NEWS
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Belgium: 2 New Cases of Euthanasia for Psychiatric Disorders are Causing Controversy
20 years after the adoption of the law legalising euthanasia in Belgium, two new painful cases of euthanasia for psychiatric reasons are being widely publicised in the media. Once again, they corroborate, the abuse of euthanasia in that State.
Citizens’ Convention 7th Session: Proposals for Improvement of the Accompaniment of the End of Life
Following a presentation on discernment and psychiatric disorders, the Citizens’ Convention on the end of life continued its work during this 7th session from 3rd to 5th March.
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[Press Release] – Abortion, Hostage to Political Manoeuvres
Following the announcement by the French President of a constitutional bill to register abortion in the constitution, Alliance VITA denounces this blatant and indecent exploitation of the sensitive subject of abortion.
Casablanca Declaration: Experts from 75 Nations Meet for an International Convention for the Abolition of Gestational Surrogacy
Experts from 75 nations meet for an international convention for the abolition of gestational surrogacy
“Neuter Sex” in France? The European Court of Human Rights Says No
Should the State provide for the possibility of a “neuter sex” or “intersex” category on birth certificates? In a decree dated 31st January, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) responded in the negative.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): ChatGPT, the Robot which can Write and which Everyone is Talking About (2)
Beyond the technical and economic challenges, ChatGPT, the conversational robot, can profoundly modify the everyday life and vision of users.
Citizens’ Convention 5th Session: From Sedation to the Debate on Active Assistance in Dying
The Citizens’ Convention on the end of life convened from Friday 3rd till Sunday 5th February, for its fifth weekend.
The extension of Euthanasia to Mental Disorders in Canada Has Been Deferred
On 2nd February 2023 the Canadian government tabled a bill to defer by one year the authorisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide for those people whose only medical problem is mental illness.
Use of Brain-Stem Dead Women as Surrogate Mothers?
Anna Smajdor has proposed the use of “brain-dead” women as surrogate mothers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): ChatGPT, the Robot which Can Write and which Everyone is Talking about (1)
Artificial intelligence is defined quite simply as a set of techniques aimed at copying the operation of the human brain.
The Hague Conference and Gestational Surrogacy: an Eloquent Impasse
The Hague International Conference on private rights has for years been working on gestational surrogacy
Portugal, The Law on Euthanasia is Judged Unconstitutional
On 30th January 2023, The Portuguese Constitutional Court again rejected a law to legalise euthanasia.
Parliamentary Mission on the End of Life: Alliance VITA Auditioned
On 30th January 2023, several Alliance VITA representatives were auditioned by the parliamentary evaluation mission for the French National Assembly on the Claeys-Leonetti law.
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[Press release] Abortion in the Constitution: Alliance VITA Deplores the Vote by the Senate
The Senate has just adopted the bill aimed at introducing a “right” to abortion in the constitution by modifying the initial text to register in the constitution the “freedom for women” to resort to abortion.
2023 Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference: Living in the Real World 4th Session : A Future to Weave
Some 8000 participants in the Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference gathered in 190 towns throughout France and abroad on 30th January for the fourth instruction session titled “A world to weave”.
Feedback from the 4th Session of the Citizens’ Convention
The members of the Citizens’ Convention reconvened between Friday 20th and Sunday 22nd January, for the second session of the deliberation phase.
Parliamentary Evaluation of the Claeys-Leonetti Law: Alliance VITA Auditioned on Monday 30th January
Parliamentary Evaluation of the Claeys-Leonetti Law: Alliance VITA Auditioned on Monday 30th January
2023 Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference “Living in the Real World” 3rd Session: “A World to Construct”
Some 8000 participants in the Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference gathered on 23rd January in 190 towns throughout France and abroad for the third instruction session titled “A world to construct”
Mental Health: The Prevention of Suicide Should not Suffer Any Exceptions
The announcement of assisted suicide by the youtuber Olympe on the networks
Fundamental Rights of the Aged in Nursing Homes: An Initial Statement Showing Mixed Results
The question of respect for the fundamental rights of the Aged living in nursing homes is the subject of a report released this week by the Défenseur des Droits (Defender of Rights). This report follows an initial publication in May 2021 of which our web site provided...
China: Support for the 3rd Child, What Is the Reality?
The support for birth rate, including for a third child, announced in 2021 by the Chinese Politburo, has not yet produced any real effect on demography.
2023 Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference “Living in the Real World” – Second Session: A Reality to Be Listened to
On 16th January over 7,500 participants in the Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference convened in more than 150 venues in France and abroad for the second instruction session titled "A reality to be listened to". Reality is always broader than one thinks, it also...
Active Assistance to Die on the Agenda for the 3rd Session of the Citizens’ Convention
The Citizens’ Convention on the end of life convened for its 3rd session, by considering the question of active assistance to die.
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[Press release] – Alliance VITA’s UDV Bioethics Conference returns in January 2023
The UDV (Université de la Vie) training conferences on bioethical stakes, created and presented by Alliance VITA, is returning in January 2023.
2023 Alliance VITA Bioethics Conference: “Living in the Real World” – First Session: A World to Console
A world to console: That is the theme which opened the Alliance VITA 2023 Bioethics Conference.
Assisted Suicide not Recognized in European Law
Assisted suicide: The State Council has rejected a new request by the Dignitas association. A new attempt by the Swiss Dignitas association, has again resulted in rejection by the State Council.
What are the Reasons and Motivations in a Request for Euthanasia?
Several studies conducted in hospitals on requests for euthanasia have provided an insight into the reasons and motivations of patients.
Euthanasia: Continuous Extension in Canada and Quebec
After extending access to euthanasia for people whose natural death is not “reasonably predictable” a mere 5 years after passing the first law in 2016, Canada intends to organise its access for people suffering from mental disease as of 17th March 2023.
Warning for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the Inadequacy of the Protection of Minors from Access to Pornography
Alliance VITA together with ‘Juristes pour l’Enfance’, a French association of lawyers which defends child rights, and the Evangelical Protestant Committee for Human Dignity (CPDH) sent a detailed report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on 15th December 2022, denouncing the failures of the French State for the protection of minors from access to pornography.
A Militant International Round Table at the Launch of the Citizens’ Convention on the End of Life
Meeting for its first inaugural session from the 9th to 11th December 2022, the Citizens’ Convention on the end of life began its work by welcoming highly militant personalities to present the experience from abroad.
Estimation and Analysis of Euthanasia Requests in France
Several studies have been released over the last twelve years to estimate the number of euthanasia requests in France. These studies are sometimes quoted in the current debate on the end of life and its legal framework.
Portugal – Euthanasia: The Portuguese Parliament Have Adopted a Constitutionally Controversial Law
On Friday 9th October 2022, the Portuguese parliament voted for the 3rd time on a law to legalise euthanasia, which has every chance of being referred to the Constitutional Council due to its particularly extensive conditions.
Surrogacy: The Court of Appeal Confirms the Disconnection of a Commercial Site
In a ruling given on 24th November, the Court of Appeal confirmed the obligation for the OVH host to disconnect from France a Spanish commercial web site offering gestational surrogacy services (GPA), which are prohibited in France.
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Vigilance on the Semantics
According to Le Figaro newspaper, Erik Orsenna, the member of the French Academy has been mandated to explain the vocabulary used for the end of life with publication of the first items in early December 2022 to correspond with the launch of the “citizens’ convention”.
Advance Directives, Benefits and Limitations
Introduced by the “End of life” law in April 2005, the so-called Leonetti law, the system of advance directives was reinforced and specified in 2016, by the second “End of life” law, so-called “Claeys Leonetti” law.
New CCNE notice: Rethinking Healthcare System Based on Ethics
Following the publication in September of a notice opening the door to the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide, the CCNE (Comité Consultatif National d’Ethique) has just issued a new notice, number 140, headed “Rethinking Healthcare System Based on Ethics”.
Opposability of Advance Directives: The Limit Established in Law, Validated by the Constitutional Council
The Constitutional Council has been consulted in a conflict opposing the family of a patient and his medical team concerning the application of his advance directives.
