The “right to assisted dying” is as soon as once more accepted by MEPs in committee | EUROtoday

The deputies accepted, Wednesday February 4, in committee the creation of a proper to assisted dying, the contours of that are virtually an identical to these adopted in May within the Assembly, the place this main societal reform is making its return at second studying.

Started in 2022 by Emmanuel Macron – who reaffirmed his intention to see the legislative debate concluded earlier than the presidential election, and if doable this yr – this reform is experiencing a tumultuous legislative journey on account of latest political upheavals, however supporters of the textual content on the top of life wish to imagine in implementation this summer season. The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet even thinks that the textual content may very well be definitively adopted earlier than the summer season.

The hemicycle will take up the textual content on February 16, earlier than a solemn vote scheduled for February 24, similtaneously the extra consensual invoice on palliative care, examined in parallel.

Unlike the Senate, dominated by a extra conservative proper on societal points, and which rejected it final week, the National Assembly has up to now proven itself favorable to this reform by largely adopting it in May at first studying (305 votes in opposition to 199). It is from this model of the textual content that the deputies of the Social Affairs Committee left on Wednesday, with two thirds of the roughly 600 amendments examined in someday.

“Constant physical or psychological suffering”

Most of the important thing articles of the textual content establishing the eligibility standards and several other points of the process had been reviewed, with out being modified, besides to make just a few marginal changes. They due to this fact confirmed the creation of a “right to assisted dying” consisting of “authorize and accompany” a affected person who needs to manage a deadly substance to himself, or to have it administered by a health care provider or nurse, if he’s not “not physically able to do it”.

The fee accepted the 5 cumulative standards already supplied for within the textual content, together with the actual fact of being achieved “of a serious and incurable condition” Who “is life-threatening, in an advanced phase” Or “terminal”and presenting “constant physical or psychological suffering”.

To the good dismay of opponents of the textual content, the fee deleted a clarification which had been added at first studying, offering that“psychological suffering alone” can not “in no case allow you to benefit from assistance in dying”. It’s already “the reality of the text”argued the creator of the preliminary textual content, the Democratic Movement (MoDem) deputy, Olivier Falorni.

The fee confirmed a number of points of the process. Thus the textual content gives that the particular person wishing help in dying requests it from a health care provider, who’s liable for verifying their eligibility. To consider the standards, the physician units up a collegial process. He organizes a gathering during which not less than a specialist within the pathology, a caregiver concerned within the remedy of the affected person and himself take part. The physician can even invite different well being professionals (care employees, psychologist). But it’s he who finally makes the choice alone.

“A shift in civilization”

During the debates, opponents of the textual content denounced a “anthropological rupture” and even “a shift in civilization”. The National Rally (RN) deputy, Christophe Bentz, mentioned he wished ” convince “ THE “MPs hesitant about this text”THE “urge (ant) to apply a principle of prudence”. Their amendments aimed toward extra strictly regulating the system had been all rejected, some deploring a second studying the place the controversy wouldn’t happen after having denounced a hasty examination, like Les Républicains (LR) MP Justine Gruet.

“We’ve been working on this text for three years”replied Olivier Falorni “If there is one word that does not characterize the legislative process on the end of life, it is the word haste. » On several occasions, he highlighted “balance” of the textual content voted on at first studying, “solidified” And “consolidated” via the work of the totally different parliamentary teams.

By Thursday 1:00 p.m., the fee ought to end analyzing the invoice, estimated its president, the Minister Delegate in control of well being and prevention, Frédéric Valletoux. In explicit, it should stay to check modalities surrounding the administration of the deadly substance and the query of the conscience clause of the physician or nurse.

The means of this invoice is much from over, even when Mr. Falorni additionally hopes for definitive adoption in the summertime. This would suppose that the federal government offers the final phrase to the Assembly, after a second studying within the Senate within the spring, a ” likely “ failure of the joint committee imagined to agree between the 2 chambers, and a brand new studying in every.