life companion, the request may be submitted only with the consent of his spouse, registered partner or life companion;
b. the request, if it seeks to prolong the validity period of a principle approval, is submitted at least twelve weeks before the expiry of the running validity period of the existing principle approval;
c. the prospective adoptive parents in addition have submitted:
1 °. the data (information) which the Minister has pointed out to be necessary to appraise the request;
2 °. a declaration that they are willing to grant the foreign child the regular preventive and curative treatments which are vital for the child’s life;
d. the prospective adoptive parents, in the event that within their family already one or more children of their own or adopted children are living, have raised and taken care for these children for at least one year;
e. the prospective adoptive parents before the start of the investigation, which is to be held pursuant to Article 5, paragraph 1, have paid the amount set by Order in Council as a compensation for costs with regard to the provision of information meant in Article 5, paragraph 3.

Article 5 Decision of the Minister on a request for a principle approval or its prolongation
- 1. The Minister shall only give a decision on a request for a principle approval or to prolong the validity period thereof after the Child Protection Board has made an investigation of the ability (eligibility and suitability) of the prospective adoptive parents to care for and raise a foreign child or, if the prospective adoptive parents have requested so, to take care for and raise two foreign children at the same time.
- 2. If the prospective parents receive a foreign child for the very first time, they will obtain, in preparation of the investigation referred to in paragraph 1, general information about the placement and adoption of a foreign child, which information will be provided under supervision of the Minister.
- 3. By Order in Council specific rules may be set regarding the organization, content and funding of the general information which is to be provided to the prospective adoptive parents.
- 4. The report of the investigation will be discussed with the prospective adoptive parents before it will be released by the Child Protection Board. The Child Protection Board gives the prospective adoptive parents access to the report. In cases where a principle approval is granted or where the validity period thereof is prolonged, the original copy of the report will only be made available, upon a written request of the prospective adoptive parents to this end, to the accredited body whose intermediary services have been called for by the prospective adoptive parents. In cases were a request for a principle approval or the prolongation of the validity period thereof has been denied, a copy of the report will be provided to the prospective adoptive parents upon their written request.
- 5. The Minister denies a request for a principle approval:
a. if he thinks that a prospective adoptive parent does not have the required ability (eligibility and suitability) to care for and raise a foreign child;
b. if one of the prospective adoptive parents at the moment on which the request was submitted has reached the age of forty-two years, unless special circumstances, in the Minister’s opinion, make it desirable to grant the principle approval still.
- 6. The Minister denies a request for a principle approval or the prolongation of the validity period thereof if it is to be expected that at the moment on which the foreign child could be placed, the difference in age between one of the prospective adoptive parents and the foreign child will be more than forty years, unless special circumstances, in the Minister’s opinion, make it desirable to grant the principle approval or the prolongation still.
- 7. The Minister may, in order to satisfy the requirement that the age difference between the prospective adoptive parents and the foreign child does not exceed forty years, attach conditions to the age of the foreign child.
- 8. The denial of a request for a principle approval or for the prolongation of the validity period thereof will be reported in writing to the prospective adoptive parents, mentioning as well the reasons for the denial.

Article 6 Withdrawal of a principle approval
- 1. If it appears that the prospective adoptive parents to whom a principle approval has been granted, no longer have the ability (eligibility and suitability) to care for and raise a foreign child, the Minister may withdraw the principle approval.
- 2. A decision to withdraw a principle approval shall only be taken after a re-investigation of the Child Protection Board.