Uterus graft: A high risk ethical and medical technique
In the context of an as yet experimental protocol, a second uterus graft has just been accomplished in France at the Foch hospital in Suresnes.
End of life: The successive U-turns by the CCNE
On 13th September, during publication of instruction No. 139 by the CCNE on the end of life, according to which “there is a way for ethical application of an active assistance to die”, it is surprising to note the u-turn relative to a previous instruction on the subject dated 2013.
Euthanasia: The Belgian Law is Declared Unconstitutional, at the Expense of the Most Vulnerable?
The decision by the Belgian Constitutional Court concerning the unconstitutionality of the law dated 28th May 2002 on euthanasia raises the question of the true protection of patients.
Global Day Against Pain
Celebrated every year on the third Monday in October, the Global Day against Pain is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) which considers that the “treatment of pain and palliative care form an integral part of the right to enjoy good health.”
Abortion in the Constitution: Private Bill Rejected by the Senate
On Wednesday 19th October 2022, the Senators rejected, by 172 votes to 139, the private bill presented by the ecologist Senator Mélanie Vogel who wanted to register in the French constitution a “fundamental right for abortion and contraception”.
Euthanasia: The European Court of Human Rights Records a Violation of Rights in a Belgian Case
On 4th October, the European Court of Human Rights passed judgement in a case opposing a Belgian citizen, Mr. Tom Mortier and the Kingdom of Belgium, concerning the euthanasia performed on his mother on 19th April 2012.
The Contentious Case of Euthanasia in Canada: The Concerns of Human Rights Experts and the Handicapped
In early October 2022, the CBC news daily reported the sad story of a young woman in Manitoba, suffering from ALS who resolved to apply for euthanasia due to the unavailability of home care.
Abortion in Spain: Private Clinics Sentenced by the Supreme Court for Misleading Advertising
Last September, the Spanish Supreme Court confirmed the sentence by the Oviedo Court, condemning ACAI for misleading advertising. ACAI (Asociacion de Clinicas Acreditadas para la Interrupcion Voluntaria del Embarazo) is a group of some thirty private clinics, approved for conducting abortions.
Continuous Sedation Till Death: 3 questions for Olivier Jonquet, Emeritus Professor of Intensive-Care and Resuscitation Medicine
The term deep and continuous sedation maintained until death, first appeared in law dated 2nd February 2016, which established new rights for the sick and people at their end-of-life. The law is intended to control situations in which this procedure is liable to be used.
Euthanasia in Canada: The Legitimate Concerns Regarding the Slippery Slope
Tom Koch, the research scientist specializing in ethics has studied how the situation of medical termination, which covers euthanasia and assisted suicide, has evolved in Canada since its legalization in 2016.
Current State of Health in France
An annual report on the health status of the French population has just been published by the “DREES”, the National Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics.
No Consensus in Sight for Legalizing Euthanasia in France
Earlier this month President Emmanuel Macron declared to the actress, Line Renaud, in regard to euthanasia: “This is the time for it, so it will be done.”
The Werther effect or “Copycat” Suicides
In 1774, Goethe’s novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther” which ends with a young man’s suicide was published. Quite a number of young readers imitated Werther, the book’s hero, to the point that the rise in suicide rates was a direct cause for having this book banned in many countries.
French Ethics Committee’s Deadly Volte-Face on Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide
On September 13, 2022, the “CCNE” (French National Consultative Ethics Committee) published recommendation N° 139. Essentially it recommends for palliative care to be reinforced and for “some unavoidable ethical prerequisites” in the event that euthanasia and assisted suicide are legalized.
Alliance VITA’s UN Contribution on Human Rights of Older Persons
In Geneva, on August 29 and 30, 2022, a UN meeting on the human rights of older persons was held to discuss the gaps and fragmentation in the protection of human rights of older persons in international laws.
French Gamete Donations No Longer Anonymous; Unresolved Issues for ART with Third Party Donors
On September 1, 2022, the 2021 French Bioethics law comes into force, meaning that gamete donations will no longer be anonymous. Children born of assisted procreation (IVF or insemination) with a third-party donor, will be able, when they reach age 18, to request the removal of anonymity of the donor, man or women, who gave his gamete and who is at the origin of their life.
AI: Does Google’s LaMDA Robot Have Consciousness?
The new “LaMDA” (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) is not just an ordinary robot with AI. Developed by Google, it is a robot intended to converse with humans, a “chatbot” (contraction of “to chat”, and “bot” for “robot”). Blake Lemoine, an American engineer at the company, claims that it is conscious.
End-of-life: Why Are Insurance Companies Promoting Euthanasia?
In France, an IFOP survey on the end-of-life was recently published by the national complementary insurance company for teachers, the “MGEN ” Mutuelle Générale de l’Éducation Nationale. Its’ militant commitment to euthanasia is openly stated in an end-of-life manifesto
Demographic Winter or Overpopulation? UN Publishes New Forecast
In early July, the United Nations published its “World Population Prospects” for 2022. Since 1951, the UN has published twenty-seven reports of these official estimates and projections of the global population.
Abortion: US Supreme Court Overturns Roe vs. Wade
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the case law decision of Roe vs. Wade which established constitutional federal protection for what has come to be called the "right to abortion." The legal impact of this reversal means returning to the legal status...
Belgium: Professionals Warn about Lack of Access to Palliative Care
To mark the 20th anniversary of the law instituting palliative care, on June 14, 2022, three Palliative Care Federations in Belgium from Walloon, Brussels and Flanders joined forces to explain what palliative care is , and also to warn about the lack of access to...
Couple Reneging Their Surrogate Baby
It is a sad miscellaneous news item, such as the surrogacy business can produce. Social media got wind of the story via Cafemom which reported about a couple who renegated their surrogate baby. The news was first published by Reddit, but it was deleted due to the...
Prostitution Decriminalized in Belgium: An Uplifting Model?
Last March, Belgium voted to decriminalize prostitution. The new law is effective this month. Thus Belgium is the first country in Europe to pass such a law, and second in the world after New Zealand. The new clause for decriminalizing prostitution is included under a...
Euthanasia: Downhill Slope Amid Fierce Controversies in Quebec
On May 25th, a new euthanasia bill, referred to in Canadian legislation as “medical aid in dying” (MAiD), was tabled in Quebec. If Bill 38 is adopted, it will add very laxist and controversial measures to the existing law. First of all, the criterium of a “reasonably...
End-of-Life: More Vigilance Needed with New French PM
On May 16, 2022, Emmanuel Macron appointed Elisabeth Borne to serve as Prime Minister for his second five-year term as President of France. This appointment has pushed Alliance VITA to maintain its vigilance on the subject of the end-of-life. Before his re-election,...
Surrogacy Business in Ukraine Exported to France
The human tragedy associated with the war in Ukraine hasn’t shown any signs of relenting. It includes not only the massive displacement of civilians, but also some “collateral damage” to the country’s lucrative surrogacy business. According to the UN High Commissioner...
The Lancet Warns: Women Will Die if Abortion is Restricted. Can we believe it?
Just after the Politico website published the Supreme Court’s preliminary draft opinion on the right to abortion, the prestigious medical journal The Lancet published an angry editorial retort on May 14, 2022. Entitled "Why Roe vs Wade must be defended", it was also...
France Creates a National Digital Identity Service
Digital identity is a tool used to codify the unique attributes of an individual, while digital technology enables a person to prove his identity. There are 3 different categories of digital identity: declarative, calculated, and acting identity. The declarative...
Legal Complaints Filed for Births by Ukrainian Surrogate Mothers in France
Ukraine is an international surrogacy hub, and one of the few countries that legally allows foreign customers to enter into commercial surrogacy arrangements. In recent years, this business has flourished due to the low-cost rates, even attracting foreigners from...
Abortion: Will the US Supreme Court Overturn Roe vs. Wade?
According to an article published by Politico on May 5th, the U.S. Supreme Court is reportedly poised to strike down the case law decision of Roe vs. Wade which establishes constitutional federal protection for what has come to be called the "right to abortion"....
