European lawmakers lobbied by fathers unable to see children taken by Japanese mothers urged Tokyo on Tuesday to combat the abduction of minors by one parent and change a law that does not recognize joint custody after a split.

In a resolution passed unanimously, the European Parliament's petitions committee said it was concerned about the practice of "parental child abduction" and Japanese authorities' reluctance to comply with international law.

Various European Union citizens living in Japan, including Frenchman Vincent Fichot and Italian Tommaso Perina, had been asking for action.