Article 7 Appeal against a decision to deny a principle approval or its prolongation
- 1. Where the Minister has to decide on an appeal against a denial of a request for a principle approval or for the prolongation of the validity period thereof or on an appeal against the withdrawal of an earlier granted principle approval, he will take, under submission of all documents related to the case, the written advice of the Council for Criminal and Juvenile Justice. Article 7:13, paragraph 3 and 7, of the General Administrative Law Act shall apply accordingly.
- 2. Witnesses and experts who are called for by the Council receive, if they please, a fee from public funding of which the amount is to be estimated by the President of the Council in accordance with what has been provided for by or pursuant to the Rates in Civil Matters Act (Stb. 1960, 541).
- 3. Paragraph 1 and 2 shall not apply:
a. where an appeal has been made against a denial of a request for the prolongation of the validity period of a principle approval, which denial is based on Article 5, paragraph 5, under point (b), and the prospective adoptive parents have not put forward specific circumstances in their appeal;
b. where an appeal has been made against a denial of a request for the prolongation of the validity period of a principle approval for a period of less than four years and Article 3, paragraph 1, second sentence, applies, and the prospective adoptive parents have not put forward specific circumstances in their appeal.

Article 7a Involvement of foreign authorities, institutions or persons
- 1. If the prospective adoptive parents wish to make use of activities of authorities, institutions or persons abroad, they will report this, under submission of all relevant documents regarding this procedure, to the accredited body to whom a report of the investigation has been provided. The accredited body shall examine these authorities, institutions or persons on integrity and diligence.
- 2. In connection with the examination referred to in paragraph 1, the accredited body will give its substantiated written advise to the Minister. The accredited body notifies the prospective adoptive parents in writing of the release of its advice.
- 3. After the Minister has received the written advice of the accredited body, he decides whether it will be sent to the prospective adoptive parents and whether the accredited body may perform intermediary services for the prospective adoptive parents in the adoption process. That decision may impose conditions. The written advice of the accredited body will not be sent to the prospective adoptive parents, and the accredited body will not be allowed to perform intermediary services if it is likely that the prospective adoptive parents, when receiving the foreign child, will not act in conformity with what is specified in Article 8, under point (d) and (e), or if it is likely that their actions will cause harm to the relationships of the accredited body with institutions, authorities or individuals abroad, or when there are reasonable grounds to doubt the integrity and diligence of these institutions, authorities or individuals abroad. Such a reasonable ground exists in any event when the prospective adoptive parents are or will be subjected to disproportionately high costs for the provision of intermediary services.
- 4. If the written advice, meant in paragraph 2, has not been sent to the Minister within eight weeks after the prospective adoptive parents have reported their contacts abroad to the accredited body, the prospective adoptive parents may request the Minister to give a decision on the question whether the written advice of the accredited body will be sent to them. This decision will be taken within eight weeks after such a request has been made.
- 5. By Order in Council specific rules will be set regarding the standards which have to be applied during the examination meant in paragraph 1.

Chapter 3 The foreign child and its placement

Article 8 Requirements to be met when a foreign child enters the Netherlands
Without prejudice to what has been provided by and pursuant to the Aliens Act 2000, the following requirements have to be met when a foreign child enters the Netherlands with a view to adoption:
a. the foreign child may at the time of arrival in the Netherlands have not yet reached the age of six years of age, except for the right of the Minister to make an exemption in specific circumstances upon a written request of the prospective adoptive parents;
b. the prospective adoptive parents must produce a medical statement on the foreign child;
c. the prospective adoptive parents must make clear how they have made use of the intermediary services of a accredited body with regard to the placement of the foreign child;
d. the prospective adoptive parents must in a satisfactory manner show through documents that the surrendering (giving up) of the foreign child by its parent or parents has been regulated properly;
e. the prospective adoptive parents must in a satisfactory manner show through documents that the authorities in the State of origin agree with the placement of the foreign child at the prospective adoptive parents.

Article 9 Responsibility of the (prospective) adoptive parents as of the voyage of the child to the Netherlands
- 1. As of the moment of departure of the foreign child to the Netherlands, the prospective adoptive parents or adoptive parents are obliged to provide in the costs of care and upbringing of that child as if it was their own child. The costs of returning to the country of origin are also for their account.
- 2. The obligations mentioned in paragraph 1 also rest on the person who has acted in violation of Article 2.
- 3. The provisions of Title 17 of Book 1 of the Civil Code shall apply accordingly as much as possible.

