Euthanasia and assisted suicide in Europe: Authorised in only 7 EU states
In Europe, euthanasia and assisted suicide remain highly minority practices: only 7 out of 27 European Union states authorise such practices. On 23rd November 2025, the people of Slovenia rejected by referendum the legalisation of assisted suicide, thus confirming a general trend: that the great majority of Europeans reject administered death.
Whereas the debate in France is intensifying around the proposed bill on “assistance in dying”, some people claim that France would be “backward” compared with its neighbours. But what exactly do the European legislations say?
Assisted suicide and euthanasia : Essential definitions
Before comparing the European laws, it is essential to clarify the terms often used inaccurately, sometimes intentionally, in the public debate.
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is an act by which a person causes his/her own death using a substance or a device provided for the purpose.
Euthanasia
Euthanasia consists in intentionally causing the death of a person, either through direct action (injection, administration of a substance), or by deliberate denial of essential treatment (nourishment, hydration), for the alleged interest of that person.
Sedation: a distinct framework
Sedation consists in reducing or deleting conscience in order to relieve suffering. French law exceptionally authorises that sedation can be maintained continuously until death of the person, when all other means have been ineffective for the relief of refractory suffering of a person at their very end of life and whose life expectancy is threatened in the short term. The criterion of intention is essential: deep and continuous sedation until death must always be intended to provide relief, never to cause death. Under such precise circumstances, deep and continuous sedation until death illustrates the “French path” on the subject of the end of life, which maintains a strict dividing line between the refusal of unreasonable obstinacy and the refusal of provoked death.
What is the reality in Europe? The distribution is quite different from the generally accepted situation
Contrary to what is often asserted in the media, Europe has not massively legalised euthanasia and/or assisted suicide. The European landscape consists of a variety of situations, but one permanent feature remains: legalisation remains marginal.
Three nations have legalised both assisted suicide and euthanasia
- The Netherlands (2001) First state to formalise a law on “the control of life on request and assisted suicide”. Since then, the number of euthanasia has increased by a factor of five and the figures presented each year by the regional euthanasia examination committees show an ever broadening interpretation of the conditions required by the 2001 law.
- Luxembourg (2009) Authorisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide for the incurably sick.
- Spain (2021) Authorisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide under certain conditions.
One nation authorising euthanasia only
Belgium (2002) Decriminalisation of euthanasia for adults by the law dated 28th May 2002 and extended to minors in 2014. The conscience clause has been restricted and establishments can no longer oppose euthanasia on their premises.
Over a twenty-year period, the number of euthanasia has increased by a factor of fifteen.
Four nations authorise assisted suicide alone
- Switzerland (non-EU state) Since 1937, article 115 of the penal code prohibits assisted suicide for an interested motive, but tolerates de facto assisted suicide, by medical or other means, in the absence of any “self-interested” motive. The logistics are managed by associations and in the absence of any federal regulation they themselves determine the health criteria which they consider necessary, under the control of the medico-ethical directives issued by the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (ASSM). Some cantons have since 2012 incorporated provisions in their health policy.
- Austria (2022) Legalisation of assisted suicide end 2021, following a decision by the Austrian Constitutional Court, which, in December 2020, had ruled against the “free will principle” for the criminalisation of assisted suicide. Since 1st January 2022, Austrians over 18 years of age suffering from “incurable disease” or “serious and permanent disease with persistent symptoms whose consequences durably affect the person concerned throughout their life” may obtain assistance in order to end their life.
- Italy (2019) Assisted suicide is possible since a decree by the Constitutional Court in 2019 subject to four conditions: the patients concerned must be “ kept alive by vital treatments and suffering from an irreversible pathology, causing physical or psychological suffering considered unbearable, but fully able to make free and conscious decisions”.
- Germany (2020) Assisted suicide was authorised by a decree by the Constitutional Court of Karlsruhe recognising the right to a “self-determined death”. Assisted suicide can be organised by doctors or associations.
In effect, only 8 European nations in total authorise a form of assisted suicide and/or euthanasia of which 7 are members of the European Union.
Slovenia: Rejection of legalisation in 2025
The referendum on 23rd November 2025 in Slovenia constitutes an important political signal: the vote by citizens against the legalisation of assisted suicide contradicts the idea of an inevitable European evolution towards administered death.
The reason why France is not “backward” compared with Europe
The political debate in France today is in turmoil. The first reading examination of the proposed bill on “assistance in dying” is scheduled in the Senate for 12th January.
In view of the uncertainty of the parliamentary calendar, some people are calling for a referendum. Patrick Cohen, the France Inter editorialist even claims that “France is one of the few remaining nations in Europe to prohibit assisted suicide”.
The facts however indicate precisely the opposite: France is in line with the European majority, not an exception.
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