Sister André: World’s Oldest Person
Following the death of the Japanese woman, Kane Tanaka, on April 19th, the title of the world’s oldest person was conferred upon Sister André, a French nun. She is the sixth French woman to be registered as the world’s oldest person. Given her nationality, the news...
New European Legislation to Be Enforced for Digital Technology
Last Saturday, the European Commission has reached a political agreement on the rules governing digital services in the EU and published the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA and the DMA form a single set of new rules. The Digital Market Act (DMA), on which an...
European Court Ruling on Human Rights: There Is no Such Thing as a Right to Assisted Suicide
In the recent court case between a Danish euthanasia activist, Mr. Lings, versus the Kingdom of Denmark (Lings v. Denmark) the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the European Convention on Human Rights "does not guarantee the right to assisted suicide."...
Belgium : Record Numbers of Euthanasia – Excessively Extensive and Liberal Interpretations
In Belgium, after the number of declared euthanasia cases substantially decreased in 2020, a record high has been announced for 2021, the highest number since it was legalized 20 years ago. Indeed, in 2021 there were 2699 acts of euthanasia performed, among which 430...
End-of-life Policies Manipulated for Political Gain
According to Richard Ferrand, the president of the French National Assembly, and a supporter of President Macron, "the right to die with dignity" will be Emmanuel Macron’s "huge social reform" if he is re-elected for another 5-year term. Announced on “France Info”,...
Debatable Claims by the WHO that Abortion Restrictions Effect Women’s Health
Analysis – April 2022 (continued) In its latest abortion guidelines, the WHO issued many, not only medical but also political, recommendations in order to limit the risks of unsafe abortion on women's health. In our previous analysis, we questioned the reliability of...
Opinionway Survey: Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds Largely Commended
Opinionway has carried out a survey which is the first ‘intergenerational bond indicator’ and which shows the positive impact of the relationships between young and old people on social cohesion and on seniors’ physical and mental health. The poll was launched exactly...
WHO Uses Ideological Tactics to Encourage Abortion
This past March 8th during the focus on the International Day for Women, the WHO presented its revised health recommendations for abortion. The stated objective of the WHO’s abortion care guideline is to present the complete set of all their recommendations and best...
Elucidating the WHO’s Calculations for Worldwide Abortion Statistics
Analysis April 2022 Summary The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes official statistics on abortion called "fact sheets". Presumably compiled from official cases throughout the world, these figures show the number of abortions worldwide, the number of unsafe...
Brain Implant Helps Charcot’s Disease Patient Communicate
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is also known as Charcot's disease. This serious and still incurable pathology is a neurodegenerative disease that results in progressive paralysis of the muscles involved in voluntary motor skills. It also...
Macron’s Citizens’ Convention on the End of Life: 7 Reasons to Object
1/ Bill on Advanced Age and Autonomy abandoned sine die Although the pandemic and the nursing home crisis have clearly showed the urgent need for this reform, the bill on old age and autonomy has been postponed sine die. And yet, fighting against the "social death" of...
Human Embryo Selection : The Alarming Rise of Complex Genetic Testing
A recent editorial in the journal Nature has highlighted the alarming rise of complex genetic testing for selecting human embryos in vitro. The emergence of companies offering prospective parents tests based on a "polygenic risk embryo score" prior to in...
Italian Constitutional Court Rejects Referendum on Euthanasia
On February 15, 2022, the Italian Constitutional Court rejected a request for a referendum on euthanasia, alleging that the text does not ensure the basic protection of human life, especially for the vulnerable ones. At the end of summer 2021, the petition was...
Swiss Canton Votes “No” to Basic Fundamental Rights on Primates
On February 13, under the tradition of direct democracy, voters in Switzerland overwhelmingly rejected a national referendum on the ban on medical testing on animals (79,1% against). In the canton of Basel, voters were called upon to decide whether to amend their...
Euthanasia / Suicide: French Council of State Rejects Dignitas’ Appeal on a Preliminary Question of Constitutionality (PQC)
On 21 December 2021, the French Council of State rejected the Preliminary Question of Constitutionality made by the Swiss association Dignitas to counter the ban on pentobarbital, a drug within the barbiturate class. On September 22, 2021, when Dignitas submitted the...
Vigilance on European Commission’s Initiative on the Recognition of Parenthood Between Member States
In 2020 the European Commission put forward a proposal to "ensure that parenthood, as established in one EU country, is recognized throughout the EU so that children maintain their rights in cross-border situations, in particular when their families travel or move...
Portuguese President Vetoes Euthanasia Law
On November 29, 2021 the President of Portugal vetoed the law decriminalizing euthanasia. In January 2021 this highly controversial legislation was hurriedly pushed through Parliament while the country was facing another wave of the pandemic and had gone under lock...
What Rights Do We Celebrate on Human Rights Day and For Whom?
One should imagine that December 10th which marks The World Human Rights Day would merit unanimous support. Adopted to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it allegedly helps protect against attacks on human dignity at all stages of life,...
Abortion Bill at the Senate: Government Maneuvers?
After the deputies adopted the new abortion bill to extend abortion deadlines in second reading, the legislative process seemed rather uncertain. Indeed senators from Macron’s party as well as socialist senators had refused to schedule a time slot. On several...
Gender : French Senate Adopts Controversial Bill on Sex Change
On December 7, the Senate adopted in 1st reading a new bill to ban gender conversion therapy tabled by Laurence Vanceunebrock, from President Macron’s centrist party, LREM (“La République en Marche”). Although the alleged objective is to better protect the...
Analyzing French Bill # 3879 Extending Abortion Rights
Time for Evaluating Abortion in France On 29 November, Bill # 3879 to extend abortion rights, tabled by Mrs. Albane GAILLOT, is scheduled for second reading at the French National Assembly. Claiming that access to abortion is becoming increasingly difficult today, the...
The Hague Conference: Progressively Heading Towards Surrogacy?
The Hague Conference is well known for its work on the International Adoption Convention in 1993. This intergovernmental institution currently brings together 89 member states, including France. Its lawyers mainly deal with issues of private international law. They...
Evaluating How to Best Manage Charcot’s Disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Charcot's disease, is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that progressively leads to muscle paralysis, thus affecting breathing, speech, and swallowing. There is a median lifespan of 36 months, with an annual...
California: Painful Imbroglio After Embryos get Switched
A California couple recently filed suit against the IVF clinic for switching their embryo for another prior to implantation. Here is what this most affected family went through. According to the New York Times, the clinic switched their embryo with another couple’s...
Film on Assisted Suicide: “Everything Went Well”?
On September 22, following a large marketing campaign, the film “Everything went well” based on Emmanuèle Bernheim’s 2013 book about helping her father die after suffering a stroke, was released in French cinemas. In interviews, the director François Ozon...
French Government Defaults on the Advanced Age and Autonomy Act
Successive promises for reforming the “Advanced Age and Autonomy Act”, have been interspersed with repeated postponements, but now the government has officially defaulted. Regrettably, the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, did not mention the reform in his official...
Surrogacy Businesses Advertising their Illegal Trade in France Again
Although surrogacy is illegal in France, the trade show “Désir d’enfant” (Desire for a Child) reopened yet again this year in Paris on September 4th. Last year several associations filed legal suit against these international procreation businesses for openly pushing...
Preterm Babies: Hearing Mother’s Voice Alleviates their Pain
Recently, the journal Nature published the research from the University of Geneva, which scientifically demonstrates that hearing the mother’s voice significantly alleviated the pain preterm babies experienced when undergoing clinical procedures. Frequently, babies...
Militants Pushing for Surrogate Mothers in France while other countries back track
A media blitz has recently put surrogacy back in the headlines in France. First, without wasting any time after the new French bioethics law was voted to extend access to “ART for all”, the pro-surrogacy militants have now started advocating it through various media...
French Bioethics Law Referred to the Constitutional Council for “Scientism with Unlimited Boundaries”
The debate on the new bioethics bill didn’t end on June 29, 2021, when the French Parliament finally adopted the text. A referral has now been filed with the Constitutional Council by 80 parliamentarians from right and center parties (Republicans or “LR” and Union of...