Article 10 Interim guardianship
- 1. Where Article 2 has been violated, the Juvenile Court may entrust a Foundation as referred to in Article 1, under point (f), of the Youth Care Act, with the exercise of an interim guardianship over the minor, unless this is incompatible with the interests of the child. In case of an interim guardianship the Child Protection Board turns within six weeks to the court to obtain a provision for the exercise of authority over the minor. Article 241, paragraph 4, 5 and 6, and Article 306a of Book 1 of the Civil Code apply accordingly. Article 813, second paragraph, of the Code of Civil Procedure, applies accordingly.
- 2. The interim guardianship ends, unless withdrawn earlier, at the moment on which the minor is placed under legal guardianship or on which he resides with the prospective adoptive parents to whom a principle approval has been granted, or at the moment on which the child has been taken back to the State of origin.
- 3. The costs made by the Foundation on behalf of the minor, shall be borne by the person who received the minor in violation of Article 2. Articles 69 and 71 up to and including 76 of the Youth Care Act apply accordingly.

Chapter 4 Family investigation after a foreign child has entered the Netherlands while he has been placed earlier at its prospective adoptive parents during their normal stay abroad

Article 11 Family investigation to be held in the Netherlands
When the foreign child, after it has been placed at its prospective adoptive parents during a period in which they had their habitual residence abroad, has entered the Netherlands together with its prospective adoptive parents, an investigation as meant in Article 5, paragraph 1, will be held by operation of law.

Article 12 Eligibility and suitability of the prospective adoptive parents
- 1. The Minister decides on the basis of the investigation meant in Article 11 whether the prospective adoptive parents have the ability (eligibility and suitability) to care for and raise the foreign child.
- 2. If the Minister thinks that the prospective adoptive parents miss the ability (eligibility and suitability) to care for and raise the foreign child, he will inform the public prosecutor as well of his decision. Article 10 applies accordingly .

Article 13 Appeal against a decision that the prospective adoptive parents are not eligible and suitable to adopt a child
In case of an appeal against a decision as meant in Article 12, lodged with the Minister, Article 7 shall apply accordingly. Such an appeal does not postpone the measures taken under the application of Article 10.

Article 14 Inapplicability of the provisions of the present Act
- 1. The provisions of the present Act do not apply if the foreign child, after it was placed at its prospective adoptive parents during a period in which they had their habitual residence abroad, has been taken care for and raised by them abroad for at least one year, and they will continue to do so after the foreign child has entered the Netherlands.
- 2. The provisions of the present Act neither apply if the adoption, during the period in which the prospective adoptive parents had their habitually resident abroad, has come about in accordance with the Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption concluded at the Hague on 29 May 1993 (Trb. 1993, 197), which shows from a written statement of the competent authority of the State where the adoption took place.

Chapter 5 The accreditation and the activities of the accredited body

Article 15 Required accreditation by the Minister
It is forbidden to provide intermediary services in the sense of Article 1 without an accreditation granted by the Minister.

Article 16 Grating of an accreditation
- 1. The accreditation is granted by the Minister upon the request of a legal person with full legal capacity whose seat is located in the Netherlands and who meets the requirements which are set by or pursuant to the following paragraphs.
- 2. An applicant must, according to his articles of incorporation, have the objective to provide intermediary services in the meaning of Article 1 in situations in which this is considered to be in the best interest of the involved children.
- 3. The applicant may not have the intention to make a profit with his activities.
- 4. The Board of Directors of the applicant must consist of at least three members and must be composed in such a way that the protection of the interests of foreign children and prospective adoptive parents is guaranteed.
- 5. The applicant must be equipped in such a way that a careful and effective implementation of his activities is guaranteed.
- 6. The applicant must be prepared to cooperate with other accredited bodies, in particular in the field of the provision of general information to prospective adoptive parents.
- 7. By Order in Council specific rules may be set for the requirements meant in paragraph 4, 5 and 6. This Order in Council will in any event contain rules concerning the collection of data about the child before it came to the Netherlands.

