PRESS RELEASE
No Maternity Traffic Denounces an Attempt to Impose the Liberalization of Surrogacy in Europe
On Monday, November 23rd, the Council of Europe’s Social Affairs Committee will meet in Paris to discuss and vote a draft Resolution on Surrogacy drafted by Belgian Senator Petra De Sutter. No Maternity Traffic is concerned about the content of the text that would accept the practice of surrogacy and would make recommendations for that purpose. While pretending to “regulate” surrogacy, such a Resolution would accept the principle of it.
No Maternity Traffic denounces the fact that no association specialized in the field of women’s rights or children’s rights, nor any citizen movement were consulted.
No Maternity Traffic is concerned that the drafting of the Resolution was entrusted to an activist in favor of surrogacy. Indeed, as a gynecologist specialist in reproductive medicine, Petra De Sutter performs surrogacy, thanks to the vagueness of the Belgian law. Moreover, she helps to circumvent the laws banning surrogacy in Europe by having customers, from France and other countries that forbid this practice.
The Resolution – whose content is still confidential – should be subject to a final vote at the Plenary Assembly in the beginning of January 2016, in Strasbourg.
This Resolution will have a substantial influence on the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the ongoing work of the Hague Conference.
No Maternity Traffic calls on the Council of Europe to strongly oppose this new attempt to liberalize surrogacy in Europe.
No Maternity Traffic reminds that Surrogacy is a shameful practice of human trafficking, for it involves the exploitation of women’s bodies and the commodification of children. The only human policy is to ban effectively such a practice while dealing case-by-case with existing situations.
No Maternity Traffic sent a report to all the members of the Commission of Social Affairs of the Council of Europe. No Maternity Traffic launched a petition gathering already 95,000 European citizens and asking the Council of Europe to prohibit surrogacy.