Advanced Age Reform Could Be Decisive in Upcoming French Elections
Since 2017, successive announcements have been made for an upcoming reform of the “Advanced Age and Autonomy Act”. Prior to his election as French President, this reform was part of Emmanuel Macron’s campaign promises. The issuing of additional sanitary restrictions...
Abortion: EU Parliament Stepping on Member States’ Toes
At its plenary meeting on June 24, 2021, the European Parliament voted to adopt the highly controversial motion for a resolution "regarding reproductive and sexual health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women's health", which is specifically intended to restrict...
Gender Dysphoria Being Questioned: Overreaction, Overdiagnosis, and Overmedicalization?
Gender dysphoria is a medical term listed in American Psychiatric Association’s textbook to describe the distress resulting from the incongruence between the gender assigned at birth and the gender with which one identifies. It is "characterized by a strong and...
French Bioethics Law: Forcing through Ethical Red Lines
Alliance VITA denounces the way ethical red lines were crossed when the legislation was forced through the National Assembly in third reading. In total disregard for the fundamental principles of human ecology, this law puts in danger the rights of the most vulnerable...
Gene Therapy for Blindness Sparks Hope
Pigmentary retinopathy is a heterogeneous group of inherited eye diseases that affects vision and sometimes causes blindness. All forms of this disease lead to progressive degeneration of the photoreceptor cells in the retina. Although rare, it is the most common...
Demographic Report from the High Commissioner for Planning
On 12 May, the High Commissioner for Planning in France, François Bayrou, issued a report on demography as being "fundamental to preserving our social model". The post of High Commissioner for Planning was recently created in September 2020 and assigned to François...
Non-justified Use of ICSI (Specialized IVF Technique) for ART?
Does assisted reproductive technology (ART) resort too often to the use of unnecessary and costly techniques? In a recent study published in the Lancet, Australian researchers investigated this issue, especially focusing on the technique of intracytoplasmic sperm...
The ECHR Refuses Parental Recognition for a Surrogate Child Born Abroad
On May 18, 2021, in its House judgment, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) unanimously concluded that refusing to recognize two persons as parents of a child born of surrogacy, does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights. The case concerns Valdis...
France Doubles Paternity Leave to Reinforce Father-child Bond
On May 12th 2021, the French government published a decree in the official journal to specify the exact terms for extending paid paternity leave from 14 to 28 days. Voted five months ago as part of the 2021 Social Security Financial Act, the new benefits for French...
Outcomes at Age 5 for French Children Born Prematurely
In France, prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and is responsible for half of all disabilities of perinatal origin. It affects around 55,000 births each year, or approximately 7.5% of all births in the country. The British Medical Journal has...
Selective Abortion for Down’s Syndrome: Above Average Rate in France
A study has placed France above the European average for having recourse to abortion whenever Down’s Syndrome is detected. A study published at the end of 2020 in the European Journal of Human Genetics, and recently cited in an editorial, evaluated the population of...
Proposing Dubious New European Rules for “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”
Following the report submitted by MEP Predrag Fred Matic, the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) adopted a motion for a resolution "concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU" on May 10th -11th. The...
Ombudsman Denounces Abuses in French Nursing Homes
In a report published on 4 May, France’s Defender of Rights, has denounced a large number of violations of the fundamental rights to respect and dignity of the residents in nursing home establishments for aged and dependent individuals, known in France as “EHPADs”....
Miscarriages: For a Better Care
Miscarriage is a common event which occurs in approximately 15% of all pregnancies and affects one in ten women. An estimated 23 million miscarriages occur every year worldwide, which is equivalent to 44 miscarriages every minute. In spite of this, the consequences...
Skewing the Statistics on Clandestine Assisted Deaths in France
On April 8th, the French National Assembly debated a bill tabled by MP Olivier Falorni to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. The promoters of euthanasia regularly argue about the hypocrisy of the French position. They claim that the annual number of clandestine...
Study Explores Physicians’ Moral Distress in End-of-life Decisions
Recently in Northern Ireland, a qualitative study was conducted in an intensive care unit to investigate the causes of moral distress in physicians and its’ consequences on making decisions affecting end-of-life patients. As one of the first ethicists to study moral...
Artificial Intelligence: Draft Regulations at the European Commission
In Brussels, on 21 April 2021, the EU Commissioners presented draft regulations for artificial intelligence (AI). Following recent years of discussions, the Commission’s alleged goal is to "turn Europe into the global hub for trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI);"...
Frenchman Convicted of Forcing His Girlfriend to Abort
On April 19, 2021, the Meaux Correctional Court convicted a 21-year-old Frenchman of violence and death threats against his girlfriend for attempting to force her to have an abortion; he received a sentence of 15 months, with 8 months of unconditional imprisonment....
First Man + Monkey Embryos = Chimeras
Monkey embryos have recently been used in an experiment with human cells to create man-monkey chimeras. Scientists have been combining cells of different animal species since 1969, when the French biologist Nicole Le Douarin first created quail-chicken embryos,...
New Bill Passed to Better Protect French Minors against Sexual Offenses
On April 15, the draft law to better protect minors from sexual crimes, offences and incest was unanimously adopted at second reading in the French National Assembly. This bill establishes an age of “non-consent” at 15, under which a child cannot be considered to have...
Why Government Policies Should Include Counseling for Couples
Providing counseling for couples: A groundbreaking study in France highlights that "Regardless of the couple’s legal status, the stability of their relationship has a positive impact on the well-being of individuals and a substantial effect on public finances." The...
Therapeutic Progress Using CRISPR-Cas9 Harbors Newfound Hope
Sickle cell anemia is the most widespread genetic disease in the world, and very prevalent in France where it affects one child for every 1900 births. The name of this disease is derived from the “sickle” shaped appearance of the red blood cells caused by a defect in...
Sex Change: Repercussions on Civil Registers and Filiation
The press is speculating that French courts may soon render an unprecedented decision concerning how civil registers and filiation may be affected in the event of changing one’s biological sex. The Court of Appeals in Toulouse is currently hearing the case of a man...
Euthanasia Bill in France: A Poignant Appeal from Philippe Pozzo di Borgo
On April 8th while French MPs were examining a new bill for euthanasia, the spokespersons of the collective “Relieve Suffering without Killing” held a press conference deploring the indecency of decriminalizing such an act. They argue that if putting a person to death...
Canada Extends Euthanasia to People with Disabilities
Less than five years after euthanasia was decriminalized in Canada, drastic changes are now being implemented. Euthanasia, referred to in Canadian legislation as "medical aid in dying" (MAID), will be extended to anyone with a serious and incurable condition who...
“Artificial” Human Embryos ?
Can researchers artificially produce a product resembling a human embryo in a test tube, without using eggs or sperm or undergoing fertilization? For the past several years, some research laboratories have been experimenting on animal models. And now experiments are...
End-of-Life: Alliance VITA Auditioned by French National Assembly
Prior to the upcoming bill to legalize euthanasia in France, which will be debated on April 8th, Tugdual Derville, founder of Alliance VITA's SOS End-of-Life service, and Dr. Xavier Mirabel, oncologist, and former President and Medical Advisor for Alliance VITA, were...
Sexual Crimes: Better Protection for French Minors
In France a new bill to protect minors from sexual crimes, offences and incest (# 576) was adopted unanimously by the National Assembly on January 21st, followed by the Senate at first reading on March 15th. This bill set the limit of “non-consent” at age 15, under...
Portugal’s Euthanasia Bill Declared Unconstitutional
On March 15, 2021, Portugal’s Constitutional Court ruled that the parliament-approved euthanasia bill is unconstitutional. In February, Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa asked the country’s Supreme Court to evaluate the constitutionality of the...
Euthanasia: another Ideological Assault in the French Senate
On March 3rd the Senate Social Affairs Committee is scheduled to examine a bill entitled "the right to die with dignity," a phrase manipulated to promote the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Tabled by Marie-Pierre de la Gontrie, a Socialist senator...