Article 16a Duration and extension of an accreditation
An accreditation is granted for a validity period of three years. At the request of the accredited body the Minister may extend the validity period each time with additional periods of five years. An application to extend the validity period of the accreditation must be lodged no later than twelve weeks before the expiry of the validity period of the existing accreditation.

Article 17 Grounds for rejection
The Minister rejects an application for an accreditation or for the extension of its validity period if he has reasonable grounds to fear that the applicant will not comply with what has been specified by or pursuant to the present Act or if it is to be expected that the applicant has to little possibilities in future with regard to the provision of intermediary services as meant in Article 1.

Article 17a Responsibilities of the accredited body
- 1. The following activities are a part of the responsibilities of the accredited body:
a. it maintains for the prospective adoptive parents contact with the Dutch and foreign authorities, institutions and individuals involved in the placement of the foreign child. It sends them the necessary data about the prospective adoptive parents and about the children for whom they could take care of.
b. it shall, where necessary, ask advice to individuals or institutions in the Netherlands or in the State of origin demand further investigations;
c. it supports the prospective adoptive parents in the procedure which has to be followed abroad in connection with the placement of the foreign child, and in the process of obtaining the necessary documents for the child’s admission to the Netherlands.
d. it ensures that no contact is established between the prospective adoptive parents and the parents of the child or another person to whom the care of the child is entrusted until it is ascertained:
1 °. that the child is adoptable (eligible for adoption);
2 °. that the authorities of the State of origin accept the placement of the child at the prospective adoptive parents, and;
3 °. that the required consents of persons and institutions in the State of origin have been obtained;
e. it looks after the application for a temporary residence permit for the foreign children;
f. it supports the prospective adoptive parents in arranging the arrival of the foreign child to the Netherlands and ensures that the passage (voyage) takes place safely and under appropriate circumstances, if possible accompanied by the prospective adoptive parents;
g. it supports the prospective adoptive parents or the adoptive parents after the foreign child has been placed.
- 2. Paragraph 1, under point (d), shall not apply if the adoption occurs within the same family or if the requirements are met which are set by the competent authority of the State of origin in respect of contacts meant there.

Article 17b Information duties of the accredited body
- 1. The accredited body shall collect as much information regarding the descent and background of the foreign child in the State of origin.
- 2. The accredited body shall keep records of every intermediary service provided by it. The records contains copies of all correspondence regarding the placement of the foreign child as well as copies of the documents which are presented when the child entered the Netherlands. These records also contain all information referred to in paragraph 1. The records must be stored for at least thirty years after the foreign child entered the Netherlands.
- 3. If the adoption process is cancelled, the accredited body returns the originals of the documents which it received with regard to the foreign child to the authorities who forwarded them.

Article 17c Information duties of the accredited body under the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993
- 1. If the State of origin is a Party to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption concluded at the Hague on 29 May 1993 (Trb. 1993, 197), or if the legislation of the State of origin requires so, the accredited body keeps the competent authorities of the State of origin informed of the adoption process and of the steps taken to complete it and of the progress of the care period preceding the adoption.
- 2. In addition, the accredited body, after he has informed the prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents or legal guardian of the child about the matter, provides information regarding the adoption to the authorities of the State of origin upon a reasonable request to this point.

Article 17d Provision of access to documents
- 1.The accredited body allows the foreign child and the prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents or the legal representative, upon request, access to the documents which it keeps in relation to the adoption and provides them copies thereof.
- 2.A request of the foreign child to have access to or copies of the documents is refused if:
a. the foreign child is younger than twelve years, or;
b. the foreign child has reached the age of twelve years, but is considered to be unable to make a reasonable evaluation of its interests.
- 3. In the situations referred to in paragraph 2, the accredited body shall provide, upon request, information on the adoption or access to or copies of the documents to the prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents or legal guardian.

