On Wednesday the 16th of October, the Italian Senate approved a bill to abolish surrogacy for citizens of Italy. This law comes twenty years after Italy initially banned surrogacy within its borders. This new law extends the abolition of surrogacy for Italians who seek it abroad. FAFCE, as a participant of the Casablanca Declaration for the Universal Abolition of Surrogacy, welcomes this law in favour of human dignity for mother and child.
Elected representatives at Italy’s Senate voted 84-58 to approve the extending of the parameters of the abolition of surrogacy. The new bill would mean that Italians would not be permitted to use wombs for rent in countries where surrogacy is a legal practice.
FAFCE President, Vincenzo Bassi, said: “This bill, in its international scope, rightly recognises surrogacy as a form of human trafficking. It is a hugely significant step towards the goal of the universal abolition of surrogacy. We must continue to build a global consensus against the commodification of woman and child.”
The European Parliament established surrogacy as a form of human trafficking in October 2023, with the Council of the European Union adopting the directive in late May 2024.
FAFCE President, Vincenzo Bassi, asserted: “Surrogacy is not merely a discrete violation of human dignity isolated to one country or continent. It is a violation of human dignity on a global scale. The commercial exploitation of women and children through surrogacy knows no borders. We hope that this sparks a call around the world to say ‘no’ to wombs for rent. We must continue finding common ground to promote the family as a gift, not as a commodity.”
The Casablanca Declaration for the Universal Abolition of Surrogacy, of which FAFCE is a part, held a conference in Rome in April 2024, featuring members and participants from diverse backgrounds, faiths, and nations.
Reacting to the Senate vote, Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, commented that it was a “common sense rule against the commodification of the female body and children”, adding that “human life has no price and is not a commodity to be exchanged”. For her part, Eugenia Roccella, Italy’s Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family, said that “people are not objects, children cannot be bought and parts of the human body cannot be sold or rented”. She continued, “this simple truth, which is already enshrined in our legal system, where the aberrant practice of surrogacy is a criminal offence, can no longer be circumvented”.
FAFCE recently met with Minister Roccella to present the F7 statement signed by organisations from each Member State of the G7. Italy is currently the holder of the Presidency of the G7. |