“Always Together”: Alliance VITA’s New Solidarity Campaign
5 Questions for Project Coordinator Tugdual Derville Where did the idea for this campaign originate? From the 2003 heatwave! That summer, when we saw the dramatic mortality rates for the elderly, Alliance VITA carried out an in-depth survey by interviewing several...
Portugal’s Euthanasia Law Referred to Constitutional Court
On 18 February 2021, Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa asked the country’s Constitutional Court to evaluate the recently passed euthanasia law which appears to be violating the fundamental principles of the country’s constitution. Among the grievances...
France Abortion Reform Bill: MP’s Cancel the Public Debate Planned on Feb 18th
The Socialist Group has given up the idea of holding an open public debate on the latest bill to extend abortion rights. They claim that the very large number of amendments proposed for this bill would have prevented them from examining the bill, which goes with...
French Government Launches Platform to Help Parents Protect Children from Pornography
On Tuesday February 9, 2021, the French government launched its’ platform to help parents protect minors over the age of six from exposure to pornography.. The new website “jeprotegemonenfant.gouv.fr », (I protect my child) was disclosed on the international “Safer...
Survey Shows that Advance Directives Are Becoming Better-Known
Five years after the Claeys-Leonetti Act of February 2, 2016 was enacted, the National Centre for Palliative and End of Life Care (“CNSPFV”) conducted a poll. In January 2021, the BVA Institute conducted a survey over the phone using a sample of 902 French citizens of...
Bioethics Law: A Close Analysis After French Senate 2nd Reading
At the 2nd reading of the French bioethics bill, the Senate made significant modifications, removing several clauses which had provoked strong public dissent. Article 1, allowing ART without any medical reason for couples of women or any single woman, was finally...
French Senate Special Committee on Bioethics: Some Success Albeit Mixed
In early February, the French Senate will continue to examinate the bioethics bill at second reading. The latest version of the bill produced by the Assembly was amended by the Special Committee, without achieving ethical relevance. This latest version amply...
Euthanasia for the Disabled: UN Experts Warn of Undue Pressure
In a joint statement issued on January 25th, three independent international experts, expressed alarm to the UN over a growing trend in some countries to enact euthanasia laws which are largely targeted at disabled persons. According to the Special Rapporteur on the...
Elderly Reform Bill in France yet again Postponed
Prior to his election as French President, the “Advanced Age and Autonomy Act” was part of Emmanuel Macron’s campaign promises. However, since it was tabled in autumn 2019, this bill has repeatedly been postponed. As Alliance VITA indicated in its September 2020...
Portugal MPs in Move to Legalise Euthanasia During Healthcare Crisis?
The Portuguese Parliament has scheduled the debate and vote on the euthanasia bill for January 29, 2021. The timing has been highly criticized since the country is currently experiencing a raging Covid pandemic, to the point that the nation is considering petitioning...
Birth Rate Drops in France for a Sixth Year in a Row
The annual demographic report for 2020 published by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (“INSEE”) shows yet again a decrease in birth rates in France. The “INSEE” reported: " For the past six consecutive years the birth rate has continuously...
Survey: The French Want More Children
The latest survey by the National Union of Family Associations (“UNAF”) published on 14 January 2021, reports that the French want to have more children. According to the report soon to be published by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies...
Euthanasia: “Ultimate Freedom” Association Charged with Illegal Pentobarbital Trafficking
In France, on 12 January 2021, in a large-scale operation, a dozen Pentobarbital traffickers were arrested. Pentobarbital is a barbiturate previously prescribed for use in anesthesia and as a sleeping pill (for its hypnotic properties). It is known to be addictive,...
Sex Change: High Court in London Rules Against Puberty Blockers
On December 1, 2020, in a landmark decision, the High Court in London rules against treatments that block puberty. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by Keira Bell, a 23-year-old woman who began treatment with puberty blockers at age 16 to appear masculine. Today,...
Child Trafficking and Illegal Adoptions
Two recent reports of child trafficking have yet again illustrated the necessity for greater vigilance on a worldwide basis. Child Trafficking in Kenya Revealing the existence of a huge child trafficking network in Kenya, the first episode of a BBC documentary...
Live Birth After Ovarian Tissue Autograft in France
Following a transplant with her own ovarian tissue, a 27-year-old woman, Gwenola, recently became a mother at the Nantes Medical Center in France. Since age 18, Gwenola has suffered from lymphoma. Given that the chemotherapy is toxic to the ovaries, she had her...
Adoption Reform in France: Experts Sound Alarm
Many experts and associations are sounding the alarm on France’s adoption reform bill due to controversial measures which threaten the child’s best interests. The bill to reform adoption in France was recently tabled, in follow-up to the recommendations submitted on...
Ethics Committee and Priorities During the Pandemic
To address the ethical aspect of “managing numerous patients, with or without Covid, admitted to healthcare facilities during the epidemic”, the French Health and Solidarity Minister called upon the “CCNE” (National Consultative Ethics Committee). Two weeks later, on...
Gamete Donation Campaign to be Launched: to the Best Interest of the Child?
The French Biomedicine Agency (“ABM”) has recently launched a national gamete donation campaign, using a marketing argument prejudicial to the best interests of the child. According to the “ABM”, despite a significant increase in donations (up 38% between 2015 and...
Canadian Euthanasia Bill Aims to Eliminate the “End of life” Criterion
On October 6, 2020, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada tabled a bill to eliminate the end-of-life criterion for the law on euthanasia and Medical Assistance In Dying (“MAiD”). Such a provision would make Canada the most permissive country in terms...
Belgium Reports Sharp Increase in Euthanasia
In Belgium, the Federal Control Commission for Evaluating Euthanasia (“CFCEE”) has submitted its ninth governmental report presenting the national statistics for euthanasia between 2018 and 2019. Euthanasia has significantly increased in Belgium, with a 12.6% annual...
Is Covid a Pretext for Extending Controversial Home Abortions in France?
Once again using the Covid national health crisis as a pretext, the French Minister of Health and Solidarity has issued a new decree on November 7th 2020, to allow drug-induced abortions at home until 7 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. 9 weeks of amenorrhea) instead of 5...
Parents of Children with Disabilities: Statistics in France
On November 6, 2020, statistics were published on the social and economic level of French households having one or more children with a disability. The study was carried out by the “DREES” (Directorate of Research, Evaluation and Statistics) for the years 2016 and...
France Considering Allowing Midwives to Perform Surgical Abortions
A new amendment has just been adopted by French MP’s allowing midwives to perform surgical abortions on an experimental basis, as part of the bill to revise the National Health Insurance Program, referred to as “Social Security”. The authors of this bill, tabled by...
Abortion on Grounds of Impairment Declared Unconstitutional in Poland
On October 22, 2020, in a plenary session, the Polish constitutional court ruled that abortion on grounds of impairment or illness of the unborn child is a violation of the Polish constitutional right to life. Simultaneously, the court called for the government to do...
Bioethics Committee Opposed to Euthanasia Bill in Spain
On 30 September 2020, the Spanish Bioethics Committee issued a report contesting the bill on euthanasia. The bioethics committee does not regard euthanasia as a right. Quite the opposite. The committee insists on improving patients’ quality of life and advocates...
Court Decrees for OVH to Disconnect Surrogacy Website in France
On October 13, the Versailles Court of Appeal ruled against the OVH company which provided hosting for a website marketing Surrogacy. The complaint was filed in 2016 by the Children's Lawyers Association (“Juristes pour l’enfance”). Consequently, OVH will no longer be...
Health Authorities Contest New Abortion Bill in France
The Council for the French National Order of Doctors is contesting the removal of conscience clause in the pending abortion bill. In a press release on October 10, it explained: “because this would not guarantee access to abortion whithout obstacles, the Order opposes...
Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded for CRISPR-Cas9
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded for the extraordinary discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 for genetic engineering. Two brilliant scientists, Emmanuelle Charpentier, a Frenchwoman and Jennifer Doudna, an American have been named to share the credit for...