Article 17e Provision of information to third persons
- 1.Without prejudice to other provisions of the present Act, the accredited body shall not provide any information on the adoption, nor access to or copies of the concerning documents to other persons than the foreign child, the prospective adoptive parents, the adoptive parents or the legal representative, unless it has the approval to do so of the foreign child, on the condition that this child has reached the age of sixteen years. Where the foreign child has not yet reached the age of sixteen years or where it is considered to be unable to make a reasonable evaluation of its interests, the approval of the prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents or legal guardian is required.
- 2. Persons other than the foreign child and the prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents or the legal representative shall not include organisations involved in the adoption and organisations involved in the execution or preparation of a child protection measure.

Article 17f Grounds to refuse access to documents
- 1.Information on, or access to copies of documents may be refused if the privacy of a person other than the foreign child would be harmed.
- 2. No copy is provided of the report referred to in Article 5, paragraph 4.
- 3. The costs made for the provision of copies may be charged.

Article 17g Inapplicability of certain Articles in specific situations
Article 17a remains inapplicable in a situation as referred to in Article 7a, except for paragraph 1, under point (e). Also Article 17b, paragraph 1, and Article 17e remain inapplicable in these situations

Article 18 Withdrawal of an accreditation
- 1. The Minister shall withdraw a granted accreditation:
a. if the data, presented to obtain the accreditation, appear to be so incorrect or incomplete that another decision would have been taken on the application for an accreditation if during the evaluation the correct or complete information would have been known;
b. if one of the requirements set by or pursuant to Article 16 is no longer met.
- 2. The Minister may withdraw a granted accreditation:
a. if the accredited body has not complied with what has been provided by or pursuant to Articles 20 up to and including Article 23 or by Article 8 or 32;
b. if the accredited body for at least two years has not completed any intermediary service in the meaning of Article 1.

Article 19 Continuation or termination of activities in case of a withdrawal
In the event of a withdrawal of an accreditation as referred to in Article 18, the Minister may decide which other accredited body or accredited bodies shall continue or, if necessary, terminate the activities of the legal person whose accreditation has been withdrawn.

Article 20 Obligations of the accredited body
- 1. The accredited body shall only perform intermediary services in the meaning of Article 1 on behalf of prospective adoptive parents who have a valid principle approval and only in conformity with what has been stipulated in that approval.
- 2. The accredited body does not perform any intermediary services in the meaning of Article 1 in relation to the placement of a foreign child outside the Netherlands.
- 3. The accredited body does not pay disproportionately high fees associated with the provision of its intermediary services.
- 4. The accredited body does not enter into relations with institutions and organizations abroad that are already in relationship with other accredited bodies regarding the provision of intermediary services in the meaning of Article 1.
- 5. The Minister shall issue rules concerning the information that the accredited body has to provide in connection with the supervision over the compliance with the provisions of paragraph 3 and 4 of the present Article regarding its relations with institutions and organizations abroad.

Article 21 Registration of prospective adoptive parents at accredited bodies
- 1. The accredited body only registers prospective adoptive parents who have obtained a principle approval, unless the same accredited body previously had already acted on behalf of these prospective adoptive parents.
- 2. The accredited body shall not register prospective adoptive parents who are already registered at another accredited body.
- 3. In the provision of intermediary services as meant in Article 1 the accredited body keeps, as much as possible, the ranking order based on the moment on which it has received the requests of registered prospective adoptive parents to obtain a principle approval.
- 4. When the registered prospective adoptive parents want to register themselves at another accredited body, the current accredited body shall hand over the data and information about these registered prospective adoptive parents to that other accredited body and cancel the registration of the prospective adoptive parents.
- 5. The accredited body shall only provide data and information about registered prospective adoptive parents to authorities or institutions abroad where this is necessary with regard to the provision of intermediary services as meant in Article 1.
- 6. The accredited body shall inform the Minister of any placement of a foreign child at prospective adoptive parents or adoptive parents who are registered at the accredited body at the time of placement.

