Déclaration écrite de Parlementaires du Conseil de l'Europe

61 membres de l'Assemblée parlementaire du Conseil de l'Europe émanant de plusieurs pays et partis politiques, dont les socialistes, ont signé une "déclaration écrite" relative au projet de loi qui dépénaliserait l'euthanasie des enfants en Belgique.

Les signataires affirment que la Belgique se trompe lourdement en pensant « que les enfants sont capables de donner leur consentement éclairé à l'euthanasie et qu'ils peuvent comprendre la signification grave et les conséquences d'une telle décision ». Ces parlmentaires estiment que la Belgique « trahit les enfants les plus vulnérables en estimant que leurs vies n'auraient plus de valeur intrinsèque ».

Une telle Déclaration n'engage pas toute l'Assemblée parlementaire. Elle constitue néanmoins un document officiel destiné à alerter un pays sur une situation grave en matière de droits de l'Homme ou d'éthique.

Written declaration No. 567

Considering the December 2013 vote in the Belgian Senate to approve by 50 votes to 17 a proposal to legalise euthanasia for children (without any age limit);

Bearing in mind that:

- the Committee of Ministers welcomed in this respect paragraph 9 (c) of the Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1418 (1999), to "encourage the member States of the Council of Europe to respect and protect the dignity of terminally ill or dying persons in all respects by upholding the prohibition against intentionally taking the life of terminally ill or dying persons";

- the Assembly, in its Resolution 1859 (2012) stated that "Euthanasia, in the sense of the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit, must always be prohibited",

the undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly are of the opinion that this vote in the Belgian Senate:

- betrays some of the most vulnerable children in Belgium by accepting that their lives may no longer have any inherent value or worth and that they should die;

- mistakenly assumes that children are able to give appropriate informed consent to euthanasia and that they can understand the grave meaning and complex consequences associated with such a decision;

- promotes the unacceptable belief that a life can be unworthy of life which challenges the very basis of civilised society.

Signataires:

GHILETCHI Valeriu, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD

AMBLER Stella, Canada

AMON Werner, Austria, EPP/CD

BADEA Viorel Riceard, Romania, EPP/CD

BAKRADZE David, Georgia, EPP/CD

BENEYTO José María, Spain, EPP/CD

BENTON Joe, United Kingdom, SOC

BOKUCHAVA Tinatin, Georgia, EPP/CD

BORZOVA Olga, Russian Federation, EDG

BRAUN Márton, Hungary, EPP/CD

CESA Lorenzo, Italy, EPP/CD

CHISU Corneliu, Canada

CLAPPISON James, United Kingdom, EDG

CLUNE Deirdre, Ireland, EPP/CD

CONDE Agustín, Spain, EPP/CD

CORSINI Paolo, Italy, SOC

CRAUSBY David, United Kingdom, SOC

CROSIO Jonny, Italy, EDG

DAVIES David, United Kingdom, EDG

DERVOZ Ismeta, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD

DJUROVIĆ Aleksandra, Serbia, EPP/CD

DONALDSON Jeffrey, United Kingdom, EDG

FABRITIUS Bernd, Germany, EPP/CD

FENECHIU Cătălin Daniel, Romania, ALDE

FISCHER Axel E., Germany, EPP/CD

FRANKEN Hans, Netherlands, EPP/CD

GALATI Giuseppe, Italy, EPP/CD

GERASIMOVA Nadezda, Russian Federation, EDG

GÓRCZYŃSKI Jarosław, Poland, EPP/CD

GORGHIU Alina Ştefania, Romania, ALDE

HAJIYEV Sabir, Azerbaijan, SOC

HEER Alfred, Switzerland, ALDE

HERKEL Andres, Estonia, EPP/CD

HOVHANNISYAN Arpine, Armenia, EPP/CD

KALMÁR Ferenc, Hungary, EPP/CD

KANDELAKI Giorgi, Georgia, EPP/CD

KARADJOVA Deniza, Bulgaria, SOC

KARAPETYAN Naira, Armenia, EPP/CD

KYRIAKIDES Stella, Cyprus, EPP/CD

LEIGH Edward, United Kingdom, EDG

MAGHRADZE Guguli, Georgia, SOC

MARJANOVIĆ Vesna, Serbia, SOC

MATUŠIĆ Frano, Croatia, EPP/CD

MAYER Edgar, Austria, EPP/CD

MEALE Alan, United Kingdom, SOC

MORENO PALANQUES Rubén, Spain, EPP/CD

NIKOLOSKI Aleksandar, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', EPP/CD

OSCARSSON Mikael, Sweden, EPP/CD

PALIHOVICI Liliana, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD

PREDA Cezar Florin, Romania, EPP/CD

QUINTANILLA Carmen, Spain, EPP/CD

REILLY Kathryn, Ireland, UEL

RIVARD Michel, Canada

RUSTAMYAN Armen, Armenia, SOC

RZAYEV Rovshan, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD

SHLEGEL Robert, Russian Federation, EDG

SIDYAKIN Alexander, Russian Federation, EDG

SOBOLEV Serhiy, Ukraine, EPP/CD

STEFANELLI Lorella, San Marino, EPP/CD

STRENZ Karin, Germany, EPP/CD

TIMCHENKO Vyacheslav, Russian Federation, EDG

EPP/CD: Group of the European People's Party

SOC: Socialist Group

ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

EDG: European Democrat Group

UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

NR: Representatives not belonging to a Political Group