Brussels has 6 months to decide whether to ban conversion practices, following a petition signed by 1 million people.
Brussels, November 18, 2025 - The European Commission has confirmed that it has officially received the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) titled "Prohibition of Conversion Practices in the European Union." It has managed to gather 1,128,063 validated statements of support, becoming the 13th successful initiative that obliges the European executive to take an official position.
The campaign organizers are calling on the Commission to propose legislation that would impose a mandatory legal ban on conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ citizens in the European Union. The initiative defines these practices as "interventions aimed at changing, repressing, or suppressing sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression."
The success of the initiative is underscored by the fact that it has reached the minimum thresholds of signatures in 11 member states, exceeding the legal requirement to have broad support in at least 7 countries.
According to EU procedures, the Commission now has six months – until May 18, 2026 – to examine the proposal and present an official response. The executive will have to decide whether to propose new legislation, take other non-legislative measures, or not take any action, being required to justify its decision regardless of the outcome.
In the coming weeks, representatives of the Commission will meet with the organizers to discuss the details of the proposal. Subsequently, the European Parliament will hold a public hearing, providing a platform for debating this controversial issue at the European level.
ȘTIRI PE ACELEAȘI SUBIECTE
