The Council of Europe Commission on Social Issues, Health and Sustainable Development will examine “the new surrogacy report” presented by Belgian MP, Petra De Sutter, next week during the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly. Commission members will discuss the draft document prior to a potential vote on 21 and 22 June.
Petra de Sutter, “accused of conflicts of interest because of direct links with surrogacy clinics” has nevertheless decided not to resign as rapporteur. Her first report was rejected on 15 March. One Commission member commented as follows, “We run the risk of accepting through the window what we rejected at the door!”.
FCFAE[1]President, Antoine Renard, voiced his “concerns” at the “lack of clarity and transparency in the procedure surrounding the report”. FAFCE “is calling on all Commission members to act in accordance with their duty as elected representatives such that the credibility of the institution (the Council of Europe) per se is not challenged”.
Feminist associations have also voiced their opposition and sent a letter to the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in early June. Moreover, the No Maternity Traffic petition signed by 110,000 citizens was recently forwarded to the Commission for Social Affairs.
[1] Federations of Catholic Family Associations in Europe.
FAFCE (14/06/2016)