Abortions in France Reach Record High
In 2019, there were more abortions performed in France than ever before (232,000 last year compared to 224,300 in 2018) according to the annual statistics published by the “DREES” (Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics). The annual statistics...
The Global Covid-19 Pandemic Reveals The Dangers of Surrogacy
Since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of surrogate newborns have been “stranded”, pending the reopening of international borders between China, Russia and Ukraine. The babies have either been placed in orphanages or in centers run by "nannies"...
Paternity Leave for French Fathers to be Doubled from 14 to 28 Days
The 2021 Finance Bill has approved doubling the paternity leave for French fathers from 14 days to a total of 28. President Emmanuel Macron officially announced the new provision on September 23, while visiting a medical center specialized in the care of mothers and...
French Elderly: New Law Projected for 2021
On September 22, French President, Emmanuel Macron announced during his visit to an “EPHAD” (nursing home establishments for aged and dependent individuals) that a bill for the elderly is being planned for the beginning of 2021. The advisory phase called the "Laroque...
Transgender Frenchman Loses Battle to Be Recognized as “Mother”
Following 6 years of legal battle over the daughter’s birth certificate, on Wednesday, September 16, the Court of Cassation rejected a transgender person’s appeal to be listed as a second mother. After the birth of his first two children, the Frenchman who now goes by...
Ideological Maneuvering to Promote rather than Prevent Abortion in France
Once again, abortion advocates in France are attempting to implement amendments which would completely obviate existing abortion laws, without even considering how women could avoid having recourse to abortion. In France, on September 16, the National Assembly’s...
Disability and End-of-life: Media Coverage of Dying Frenchman Alain Cocq
Alain Cocq, a 57-year-old Frenchman, has been fighting a courageous battle against a rare and incurable disease, which has made him severely disabled. In an attempt to publicly pressure French President Emmanuel Macron, he recently wrote an open letter requesting...
March for the children : Press Conference held August 26, 2020
Following the adoption at 2nd reading, on August 1, of the bioethics bill by the National Assembly, a press conference by the Marchons Enfants collective! was held on August 26, 2020 in Paris. Caroline Roux, Deputy General Delegate of Alliance VITA, took part in this...
Coronavirus and the Elderly in France: Preliminary Findings of the Parliamentary Inquiry
In France, a Parliamentary investigational committee was appointed to evaluate the management and the consequences of the coronavirus crisis. After 6 weeks of hearings, on July 28, the rapporteur Eric Ciotti, (MP for the Alps Maritime region) presented the...
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[Press Release]: French Bioethics Bill: That’s Enough, Stop the Fiasco!
Alliance VITA denounces the government’s obstinacy to push through the bioethics law as soon as July 27th, a proof of its lack of respect for the parliament members’ contributions. Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate deplores the current fiasco:...
Bioethics: What Does “ROPA” Conceal?
An amendment to legalize “ROPA” was introduced at the French National Assembly by deputy and spokesman Jean-Louis Touraine (from President Macron’s centrist and liberal party “LREM”: the Republic Moving Forward). Although the government has thus far been opposed to...
Press Conference by “March for the Children” to Request the Withdrawal of France’s Bioethics Bill
Together with the collective group “March for the Children”, Alliance VITA participated in an emergency press conference on June 18, 2020 in front of the French Health Ministry to denounce the government’s obstinate attempt to push through the bioethics bill in an...
Abortion: COVID-19 Pandemic Exploited as Pretext
Following the extended deadlines for having drug-induced abortions at home from 5 to 7 weeks of pregnancy, Alliance VITA, is sounding the alarm to protect human dignity. Apparently the number of consultations and abortions has declined during the two-month confinement...
Covid-19 in France: Abuse of Power for Drug-induced Abortions at Home
On May 22, the French State Council voted to prolong the recent decree, which extends access to drug-induced abortions at home. The April 14, 2020 decree was originally enacted as part of the national emergency health measures taken to fight the Coronavirus pandemic. ...
Ongoing Abortion Controversy in the French Senate
The latest abortion controversy started right at the beginning of the confinement, when Senator Laurence Rossignol (Socialist Party) tried to extend the statutory deadline for performing abortions from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. On the night of May 28, two...
Coronavirus: Temporary “Off-label” Derogation for Rivotril® Rescinded
In France, the official decree issued on March 29, 2020, which authorized Rivotril® to be prescribed “off-label, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak” was rescinded on May 12, (decree n° 2020-548, Art. 28, dated May 11, 2020). The exceptional derogation for using...
End-of-life Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Could the COVID-19 pandemic change our vision of the care for the dying or for people at the end of their life? The COVID-19 crisis has sparked a significant and genuine thinking on our relation with the dying, especially in the institutional and hospital settings. As...
Dutch Court Approves Euthanasia for People with Dementia
On April 23, the Dutch Supreme Court rendered a decision on the value of advance directives written by people with dementia by ruling that written requests are open to interpretation. Consequently, doctors can now legally carry out euthanasia on people with dementia...
Controversial French Decree for Drug-induced Abortions at Home during COVID-19 Crisis
A new French decree which became effective on April 14, 2020 extends deadlines for having drug-induced abortions at home from 5 to 7 weeks of pregnancy (corresponding to 7-9 weeks amenorrhea) during the Covid-19 health emergency. Repeatedly questioned by Senator...
French President summons to allow end-of-life visits during Covid-19 confinement
In his TV address of Monday April 13, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the COVID-19 confinement would be extended until May 11. However, the President specified that "the most vulnerable, the elderly, those with severe disabilities or people with...
New York Legalizes Commercial Surrogacy amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
On April 3rd, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and behind closed doors in the Capitol, the state of New York voted to legalize commercial gestational surrogacy as part of the 2021 budget package. To become effective in February 2021, the new legislation will...
Coronavirus: Rivotril® and Biomedical Ethics
On March 29th, the French Journal Officiel published a decree authorizing “off-label” prescriptions of Rivotril® until April 15, 2020, that is, prescribed for conditions that have not received marketing authorization. It will be dispensed as an injection on an...
Coronavirus: Ideological Controversies over Abortion Deadlines
Repeatedly questioned by Senator Laurence Rossignol (Oise Socialist Party) about facilitating access to abortion during the confinement period, the French Health Minister, Olivier Véran declared, during the government session on April 1, 2020, that he was concerned...
Alliance VITA launches the platform “Supporting the Most Vulnerable”
Like many others in France, Alliance VITA is deeply concerned about the most vulnerable: those who are elderly, sick, isolated, or disabled, and who are even more vulnerable during this period of pandemic and confinement. In light of these circumstances, we have...
VITA’s SOS End-of-Life Website Creates an Information Web Space Dedicated to Coronavirus
Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, we are facing new challenges for caring for those who are sick, isolated or facing the end of their lives. Needless to say, the Alliance VITA listening services have mobilized their resources for listening and helping...
Coronavirus – Spain: National Concern After Ghastly Discovery in Nursing Homes
Following Italy, Spain is the second most-affected European country by the coronavirus, with over 56,000 reported cases and at least 4,000 deaths since mid-February (more than in China), and is now facing a serious crisis in its’ retirement homes. Last Monday, the...
Coronavirus: French Senate Rejects Abortion Amendment
On March 19, during the Covid-19 Emergency Bill discussions in the French Senate, Senator Laurence Rossignol tabled an amendment to extend the statutory deadline for performing abortion by two weeks. This proposal to increase the legal deadline for abortion from 12 to...
Coronavirus: Two Clinical Trials Launched
In the midst of the global Coronavirus pandemic, a European clinical trial to evaluate four experimental treatments began on March 22, 2020. This clinical trial entitled “Discovery” is being coordinated by French National Institute of Health and Medical Research...
Coronavirus: Confined At Home but Nonetheless Active
During this crisis period, we are even more deeply concerned about individuals who are anxious, alone and struggling. Like many others in France, Alliance VITA provides support for the most vulnerable: those who are elderly, sick, alone, or disabled. They are even...
