Italy: The court decides that children receive the names of both parents

This practice was discriminatory and harmful to the child's identity”, the court said in a statement.

The children should be given the names of both parents in the order they decide, unless they agree that their children take only one of them”, the court added in a statement.

Family Minister Elena Bonetti said the government will fully support parliament in this process.

“We need to give the core of the decision, and it is a high priority and the urgent task of doing so”, she wrote, adding that parents should take equal responsibility for raising a child.

Compared to other European countries where both surnames can be used for children, such as France, Germany and Spain, Italy has been slow in accepting recognition of its mother's last name.

The new law will be adopted by parliament, reports Guardian, broadcast Clankosova.tv.

Pope Francescu and Italy's political leaders have expressed concerns about the impact of a declining birth rate in the country, with the cost of raising children seen as one of the factors.