Bill on the end of life: Following the failure of the Joint committee, from 8th to 10th June 2026, the members of the National Assembly Social Affairs Commission examined the text of the proposed bill to authorise euthanasia and assisted suicide. The modified text introduces a choice between euthanasia and assisted suicide, and so deletes an additional precautionary measure.
As the Joint committee failed to reach an agreement on the proposed Falorni law, which introduces "assistance in dying", i.e. the possibility of resorting to assisted suicide or euthanasia, the text returns to the National Assembly for a third reading termed "New reading".
Introduction of a choice between euthanasia and assisted suicide
The adoption of an ecologist amendment causes a profound upheaval to the so-called "equilibrium". Indeed, until now, the proposed law provided that the person should self-administer the lethal substance (assisted suicide). If the person was physically incapable of doing so, the substance could be administered by a doctor or nurse (euthanasia). This measure has remained unchanged at article 2.
However, the amendment adopted at article 6, in contradiction with article 2, now provides that the person can choose whether the lethal substance is self-administered or administered by a doctor or nurse, even if the person is physically capable.
This equates to deleting a measure which spared carers and authorises euthanasia as a principle. Indeed, as can be observed abroad, when euthanasia and assisted suicide are both authorised, euthanasia represents the vast majority of cases and assisted suicide remains marginal.
This results in increasing involvement of carers in the procedure, whereas a large proportion of them are hostile to this proposed law. According to Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, the introduction of "freedom of choice" in the text is a "red line" for many carers.
In a video interview for Le Figaro on 9th June, Ségolène Perruchio, the President of SFAP (French Society for Palliative Care), deplored the absence of consultation with carers. The letter by the collective "Soins de Vie" (Care for Life), which represents some twenty care organisations, calling for an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister, has remained unanswered.
Protected adults are particularly vulnerable
The debates of the commission revealed a major loophole in the current text. Indeed, at article 6, the text provides that the doctor checks whether the person is subject to a legal protection measure by referring to a register of protected adults instigated by the "Bien vieillir" law (ageing well) dated 8th April 2024. However, the said register is still not available, and is due to be established no later than 31st December 2028.
All the amendments to counter such failing have been rejected, including an amendment by Annie Vidal to article 5 to demand a prior legal check of any request originating from a person subject to a legal protection measure or another amendment to article 6 which proposes extending the mandatory cooling-off period to two weeks for such people.
Deletion of the obstruction offence and the incitement offence
Following a favourable decision by the government, the MPs sitting on the commission deleted article 17 which had caused much division at the National Assembly. That article established an "obstruction offence" and an offence of incitement to assistance in dying. The text provided for a two-year prison sentence and 30,000 € fine in the event of an "obstruction offence", as is the case for abortion. An incitement offence existed also but the penalty was less by half.
The deletion of the liberticidal obstruction offence measure is intended to reassure and make the text more acceptable. It does not however alter the general economy of the text which, by lifting the prohibition against killing, overturns the very meaning of care.
Proposed bill on the end of life: Examination in public session from 22nd June
The next stage in the process, the National Assembly will examine in public session the text thus modified by the commission from 22nd June. If the text is adopted, it could be examined by the Senate as early as July in an extraordinary session with a view to a final vote on 15th July.More than ever, Alliance VITA is alerting on the dangers of the text and is calling for people to join their national mobilisation being organised in some fifty towns throughout France on the same 22nd June