Further Extension of Euthanasia in Belgium
On March 5th the Belgian Federal Parliament voted to further extend legislation in favor of increasing access to euthanasia. The revised law also plans to eliminate conscientious objection for healthcare professionals. It should be underscored that the State Council...
Belgium Caregivers Opposed to New Changes in Abortion Bill
Since October 2019, the Belgian Federal Parliament has been examining a bill on abortion. On March 12, the debate was postponed after the deputies requested for the Council of State to give an opinion prior to examining the newly submitted amendments for legislation...
French Cases of Autism on the Rise
The French Public Health Agency has just published the results of two evaluations of autism cases in its latest weekly epidemiology bulletin. This is a first in France. Until now, France could only provide unreliable statistics on autism, based on forecasts. This...
CRISPR: Clinical Trial on a Blind Patient
The CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering technique is currently being tested on an adult patient with a rare form of blindness. The patient has a rare hereditary eye disease known as Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA) which progressively leads to blindness, due to a gene...
Transgenic Embryos: French Ethics Committee (CCNE) Calls for an International Moratorium
On March 3, 2020, the French National Consultative Committee on Ethics (“CCNE”) published the "Ethical Challenges of Gene Editing: Between Hope and Caution". The members had unanimously adopted these recommendations on September 19, 2019. This statement referred to as...
Transgenic Embryos: 3 European Ethics Councils Sign a Joint Statement
Although the final version of the bioethics law has yet to be voted in France, the Senate recently removed the article which bans the creation of transgenic embryos. The international pressure is growing; consequently, on March 3, 2020, ethics councils in 3 countries...
Euthanasia Cases in Belgium Increased by 12.9% in 2019
On March 3, 2020 in Belgium, the Federal Control Commission for Evaluating Euthanasia (“CFCEE”) enumerated 2655 official cases of euthanasia in 2019; 12.5% more than the previous year. The majority of the individuals were aged 60 to 89, with 67.8% over age 70. Most...
Carmat’s Artificial Heart: Clinical Trials to Resume in France
The French company Carmat announced a few days ago that it has received permission to resume its clinical studies on artificial heart. The clinical trials on this device had been suspended in France following the death of a patient. Carmat has now been allowed to...
Germany’s Controversial Decision to Allow Assisted Suicide
On February 27, 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany overturned the legal ban which prohibited doctors or associations from “organizing” suicide, by declaring the 2015 law unconstitutional. In 2015, the German parliament (“Bundestag”) voted to prohibit...
Belgian Law on Euthanasia: Towards Even Easier Access
Last October in Belgium, a bill was tabled to extend the conditions permitting euthanasia. The State Council has voiced reserve on the bill’s three flagship measures. The validity of advance euthanasia directives would be extended from five years to an unlimited...
Portugal’s Parliament Pushes for Euthanasia
On Thursday, February 20, 2020, Portugal’s parliament approved five bills on euthanasia at the first reading. Submitted by several socialist parties, they were adopted at the first reading and will likely be combined into a single text before the final vote. These...
Midazolam for End-of-life Care at Home Needs Clarification
The recent update by the French High Authority for Health (“HAS”) on continuous deep sedation until death coupled with the announcement that Midazolam will soon be available on prescription in French pharmacies creates great confusion on the way to use this drug in a...
French Bioethics: Main Revisions Adopted by the Senate during First Reading
The vote for the first reading of the Bioethics law was held in the French Senate on February 4, 2020, passing by 10 votes (153 votes for, 143 against). Although we appreciate the attempts made to amend the draft law, it has not fundamentally changed. The Senators...
Death of an American Surrogate Mother
Michelle Reaves, a young American wife, and mother of two children, died tragically during childbirth. She was serving as a gestational surrogate for the second time for same couple. The news of Michele’s death was spread by one of her friends who set up an online...
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[Press Release] France Bioethics Bill: Alliance VITA denounces the Senate’s Transgressive Vote
In the plenary session on February 4, 2020, the French Senate voted the bioethics bill. However, this text does not deserve to be called bioethical. It threatens the rights of the most vulnerable in our society by ignoring the fundamental principles of human ecology....
Belgium: The Euthanasia Trial
On January 31, the verdict was rendered in the trial for three Belgian doctors who had performed euthanasia on Tine Nys in 2010, a young girl suffering from mental problems: the three were acquitted. The Belgian press refers to it as “the euthanasia trial", which is...
March for the Children: Caroline Roux’s Speech
In Paris, on January 19, 2020, Caroline Roux, Alliance VITA’s Assistant General Delegate, spoke at the massive citizen protest movement against the bioethics bill, organized by “March for the Children”. “If we are here today, braving the cold, some travelling from...
Genetically-Modified Babies: Chinese Scientist Convicted
In China, the scientist who produced genetically modified twin babies has been sentenced to three years in prison. In November 2018, the Chinese scientist He Jiankiu provoked shock and outrage around the world when he announced the birth of twin girls whose DNA he had...
Kick-Off for our 2020 Bioethics Conference: “What is the Meaning of Life?”
In 200 cities throughout France and abroad, 8000 persons took part simultaneously in these innovative bioethics video-conferences. The opening evening was dedicated to a reflection on where we stand in the world today, especially in regard to bioethics. The evening...
Surrogacy: Controversial Ruling at French Court of Appeals
On November 25, 2019, the Court of Appeals in Rennes, France recognized the filiation on French civil registration for four children born to surrogate women abroad. This decision is equivalent to authorizing surrogacy, even though it is prohibited by French law. This...
Bioethics: “Mass Grave” at Paris-Descartes University
Human bodies given to science have been stored without any dignity whatsoever in the Paris-Descartes University Center for Donations, for several years and some body parts have been illicitly sold. First reported on November 27 in the French newspaper, L’Express, the...
Surrogacy: France to Allow Civil Registration A for Children Born Abroad
On December 18, 2019 the Court of Cassation ruled that children born abroad from surrogacy or ART from third-party donors may now have their foreign birth certificates recorded on French civil registry. The courts’ rulings regarded two women who had ART performed with...
Powerful Tribute To Palliative Care
Former magistrate Michèle Bernard-Requin, who died of cancer on December 14, had been in palliative care in Paris at the Sainte Perrine Hospital. In an article published in Le Point, a few days before she died, she paid tribute to the palliative care staff, referring...
Surrogacy / ECHR: Recognition of foreign birth certificates denied
In its December 12, 2019 report, the European Court of Human Rights upheld the French courts' refusal to register the entire foreign birth certificate for a surrogacy case, mentioning the “intended mother” was an appropriate measure. Two surrogacy cases were presented...
Bioethics: Ramifications of Permitting ART without Medical Infertility Criteria
Excerpts from the hearing at the French Senate, pronounced by Alliance VITA’s Assistant General Delegate, Caroline Roux, regarding the bioethics bill: Alliance VITA was founded in France at the end of 1993 when the first bioethics laws were introduced. We are very...
Bioethics Bill: Human Embryo Research What is at Stake?
Excerpts from the hearing at the French Senate, pronounced by Alliance VITA’s Director of Training and Research, Blanche Streb, regarding the bioethics bill: It is no longer rational to consider the human embryo on two separate levels: either for procreation or for...
Post Mortem ART: Gamete Transfer Refused by ECHR
A mother wished for her deceased son’s gametes to be sent to Israel for a post-mortem surrogacy or ART, since it is allowed in this country. However this request was declared inadmissible by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Dominique Petithory Lanzmann, the...
CRISPR Babies: Our Worries are Confirmed
Last November 2018, the CRISPR-Cas9 technique was first used in a human experiment which led to the birth of twin girls in China. Since then alarming information continues to spill out regarding the genetically modified babies born from this technique, who are...
French Bioethics Bill Violates Children’s Rights
Just as France marks its 30th anniversary for signing the United Nations Children’s Rights Convention (UNCRC), Alliance VITA decries the country’s current bioethics bill which violates inherent protections established by this...
WMA Reiterates Opposition to Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide
On October 26, the World Medical Association (WMA) reasserted its opposition to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide during its’ annual Assembly in Tbilisi, Georgia, stating that these practices violate "the principles of medical ethics ". The Netherlands and...
