It is a document that could pave the way for a legal text.

The Ethics Committee is issuing an expected opinion on the end of life this Tuesday morning, as Emmanuel Macron prepares to draw the outlines of a citizens' convention on this subject of society.

While several countries have modified their legislation over the past ten years and the French Parliament has debated it, the National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE) set up a working group in June 2021 to reflect again end-of-life ethical issues.

“If necessary, change the legal framework”

“We need to move for more humanity,” said Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.

On Monday, before the Presidential Press Association, the President of the Republic mentioned the launch of a citizens' convention "from October".

“The idea”, he continued, “is to give ourselves around six months and depending on the answers and feedback (…) before the end of 2023, if necessary, to change the legal framework”.

“It is one of his campaign commitments.

He had said that he wanted a peaceful debate and concerned about everyone's opinions, ”we recently recalled in the presidential entourage.

The great societal reform of a second five-year term would be "the right to die with dignity", had also affirmed the former president of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand the day after the first round of the presidential election.

On a “personal” basis, Emmanuel Macron said he was “favorable to moving towards the Belgian model”, during an aside with French people during a campaign trip.

But "at bottom, my personal opinion doesn't matter," he said on Monday.


Until then, the Claeys-Leonetti law regulated the end of life of terminally ill patients in France.

Adopted in 2016, after a first version in 2005, it prohibits euthanasia and assisted suicide, but allows "deep and continuous sedation until death" for terminally ill patients in very great suffering, whose life prognosis is engaged "in the short term".

Euthanasia is authorized in several European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and more recently Spain.

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