Article 22 Duty of a new accredited body to inform the Minister of a change of registration
Where prospective adoptive parents have cancelled their registration at a accredited body in order to be registered at another accredited body, the latter shall notify the Minister thereof.

Article 23 Bookkeeping
- 1. The accredited body shall keep adequate accounting records of its financial situation and of all that concerns its activities, and this in such a way that its rights and liabilities can be ascertained at all time.
- 2. The accredited body shall annually report its activities, performed within and outside the Netherlands, to the Minister and provides him, within six months after the end of an accounting year, the balance sheet and the profit and loss account (statement of income), added with additional remarks.
- 3. By Order in Council additional requirements may be imposed regarding the documents which have to be presented to the Minister pursuant to paragraph 2; in this respect it is possible as well to set specific rules with regard to the transfer of the accounting records and books of an accredited body whose accreditation has been withdrawn or who has ended its activities otherwise.

Article 24 Central list of all prospective adoptive parents with a principle approval
- 1. The Minister points out civil servants who are responsible for the administration of a central list of prospective adoptive parents with a valid principle approval.
- 2. This central list of prospective adoptive parents can always be viewed by parties with an interest therein.

Chapter 5A The Complaints Committee

Article 24a Tasks and composition of the Complaints Committee
- 1. There is a Complaints Committee for complaints about the conduct of accredited bodies. By Order in Council specific rules are set regarding the appointment, composition and powers and regarding the complaints procedure.
- 2. The draft of the Order in Council meant in paragraph 1 shall be submitted to both Chambers of the House of Parliament. Within four weeks after this submission it is possible to request that the provisions of the draft of the Order in Council will be governed by an Act of Parliament; such a request can be made by or in the name of one of the Chambers of the House of Parliament or by at least one fifth of the constitutional number of members of one of these Chambers. When such a request is made, an appropriate draft for such Act of Parliament will be presented as soon as possible.

Chapter 6 Supervision and penalties

Article 25 Supervision over accredited bodies
- 1. The Inspectorate for Youth Care shall appoint the persons who will be entrusted with the supervision over the observance by the accredited bodies of the requirements applicable to them by or pursuant to Article 16 and Articles 20 up to and including 23. By Order in Council specific rules may be set regarding that supervision.
- 2. Entrusted with the supervision over the observance of the provisions of Articles 2 and 8 are:
1 °. the director of the Child Protection Board and the civil servants appointed by him for this purpose;
2 °. The civil servants entrusted with the supervision over foreigners (aliens) and over the surveillance of the frontier.

Article 26 Powers of the supervisors
The supervisors do not have the powers mentioned in Articles 5:15, 5:18 and 5:19 of the General Administrative Law Act.

Article 27 Criminal offences
- 1. He who, for profit motives, acts contrary to Article 15 or Article 20, paragraph 1, will be punished with imprisonment not exceeding six months or a fine of the third category.
- 2. A violation of law meant in paragraph 1 is a criminal offence.

Article 28 Misdemeanours
- 1. He who acts contrary to Article 2, 8, 15 or 20 will be punished with a fine of the third category.
- 2. A violation of law meant in paragraph 1 is a misdemeanour.

Chapter 7 Final Provisions

Article 29 [contains amendments to other legislation]

Article 30 [contains amendments to other legislation]

Article 31 [contains amendments to other legislation]

Article 32 [repealed on 01-10-1998]

Article 33 Entry into force and transitional law
- 1. This Act shall enter into force on a date to be determined by Royal Decree (15-07-1989).
- 2. This Act does not apply to applications for a principle approval that have been submitted on the day prior to the date on which this Act enters into force.
- 3. Associations and foundations that have provided intermediary services in the meaning of Article 1 during the period of three years immediately preceding the date on which this Act enters into force, will not be subject to Article 15 for one month after the before mentioned commencing date of this Act and, if they have submitted within that month a request for an accreditation, not as long as there is no irrevocable decision on that application.

Article 34 Citation
The present Act may be cited as the ‘Act Regulating the Placement of Foreign Children with a view to Adoption’.