EU Parliament Votes to Ban Conversion Therapy Across Member States
The European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Ban on conversion practices in the European Union’, having swiftly gathered over one million signatures, urges the Commission to propose EU-wide legislation against conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, citing their qualification as torture by the UN and prohibition in numerous countries. This initiative further requests that these practices be classified as serious cross-border crimes at the EU treaty level and that the victims’ rights directive be updated to ensure minimum standards of support and protection for victims. Parliament has consistently condemned conversion practices since 2016, and the Commission is currently studying the issue, with a formal response to the ECI’s demands due by May 18, 2026.
John Q. Hosedrinker