On Wednesday 14 June, MEPs debated the “risks of exploitation and commercialisation” linked to the authorisation of surrogate motherhood at the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg. A debate was requested by the ECR, which called on the Chamber to declare surrogate motherhood a “universal crime”.
A divided European Parliament
The group believes that the practice is based on the economic exploitation of vulnerable women and “the commodification of a child and a womb”. This is a position shared by the ID group and, to some extent, The Left, the former referring to the break-up of the traditional family and the latter positioning itself in favour of “rainbow families”, but against the “surrogacy industry”.
On the contrary, the vast majority of the S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA groups condemned the Conservatives for their instrumentalisation of the debate for political and electoral ends and deplored the stigmatisation of LGBTQI+ families.
For their part, the MEPs in the EPP group remained cautious. While they are of the opinion that “renting out a womb is ethically inconceivable”, they believe that the EU must combat any exploitation of human beings without “encroaching on the competences of the Member States”.
European Certificate of Parenthood
As the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, pointed out, “family law falls within the competence of the Member States”, including the regulation of surrogacy and the establishment of family ties.
Indeed, if this has become the subject of debate, it is also because, for some, the future European Certificate of Parenthood could pave the way for recognition of surrogacy throughout the Union. However, Mr Reynders insisted that its purpose was simply to ensure that all children, “however they’re conceived or born and whatever the type of family”, should enjoy national rights linked to their parentage recognised in a Member State when they are in a cross-border situation (see EUROPE 13079/9). (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)