Euthanasia: Pentobarbital Drug Trafficking Network Dismantled in France
On October 15, 2019, police carried out approximately a hundred raids for illegal possession of Pentobarbital, seizing 130 bottles of this very strong barbiturate, which is banned in France. The central office in the fight against environmental and public health...
6th annual World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
The theme for the 6th annual World Hospice and Palliative Care Day held on October 12, 2019 is "My Care, My Right". This unified day of action to celebrate hospice and support palliative care around the world reminds us that every man, woman and child has the right to...
March for the Children: Blanche Streb’s Appeal
On October 6, in Paris, Blanche Streb, Alliance VITA’s Research and Training Director, and Spokesperson for March for the Children, declared at the massive citizen protest against the Bioethics bill: "Science has made us gods, even before we are worthy of being men."...
Greece: Illegal Trafficking of Newborns and Oocytes
Greek police have dismantled a crime network involved in selling ovaries and newborns, mainly from Bulgarian women. The group allegedly transported the women (Bulgarians, Georgians and some Romani) to a private clinic in Thessaloniki to deliver their babies or have...
Bioethics bill: Tugdual Derville invited on France Culture, September 24
Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate was invited to speak on France Culture, on September 24th, while the bioethics bill was being debated at the French National Assembly. Verbatim excerpts from the broadcast: "What right do we have to deliberately...
Demonstration in Brussels against Surrogacy
The Citizens' Initiative against Surrogacy is calling supporters to demonstrate on Saturday, September 21, 2019, to protest against the commercial show "Men having Babies" which is scheduled to be held in Brussels that day to promote surrogacy.The American...
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[Press Release]: Understanding Bioethics Ethical and Humanistic Implications of France’s New Bioethics Bill
The French Parliamentary Committee started the first readings of the new bioethics law on September 10, prior to the public sessions scheduled to be held on September 24th.For this event, Alliance VITA has published an Understanding Bioethics (n ° 49) to...
Spain: 40% Fewer Babies in 11 years
Finally France Rejects Extending Abortions to 14 Weeks
French Bill to Allow Abortions at 14 Weeks of Pregnancy
On Friday June 7, the French Senate adopted an amendment introduced by Senator Laurence Rossignol, to extend the time limit for legal abortions from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy, as part of the country’s new health bill. Following a rising ‘surprise’ vote, in a practically vacant session, 12 voted in favor and 10 against. […]
« Euthanasia, Behind the Scenes » (Belgian Book Release)
“Euthanasia, Behind the Scenes”, is a new book published by Mols, on the end-of-life and the consequences of euthanasia. The foreword of the book was written Jacques RICOT, philosopher, and Dr Timothy DEVOS, hematologist and professor at Leuven University Hospital, coordinated the contributions from 8 well-known Belgian caregivers specialized in palliative care, including university teachers, […]
Vincent Lambert’s Case on May 22, 2019: Caroline Roux / French Christian Radio Broadcast
ART Procreation Business in Belgium: It’s Already There
In order to know the current rates being offered for oocyte donations, a Belgian journalist visited several fertility clinics throughout the country. None of the clinics openly displayed their prices, since the Belgian law of July 6, 2007 concerning assisted reproductive techniques (ART) prohibits human gametes from being bought and sold. As stated in Article […]
UN Requests that France Not Condemn Vincent Lambert to Death
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), is composed of independent experts in charge with implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). On May 3, this UN Committee requested from France “interim measures”: the decision, rendered by the French Council of State on April 24, to […]
Mandatory Divorce Course in Denmark to Help Children Adapt
Euthanasia Rising Sharply in Quebec
EU Parliament Votes for a Better Balance between Work and Private Life
Statistics Predict that French Longevity will Level Off
How to Improve French Child Protection Services
France: Health Bill Facilitates Abortion vs. Prevention
Advanced Age and Autonomy: France in Urgent Need for Adapting Society
New Moratorium on Gene-Edited Babies: Red Light or Green Light?
![[Press Release]: Alliance VITA Denounces Attempt to Abolish Conscience Clause in French Health Bill Reform](https://www.alliancevita.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/objectiondeconscience-1080x675-1-400x250.jpg)
[Press Release]: Alliance VITA Denounces Attempt to Abolish Conscience Clause in French Health Bill Reform
Abortion Conscience Clause: France is Pushing for a Change
French Law of Bioethics: Parliamentary Informational Task Force Designated
Ireland: Tension over the Abortion Referendum
Contraception 50 years later: disillusion and anti-love
Euthanasia in the Netherlands
UN: Human Rights Committee Promotes Abortion and Euthanasia
Number of abortions in France remains high for 2016
Preventing Abortion in Europe
Belgium: 15 years After Legalizing Euthanasia
Understanding Alliance VITA’s trend indicator for biopolitical issues
US refuses to fund United Nation Population Fund over abortion issues
France: End-of-Life Law Submitted to Constitutional Council
Numerical obstruction to abortion: Senate exams the bill, after being rejected by the commission
Digital Obstruction to Abortion: A deliberate rejection of the truth – Caroline Roux’s editorial
News Release: Alliance VITA’s invitation to the March for Life
French law introduces Automatic Organ Donation
Abortion Debate: Caroline Roux guest speaker on ‘Radio Sud’
Time to break the silence on miscarriage?
Numerical obstruction to abortion: French socialist deputies propose new legislation
Socialist Legislators attempt to criminalize “numerical obstruction” to abortion on web sites
France: numerical obstruction to abortion could become an offence
2016 Abortion Survey: nearly 10% of high school students in Paris and in the region Ile de France have aborted
VITAlize France! Alliance VITA’s 19th Annual Convention
Sex-selective abortions in India: Google, Yahoo and Microsoft accused
Sex-selective Abortion Reported in Canada
Abortion reimbursed better than pregnancy: a discriminatory policy
Germany: Continuous decrease in abortions
Abortion – removal of the reflection period
Vincent Lambert, surprising and worrisome appointment for his tutor
For Alliance VITA, the decision of the Reims’ judge to appoint Vincent Lambert’s wife as his tutor is surprising and worrisome, even if the implementation of such a measure for 10 years proves that he is not at the end of life and that his condition requires...
International Surrogacy Issues
100% reimbursement for abortions creates a discrimination against pregnancies
« Healing our society »: an event followed live by more than 6,000 participants in 122 cities in France and abroad
Abortion: total absence of prevention policy
Study: ideas for reducing dying in hospital and increase dying at home
Health Law, a key moment after Parliament members' vote
Abortion: government website video stirs up controversy
Funeral care and embalming, banned at home soon?
November 2nd: Euthanasia Lobby Recuperating All Souls Day is contemptible
Health bill: failure of the joint Commission
Bonnemaison Affair: Between relief and dismay
Extending Medically Assisted Procreation: a new attack?
Tugdual Derville on Channel LCP : “Deep and continuous sedation”
Organ Donation and the Health Bill
Health Laws – Abortion: the government’s campaign
Bioethics Master Class – Paris: Over 80 young people reflecting on the theme of “Look, Listen, and Act!”
Demonstration in favor of Palliative Health Care on October 3rd
Caroline Roux, Sud Radio’s guest, on the prevention of abortion
USA: Planned Parenthood accused of selling aborted fetal body parts
Senate Health Law, landmark steps for serious ethical implications
Vulnerability with technology looming in the background
Life's End and Organ Donation at the heart of Colloquy of Regional Spaces for Ethical Reflection at Strasbourg
Spain: parental permission needed for abortion by minors
Ignorance of the rights of man
Report n° 42 – Proposition of End of Life law discussed in National Assembly
Proposition of law on the End of Life: towards sedation for all?
Can women be given more options in lieu of abortion?
Gestational Surrogacy: Women and Children First
Analytical note on the National Assembly’s resolution aimed at reaffirming the fundamental right to abortion in France and Europe
Gestational Surrogacy: the European Court of Human Rights condemns France
Abortion: the continuous build-up
Debate on Embryo Research Suppressed
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