European Parliament Backs an EU-Wide Ban on Conversion Therapy

The European Parliament has backed a call for an EU-wide ban on conversion therapy. As the Washington Blade reports , on April 29, 405 MEPs supported the position, and the European Commission must now give its official response by May 18.

The practice is widely regarded by international human rights groups and many medical bodies as harmful. Conversion therapy usually refers to attempts to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

An important backdrop to the vote was the European Citizens’ Initiative led by Against Conversion Therapy LGBT. The campaign began in 2024 and gathered more than 1.2 million signatures, which moved the issue to the level of EU institutions. The key point for readers is that such an initiative does not change the law on its own, but it does require the European Commission to respond officially and explain whether it plans new measures.

According to the publication, a full ban is already in place in several European countries. Among EU countries, it lists Belgium, Cyprus, France, Malta, Portugal and Spain. Norway, which is not part of the EU, has also fully banned the practice.

Other countries already have narrower restrictions. In Greece, conversion therapy has been banned for minors since 2022. In Germany, a 2020 law banned it for minors and for adults who did not consent to the practice.