The European Commission faces intensifying demands to enact a bloc-wide prohibition on conversion therapy following a landmark citizens’ petition surpassing one million signatures, according to Euractiv.
Submitted through the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the petition formally compels the Commission to consider legislation targeting practices aimed at altering sexual orientation or gender identity, which UN experts condemn as “torture”.
The petition, crossing the signature threshold on 17 May, mandates the Commission to respond within six months. Should the executive propose legislation, a further six-month public consultation would follow.
Conversion therapy encompasses psychological, medical, or religious interventions seeking to change a person’s identity, typically from LGBTQ+ to heterosexual. A 2024 European Parliamentary Research Service study revealed 2% of LGBTQ+ individuals had undergone such attempts, while 5% had been offered these discredited practices.
Currently, only seven EU states—including France, Germany, and Belgium—implement partial or complete bans. Elsewhere, regulatory gaps persist, and LGBTQ+ individuals face systemic stigmatisation.
Despite the petition’s success, legislative prospects remain uncertain. Left group co-president Manon Aubry cautioned:
We’re not naive – this will be a tough fight, especially as the Commission is far too permissive with Hungary, which systematically violates the Charter of Fundamental Rights by attacking LGBTI rights.
Concerns mount over potential backtracking, citing recent controversy when Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s cabinet removed the term “abortion” from a women’s rights strategy, invoking national competence. Renew Europe officials warn similar justification could thwart conversion therapy bans.
